Youngyoon Joo is a Seoul-based designer specializing in brand design and character IP development. He holds an MFA in Visual Communication Design and creates meaningful user experiences through brand strategy and direction, while also exploring warmth and cuteness through character and illustration work.

ABOUT

Biography
Youngyoon Joo is a Seoul-based designer specializing in brand design and character IP development. Having earned his MFA in Visual Communication Design from Hongik University Graduate School of Industrial Arts, he creates meaningful user experiences through brand strategy and direction, while also exploring warmth and cuteness through character and illustration work. In addition, he is active as a KakaoTalk emoticon creator, with releases such as “Nana is Glued to Older Brother” and “We Can Get Through This Together.”

M.F.A. Hongik university, Visual Communication Design
B.F.A. Dongguk University, Department of Arts

2022- Smilegate, Integration Creative Mgmt., Designer
2024- Visual Information Design Association of Korea, Executive, Division of Illustration
2019- Kakaotalk Emoticon Creator, nana
Awards
2025 Red Dot Design Award: Brands & Communication Design, Winner
2025 iF Design Award, Winner
2025 Asia Design Prize, Winner/ Winner
2025 Good Design Korea, Winner
2024 Korea International Design Award, Silver Prize(산업통상자원부장관상)
2024 Hongik University, Certificate of Commendation
2023 K Design Award, Communication Design, Winner
2022 Red Dot Design Award: Brands & Communication Design, Winner
2021 Korea International Design Award, Silver Prize(산업통상자원부장관상)
2021 Daegu Design Exhibition Award, Silver Prize
2021 International Busan Design Award, Winner
2021 Basic Art & Design Award, General Selection
2018 Ministry of National Defense Illustration Contest, Grand Prize
Works
Emoticon (작가명: 나나)
2024 카카오 이모티콘 ‘뭉뭉쿤은 너바라기’ 출시
2021 카카오 이모티콘 ‘너바라기 포뽀’ 출시
2020 카카오 이모티콘 ‘우리 함께 힘내요’ 출시
2020 카카오 이모티콘 ‘롱디커플 모여라’ 출시
2019 카카오 이모티콘 ‘말랑말랑해 나나몽이’ 출시
2019 카카오 이모티콘 ‘아낌없이 사랑해 나나냥이’ 출시
2019 카카오 이모티콘 ‘똘망이의 청이 있사옵니다’ 출시
2019 카카오 이모티콘 ‘나나의 오셨습니까 형님톡’ 출시

Art Fair & Exhibition
2024 DESIGN KOREA 2024 (11.15 - 17, 2024. COEX, Seoul, Korea)
2021 Korea Character Licensing Fair (11.25 - 28, 2021. COEX, Seoul, Korea)
2021 DESIGN WEEK IN DAEGU (11.18 - 20, 2021. EXCO, Daegu, Korea)
2021 DESIGN KOREA 2021 (10.6 - 10, 2021. aT Center, Seoul, Korea)
2019 Korea Character Licensing Fair (7.17 - 21, 2019. COEX, Seoul, Korea)
2016 The Seoul Illustration Fair 2016 (7.8 - 11, 2016. COEX, Seoul, Korea)

강의·자문 활동
2025.08 스마일게이트 디자인 직무 특강
2024.11 한양대학교 디자인대학 캐릭터 일러스트 특강
2024.10 동국대학교 졸업생 디자인 직무 특강
2022.09 홍익대학교 산업미술대학원 시각·커뮤니케이션디자인 '이모티콘 커뮤니케이션' 특강
2021.06 중앙대학교 사범대학부속고등학교 '나의 캐릭터는? 나만의 캐릭터 & 이모티콘 만들기' 특강
2021.09 경남콘텐츠코리아랩 콘텐츠교육 강사
2020.10 경남콘텐츠코리아랩 창작교육 '우리들의 지역을 활용한 이모티콘 랩' 강의
2020.09 - 2021.12 동국대학교 교양융합교육원(전:파라미타칼리지) '캐릭터 디자인과 이모티콘 제작' 강의
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