Reference as Design: Korean Wedding
BRIEF
Build a working visual archive to inform the creation of a visual system for an event. This involves studying precedent, recognizing patterns, and using references intentionally to guide design decisions, rather than simply collecting visuals for inspiration. The goal is to create a design system that demonstrates how research and references directly influence creative choices.
CHALLENGE
Translate collected visual references into a cohesive, intentional visual system, identifying formal, historical, and contextual qualities in the design work. The goal is to use precedent as a functional tool for decision-making rather than decoration, creating a system that is both informed and reusable for future projects.
ROLE
UI Design, Graphic Design, Research
PLATFORMS
Poster, IOS, Desktop, Ticket
DESIGN TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Part One: Before Visual Archive
Before gathering visual references, I first defined the type of event I wanted to design for. After considering options like a music festival and a gaming festival, I ultimately chose to focus on a traditional royal Korean wedding. Drawing from my cultural background made the project feel more personal and meaningful, as I have a deep appreciation and love for my culture.
Part Two: Building Visual Archive
I gathered visual references from sources such as The People’s Graphic Design Archive, Fonts In Use, and Letterform Archive, focusing on materials that felt relevant to a traditional Korean wedding. I also explored the Victoria & Albert Museum’s collection, where I found historical artifacts from the Joseon Dynasty, including items like bridal panels. I was able to collect a strong set of references specifically tied to weddings from that era, which helped guide my design decisions. My goal was to translate these historical elements into a modern context while preserving the authenticity and atmosphere of a traditional Joseon Dynasty wedding.
Part Three: Analysis & Classification
After solidifying my archive, I organized the collected pieces into several categories. Based on my observations, I grouped all 25 references into four key areas: typographic behavior, color behavior, cultural and historical context, and repetition. Within each category, I documented key takeaways and identified patterns that emerged across different time periods and contexts.
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Typography is displayed uniquely and may be written or arranged vertically
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Unlike English, which can feel awkward when read or formatted vertically, Korean can be naturally written both vertically and horizontally without affecting legibility
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This arrangement creates contrast and variety while also signifying tradition to the viewer, as vertical typography is often associated with East Asian writing
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In most cases, vertical placement is used to convey historical or traditional aesthetics
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TYPOGRAPHIC BEHAVIOR
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Bright primary colors are used, which instantly draw the eye and establish a lighter and more exciting mood
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During the Joseon Dynasty, Obangsaek, the five cardinal colors (red, yellow, blue, white, and black) were used. These colors were connected to the cardinal directions, natural elements, and philosophical virtues
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The combination of the five colors also works to create visual balance and make the design feel more intentional and stable
COLOR BEHAVIOR
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The artifacts shown are from the Joseon Dynasty and reveal their purpose and meaning
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The traditional clothing Koreans wear is called hanbok, and it was originally worn as daily attire to signify one's social status and gender. Today, it is worn only on special occasions, such as weddings, festivals, and other celebrations
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Wooden duck figurines were typically given at royal and traditional weddings, as they symbolized fertility, love, and lifelong commitment to marriage (ducks were believed to mate for life)
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CULTURAL & HISTORICAL CONTEXT
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Repeated patterns and motifs are embroidered throughout, creating a consistent rhythm. Visually, it also feels like one cohesive piece, as everything fits together with a unified look
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Joseon motifs are scattered throughout, including peonies, which symbolize wealth and royal dignity, and cranes, which symbolize longevity and wisdom
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This repetition of the different shapes and forms establishes a unified and visually pleasing composition
REPETITION
Part Four: Designing the Event System
Since wedding posters are not traditionally common, I chose to design a wedding announcement poster that functions as a formal notice.
Inspired by the vertical layout and brush-like typography found in my references, I incorporated similar stylistic elements into the design. I also included a traditional border influenced by ornamental pendants historically worn in Korea as markers of social status.
The poster features a brown background, referencing the tone of traditional paper, while the border incorporates red, blue, and yellow. Red symbolizes the woman, blue represents the man, and yellow signifies royalty, as it was historically reserved for the royal family. However, I ultimately scrapped this version because the layout was not as effective as intended, and the yellow became lost against the brown background.
