DESIGNING HOMES AWAY FROM HOME

An international design influencer behind hotel concepts and hospitality retreats around the world, D.B. Kim is not always fluent in his clients’ native languages. “My friends are sometimes astonished that I’m able to communicate, but I tell them it’s because I speak attitude,” he says. “As I always tell my team, if you have to speak about your design over and over again, you’ve probably failed. If you have to explain anything more than once, it’s a sign you need to go back and think about it again.”

Over the last 25 years, Kim has allowed his joyous approach to interior design speak for itself both as an in-house creative for such interior design and architecture companies as Gensler, Daroff Design Inc., and Pierre-Yves Rochon, and as a design leader behind Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Over the last decade, as a hospitality designer for the Dalian Wanda and Galaxy Entertainment groups and other international clients, he’s been the visionary behind more than thirty luxury hotels across Asia.

“But I don’t keep track of the number, because everything I do is a collaborative effort,” he says. “My main job is about influencing and inspiring people to do a better job–and it just happens that I’ve been focused on hotels.”

Now based in Shanghai, Kim is leading the Experience Concept Design team within NIO, a Chinese electric vehicle company. One of their strategies is to create NIO House, a premium lifestyle concept where their electric car owners are invited to recharge, both literally and spiritually. “When I was first contacted, I thought, I don’t like to drive–I like to take public transit,” he laughs. But he soon accepted the challenge of creating hospitable retreats across China, growing markets in Europe to encourage the switch to renewable fuel, and building brand allegiance. “I always seek projects that allow me to learn something completely new,” he says.

Kate Worum’s artwork is woven into the daily lives of millions. As a pattern designer, she’s seen her buoyant prints and colorful patterns transformed into everything from bedspreads and dinner plates, to wallpaper and pajamas. “Creating art work at such a scale that you see it out in the world is really exciting,” she says.

Worum studied illustration at MCAD, but it wasn’t until she used her alumni discount on a continuing education class that she discovered the world of print and patternmaking. “That class set the tone for the rest of my career. I learned how to use my illustration skills to think about surface design and patterning,” she says. That passion helped her get hired at Target, where she worked as an inhouse illustrator, creating vibrant and eclectic housewares for the retailer’s Opalhouse brand. It also inspired her to start She She, a custom wallpaper company launched with creative partner Jennifer Jorgensen, known for bespoke installations and cheeky designs.

When she’s not creating custom wallpapers, Worum gets assignments from retailers like Garnet Hill, while also taking full advantage of MCAD’s continuing ed, where alums like her can attend any class for just $25. “No matter what your profession or your area of focus is, carve out time to create for yourself to stay connected to what inspires you,” she says. “I think this is the year I’m going to sign up for portrait painting.”

Keeping the freelance life fresh can be a challenge. “If you ever get caught in a loop of ’the projects I’m getting are not inspiring,’ challenge your passion by giving each project that comes your way your all,” says Worum. “No matter if it’s an illustration for a flyer for your neighborhood’s block party or a cover illustration for The New Yorker, you can be passionate about every project.”

Podcaster and designer Adam R. Garcia ’06 puts a shine on Apple’s content

In his role as a creative director at Apple Music, Adam R. Garcia leads a team focused on the future of music. And while he can’t reveal company secrets, he can report that he’s not afraid of the way technology will change what we hear. “I feel more inspired right now than I ever have been about human connection, and all the ways we can pursue the things we love so much more easily,” he says. “Now I can pick up a guitar, record myself, make music, and publish it immediately, all on my computer. Those are the things I get excited about.”

At Apple Music, he and his content design team are responsible for connecting the platform’s 100 million songs with its 100 million followers. “One thing we’re really proud of is the way we rely on human curation,” he says, putting new music recommendations in front of listeners who can often feel stuck on repeat on other platforms. “If you only listen to things inside your bubble, it makes the bubbles smaller and harder,” he says, “When it comes to finding things you love, you have to keep a balance.”

In his free time, Garcia can sometimes be found recording Dope Excerpts, an Apple Podcast in which Garcia reads favorite selections from his own bookshelves in Los Angeles. He also recommends the following for the future-minded fellow alums:

+ Interdependence, a podcast by composer and sound artist

Holly Herndon

+ Ways of Being: Beyond Human Intelligence by James Bridle

+ MasterClass: “If you have the money, invest in a subscription,” he says. “No matter the topic, it’s always about the creative process.”