Yoon Jung Choi
Yoon Jung Choi is an assistant professor in Industrial Design at Virginia Tech. Her research interests focus on accelerating sustainability in the product and industrial design discipline through (1) an interdisciplinary approach and (2) impactful industry and public collaboration. She explores insights from multiple disciplines to apply in the design process, aiming to influence more environmentally friendly and socially beneficial use of products. Her work bridges the gap between sustainable design, behavioral science, and advanced technology to promote responsible consumer behavior, reduce functional waste, and enable the recirculation of materials for a zero-waste circular system.
Yoon completed her PhD at the Royal College of Art in London, United Kingdom. Her thesis focused on design for owner–object detachment through care practices for object longevity and environmental benefit. She holds an MA in Communication Design from Kingston University, UK.Yoon has ten years of industry experience, having worked as a senior/mid-level designer at various packaging and brand design consultancies in London. She later worked as an independent designer at Samsung Design Europe, Lewis Moberly, and SiebertHead for clients such as Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Cussons, GSK, Carlsberg, McDonald’s, Werther’s Original, and Sainsbury’s. She has previously taught at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and the Royal College of Art, London, UK.
Sustainability, Circular Economy, Participatory design research, Design for behaviour change, Packaging Design, AI for Design Future
IDS 3514 : Design Research
IDS 4015 : Industrial Design Lab IV
Selected publication
Papers in Refereed Journals
2024 - Choi, Y., & Kennedy, B., Understanding product hibernation periods with children’s products and exploring motivations and barriers for product care to encourage their reuse. Resources, Conversation & Recycling, Vol 205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107576
2018 - Choi, Y., Stevens, J. and Brass, C. Carative Factors in the Design Development Process: Towards Understanding Owner-Object Detachment and Promoting Object Longevity. The Design Journal, 21 (4), pp. 447-497 https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2018.1468166
Book Chapters
2023 - Choi, Y., Ballie, J., & Puri, A., Reincarnation: Waste, reuse, repair and upcycling. In: Charter, M., Pan, B and Black, S (Eds). In Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Apparel and Textiles, pp.229-311. Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003272878-30
Refereed Conference Proceedings
2024 - Choi, Y., Okumura, Kennedy, Lee and Gendell. Transforming food waste into natural pigments: Raising community school awareness of food waste recycling opportunities through co-design methods, Northeastern University, Boston, Design Research Society. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.240
2024 - Choi, Y., Integrating Design for Reuse in Industrial Design Education: Exploring Children’s Products and Gaining Insights, in Börekçi, N., Koçyıldırım, D., Korkut, F. and Jones, D. (eds.), Insider Knowledge, DRS Learn X Design unConference 2023, Feb, UK. https://doi.org/10.21606/drslxd.2024.019
2023 - Choi, Y., User decision making for end of use product: Exploring the reasons for keeping and care motivations for responsible sharing, in De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.362
2023 - Choi, Y., & Kennedy, B., Understanding product hibernation periods with children’s products and exploring motivations for product care to encourage their reuse. The Conference Proceedings of 5th Product Lifetime And The Environment conference, Helsinki, Finland. ISBN 978-952-64-1367-9
2023 - Choi, Y., A data-driven approach to design for sustainable behaviour: the opportunities and challenges for AI in children’s electronic toy design. The Conference Proceedings of 24th International Conference Sustainable Innovation, Surry, UK.
2022 - Choi, Y., Integrating Care Practice into Product Design Education: Insights on Care-giving Behaviour, Design and Sustainability. The Conference Proceedings of International Research & Education, Lisbon, Portugal.
2021 - Choi, Y., Rodgers, P.,& Lee, K., Understanding roles of care in the design process for sustainable behaviour: commitment and responsibility in packaging reuse. The Conference Proceedings of 4th Product Lifetime And The Environment conference, Dublin, Ireland https://doi.org/10.31880/10344/10202
2017 - Choi, Y., Stevens, J., & Brass, C., Carative Factors to Guide Development Process for Object-Owner Detachment in Enabling an Object’s Longevity. The Conference Proceedings of 2nd Product Lifetime And The Environment conference, TU Delft, Netherland. https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-820-4-84
2024 - VT Engage Development fund, Community collaborative project with SustainFloyd, Virginia Tech, USA.
2024 - Center for Human-Computer Interaction, Matching fund, ToySphere: Reuse, Replicate, Reimagine, Virginia Tech, USA.
2024 - Institute for Creativity Art & Technology, Major SEAD Grant, Toysphere: ToySphere: Reuse, Replicate, Reimagine, Virginia Tech, USA.
2023 - Institute for Creativity Art & Technology, Major SEAD Grant, Sustainable Art Painting, Virginia Tech, USA.
2023 - "Dream of the Earth", Art pieces exhibited for Hilton Marketplace, Alexandria, VA. USA.
2023 - "Spirit of the Earth", Art pieces exhibited for Hilton Marketplace, Alexandria, VA. USA.
2023 - New Faculty Teaching Award, School of Design, Virginia Tech
2022 - Institute for Creativity Art & Technology, Mini SEAD Grant, Domestic Violence Data Tracker, Virginia Tech, USA.
2016 - ‘Pregnancy Metaphor in Packaging Design’, Work in Progress Show, Royal College of Arts, London, UK,
2015 - College Scholarship, Royal College of Art, UK.
2015 - ‘Lifecycle of Packaging’, Work in Progress Show, Royal College of Arts, London, UK,
2006 - "Design Trust for Public Space”, Publish exhibition, Parsons School of Art and Design, New York, USA
2005 - Toshiba Hard Disc Drive Revolution Design Competition, UK. Highly commended Award.
2001 - ICI Dulux Student Design Award, Runner-up Prize
Education
Ph.D., Innovation Design Engineering, Royal College of Art, UK
MA., Graphic Communication Design, Kingston University, UK
BA., Product Design at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, UK