POSTER
Yellow gets lost in the brown background
Layout was not as effective as intended and made it difficult to move forward
Starting over, I moved away from the vertical type alignment and instead embraced a horizontal layout. I enlarged and centered the Korean text for “Wedding Announcement” to clearly emphasize the main message. I then repositioned the border elements along the left and right sides, using them to symbolize the union of the woman and man.
Additional details, such as the wedding date and the couple’s names, were placed at the top and bottom between the nearly connecting borders to create balance within the composition. To further ground the design in cultural references, I incorporated a peony into the background, a recurring motif in my research that symbolizes wealth, honor, and prosperity. Historically known as the “king of flowers,” the peony also represents royal dignity, reinforcing the theme of a traditional royal wedding.
Incorporation of Obangsaek, the five cardinal colors (red, yellow, blue, white, and black), reflecting traditional color systems from the Joseon Dynasty
Peony flower in the background to symbolize wealth, honor, and royalty
A red and blue border reaching toward the center, symbolizing the union of the woman (red) and the man (blue)
I definitely preferred this arrangement, but in its current state, the poster felt almost empty, as if something was missing. After some reflection, I decided to explore a watercolor effect, giving the impression that the poster had been painted with ink and brush. I brought the design into Adobe Photoshop, where I added texture and made adjustments to achieve the desired aesthetic.
For the wedding email, I wanted to incorporate motifs relevant to the Joseon Dynasty, drawn from my visual references. I began by drafting example copy to be sent a few days before the wedding, including important reminders for guests. I then integrated cranes and clouds, inspired by one of the bridal panels, into the background at a lower opacity. The small rainbow-like decorative border was also sourced from my archive.
I initially tried incorporating blue, red, and yellow into the clouds, but the variation drew the eye unevenly and made the email copy harder to read.
The background felt too busy, with the color variation drawing the eye unevenly and making the copy difficult to read
The single bottom border feels random and out of place, rather than intentional
To resolve this, I made all the clouds a single color and lowered their opacity further. The single bottom border also felt random, so I added a matching border at the top to create a more balanced and intentional design.
In Korea, guests often receive a meal ticket after submitting a congratulatory cash envelope. Inspired by this tradition, I designed a two-part ticket: the left side as a keepsake with event information, and the right side tearable for entry to the dining hall.
For the left section, I added a border inspired by a pattern found on traditional men’s wedding attire. I also incorporated the peony flower in the background to maintain cohesion with the overall event system. In the center, I illustrated the ceremonial headpieces worn by the bride and groom to represent the couple, and at the bottom, I displayed the location, date, and time.
For the right section, I kept the design simple, incorporating a pattern inspired by motifs found on women’s traditional wedding attire. I used yellow to evoke a sense of royalty, as the color was historically reserved for the royal family, and placed it against a red background for contrast. As a final touch, I added small instructional text indicating that the tearable portion should be handed to reception staff, in case guests forget or are unsure.
TICKET
For the banner, I decided to reuse the crane illustration from the email and the decorative border from the poster to maintain visual consistency across the event materials.
BANNER
Part Five: Summary of Main References
Below are a few of the main visual references I've used that my designs can be traced back to.
Traditional headpieces that men and women wear during the wedding
Men wore blue while women wore red to represent the yin-yang philosophy (yin: harmony, yang: energy)
Cranes symbolize longevity, fidelity, and noble virtue (were used to bless the newlyweds)
Lotus flowers and peonies were embroidered on bridal panels which were then sewn onto a woman’s bridal dress called 활옷 (lotus: purity, fertility, etc.; peonies: wealth, honor, etc.)
Traditional brush-stroke typography
Part Six: Mockups
A collection of mockups showcasing the wedding materials in real-world settings.
Part Seven: Final Thoughts
I personally really enjoyed designing the materials for a traditional royal Korean wedding. Working within constraints, such as ensuring every major decision was traceable to my visual archive and avoiding decorative additions without precedent, refined my ability to design with intention. The poster was especially challenging but rewarding, as final edits in Adobe Photoshop brought the hand-brushed Joseon Dynasty aesthetic to life. Through this project, I not only strengthened my connection to my cultural roots but also gained valuable experience in research-based design, attention to detail, and creating work that is both meaningful and authentic.