A quick note before we begin..
One might need to read this text in its entirety to truly grasp the core value of the brand. However, to convey my sincerity and depth, I have composed this as a stream of consciousness—a personal confession.
Brand Story: Why I Started “Experience Design“
We generally define “travel” as the act of setting off for a place we’ve never been. We book flight tickets and accommodations, pack our toiletries and clothes into a suitcase, and depart for an unfamiliar environment. There, we feel happiness through new experiences, broaden our perspectives, and sometimes break down our prejudices. In this way, travel layers itself into our memory, becoming a cherished recollection.
Travel serves as a sanctuary from the stress of daily life, a network to encounter diverse stories, and a stage to meet a new version of ourselves. It gives us a positive influence, yet I cannot shake the feeling that it is somewhat passive. In terms of living as the true master of my own life, it feels like an environment where the “degree of freedom” is several levels lower—a sort of pre-packaged subjectivity.
This is why I began to “design experiences” myself.
I decide on the activities I want to experience, recruit the right people, and prepare the tools. I plan and organize the schedule, content, and logistics, and I even handle the operation on the day of the event. It is not for anyone else; it is an event solely for me. Sometimes, I attend an event prepared by a creator who seems to have read my mind and take away a similar sense of fulfillment.
This may feel somewhat abstract since there is no specific description, but it can be summarized in one sentence: “Experiencing communication with the people I want, in the place I want, at the time I want, and with the content I want.” If expressed in a single word, it is “freedom”—which, in modern society, is often substituted for “happiness.”
I want to reflect a bit more deeply on this value of freedom through the lens of capitalism. Thanks to capitalism, which has developed the world exponentially, we enjoy many things. Yet paradoxically, within that system, a life where one must sacrifice a pillar of their existence and pour out a lifetime of energy just to prove oneself follows us like a shadow. The phrase “living hard” has become a mere cliché for struggling to stay afloat in the ordinary. Everyone is running like mad on a racetrack based on meritocracy. While I applaud the few who claim the fruits at the finish line, a part of me thinks, “I don’t want to live that way.”
Even in a life that is valuable and meaningful, if all one gains after surrendering youth and energy to the hamster wheel is cold honor and money, it leaves me questioning and lost in thought. This does not mean I intend to live moderately and just wander around traveling. Nor am I denying the life of striving fiercely to achieve a professional career. I simply believe there is also a life where one grows continuously by running on their own racetrack, driven by their own curiosity and color. That is the kind of life I want to focus on.
I, too, am still an “incomplete life”—a Misaeng(未生). However, I believe that anyone can navigate through life by planning and operating it as its true protagonist. I started Experience Design because I wanted to break the frame of thought for others, showing them that it is possible to live this way. This is the essence of what I call “Active Daily Travel”—when we curate our own time, places, and people, even the most routine day transforms into a high-density journey.
I sincerely hope that our Active Daily Travel serves as a catalyst for you to claim your freedom, happiness, growth, and even the material fruits of your labor.
Warm regards, Oneck