Expo 2012 “The Living Ocean and Coast”: ti communication supports the design of the German Pavilion

“The Living Ocean and Coast” is the theme of the Expo 2012 in Yeosu, Korea. More than 100 nations are participating in the world fair this year, including Germany. On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology (BMWi) and organized by Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC), the task was to present German science and technology in an informative and entertaining way. For this, the agency “facts and fiction” were contracted with the conceptual and content-based design of the German pavilion. In order to also make a good impression at the world fair in the intercultural sense, the facts and fiction team was supported by ti communication’s trainer Suk-Geoung Han.

Initial challenges

At the start of the project, the question was how facts and fiction could win the pitch for the realization of the German pavilion for Expo 2012 while at the same time meeting the expectations of the Korean visitors. The challenge was to design the pavilion in such a way that, on the one hand, the German science and technology content could be conveyed and on the other hand, the taste of the primarily Korean public could be safely met. 

Education in Korea is of major importance

Trainer Suk-Geong Han

This is the point where ti communication trainer Dr. Suk-Geoung Han joined facts and fiction within the context of her cultural consulting. For the design process, she placed the focus on the differences between Germany and Korea in planning an expo exhibit. Why do Koreans go to fairs? What do they find especially attractive about them? What do they want to find out? Do they want to be educated or entertained? What do they want to experience?  When answering these very culturally-themed questions, Suk-Geoung Han identified three peculiarities that were a central theme throughout her intercultural consulting: education, the Korean affinity toward technology and the importance of symbols. First of all, it was important to note that education and learning are traditionally extremely important in Korea.   

Affinity toward technology

As a result, in the course of her consulting, the trainer pointed out that the design of the exhibits should live up to the educational needs of all age groups. Thus, the exhibits were designed to be very interactive. And in fact: the visitors are delighted. The ti communication trainer went on to explain that Koreans are very open to new technologies: “There is hardly another country where the internet is so seamlessly available and the people so virtually connected as in Korea. So of course, this technological orientation was given a high priority in the design of the pavilion,” says Ms. Han.  

German pavilion is a complete success

The importance of symbols and mascots is something else Suk-Geoung Han emphasized in her consultations: “In Korea, every institution, and even every event, has its own logo or mascot. Often, instructions, commands or prohibitions are symbolized using mascots. Thus, the design of such signboards plays a special role. In my consulting, I pointed out that a mascot should be whimsically designed and, at the same time, have a high degree of abstraction. Thanks to the openness and cultural sensitivity of facts and fiction as well as intercultural consulting by ti communication, the project in Korea is a complete success.   

This has been emphatically proven by the positive statements of the exhibition team on site and a high volume of feedback on the internet, including in Korean blogs. One Japanese woman, who had previously visited almost all world fairs, deemed the German pavilion, which is called “Seavolution,” by the way, the best of the Expo 2012.