From international development reports to fashion editorials and a socially driven digital design concept, South Korean graphic designer Jisu Kang explores how visual communication can bridge cultures, simplify complex information, and create meaningful connections with audiences.
Having grown up in South Korea before moving to New York, Kang developed an appreciation for the different ways people interpret visual information. Her studies in Communication Design at Parsons School of Design, followed by projects for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women, and V Magazine, allowed her to explore the relationship between design, communication, and cultural context.
Rather than following a single visual style, her approach is guided by the purpose of each project and the needs of its audience.
Making Complex Information Accessible
One of Kang’s most substantial editorial design projects was Iran Energy Subsidies, a UNDP report consisting of more than 100 pages and over 50 charts and data visualizations.
Responsible for the report’s entire editorial design, Kang developed its typography, grid system, information hierarchy, and page layouts, creating a consistent visual structure for a large volume of economic research.
The challenge was not simply to make the information visually appealing, but to maintain its accuracy while helping readers identify key messages and understand the relationships between complex datasets.
As Kang explains, presenting economic information requires a careful balance between clarity and context. Oversimplification can remove important details, while giving every element equal visual weight can make the information difficult to navigate.
Her solution was a structured editorial system in which typography, charts, and page layouts worked together to guide readers through the report.
Another UNDP project, Development at Risk: Protecting Gains and Unleashing Opportunities Amid Crisis, presented a different design challenge. Here, Kang was responsible for the report’s cover, developing a visual concept intended to communicate the urgency and complexity of international development challenges through a single image.
Both projects demonstrate how editorial design can help translate complex subjects into accessible visual communication.
From Policy Reports to Fashion Editorials
While her work for UNDP required structure, precision, and clarity, Kang’s projects for V Magazine offered opportunities for more expressive visual storytelling.
For the Zara Larsson interview editorial in V159, she independently developed the design of an editorial page, working from the initial concept through typography, image composition, and final layout. Her proposed design was incorporated into the published magazine with minimal revisions.
She also developed the visual concept and design for a BLACKPINK JISOO poster, bringing imagery, typography, and composition together into a cohesive visual expression.
Moving between international development publications and fashion editorials has helped Kang develop a flexible design approach, adapting her visual language to different subjects, audiences, and communication goals.
Her work also includes visual materials for UN Women’s CSW69 event, where she designed posters, banners, and related graphics with a consistent typographic and visual direction.
GREEN COUPON: Design for Social Impact
Beyond her professional editorial projects, Kang has explored how digital design can address everyday social challenges.
Her independently developed project, GREEN COUPON, also presented as GREEN HEALTH, is a mobile application concept designed to encourage older adults to participate in preventive health screenings.
Recognizing that complicated information and unfamiliar digital interfaces can discourage participation in healthcare services, Kang developed a concept combining accessible information with an incentive-based reward system.
The application aims to make preventive health screenings easier to understand and more approachable, encouraging users to view regular health checks as a positive part of everyday life.
Throughout the design process, Kang focused on user experience, intuitive navigation, clear information hierarchy, and visual accessibility.
Unlike her commissioned projects, GREEN COUPON allowed her to explore the entire design process independently, from identifying a social problem to developing the user experience and visual identity.
The project received a Gold Award at the 2025 International Design Awards, in the Multimedia: Mobile / Web Application category of the Professional Graphic Design division.
For Kang, the recognition was particularly meaningful because it acknowledged a self-initiated project exploring how design could contribute to social well-being.
Design Beyond Aesthetics
Across her projects, Kang’s work demonstrates the different roles graphic design can play: organizing complex research, expressing cultural identities, supporting international communication, and developing accessible digital experiences.
Her experience across South Korea and New York, together with her work in international development and editorial publishing, has shaped an approach that prioritizes context, purpose, and audience over a fixed visual style.
Whether working with data-heavy reports, expressive magazine layouts, or socially focused applications, Kang continues to explore how thoughtful visual communication can make information more accessible and create meaningful experiences.
Design credits: Jisu Kang
Featured projects: UNDP – Iran Energy Subsidies; Development at Risk; UN Women – CSW69 Event Visuals; V Magazine – Zara Larsson Editorial; GREEN COUPON / GREEN HEALTH.
