Livework

A design stationery and lifestyle brand launched in 2002. Based on an in-house design team, it plans products for everyday use ranging from notebooks, diaries, and writing instruments to bags, fabrics, and household items. It has developed various design lines and characters such as Little Things, Comfy Cozy, Arrow Hill, Momo-ssi, and Somsom, and through LIFE & PIECES, it presents a diverse range of products that collect records and tastes and express them in daily life.

Rather than making a perfect product, each person's life

Small pieces that make it richer

We want to remain a brand that continues to make suggestions.

Q. Livework has been producing design stationery and lifestyle items for everyday use since 2002. What was the reason you focused on 'objects used for living and working' from the very beginning?

We believed that greater value could be found in everyday life rather than in special spaces. After all, the objects we use daily are the closest to people's daily lives. Back in 2002, the concept of "design stationery" was not as mainstream as it is today. We wanted design to permeate every moment of recording, working, and resting. Livework began with the idea of viewing life and work together, rather than separating them.

Q. Over the more than 20 years you have been creating stationery, the time spent writing by hand has decreased, while the ways to express personal tastes have diversified. Has Livework’s definition of 'well-used stationery' also changed?

While the way we record things has clearly changed, I believe the act of people organizing their thoughts and preserving their emotions continues. In the past, new colors, designs, or the product itself were sufficient, but now we strive to clearly convey exactly how we want the item to be used. Consumers are also no longer looking solely at function and efficiency; they examine design, brand value, manufacturing methods, and materials, and are actively expressing their personal tastes. Therefore, Livework today goes beyond simply making products and is contemplating how to make the time spent recording an experience.

Q. The range of products you make has diversified from notebooks and diaries to bags, fabrics, and household goods. Is there a standard you use to determine whether Livework can make this item as well?

We do not intend to place significant restrictions on the categories themselves. What matters most is whether we can be convinced of it ourselves. Even when designing new products, we constantly ask ourselves, "Can I be proud of this decision myself?" and "Can I be proud of it within the Livework brand?" While these are not criteria that can be clearly defined by numbers, we strive to design and make decisions by carefully examining that ambiguous point.

Q. Recently, you have been describing the brand's direction using the two phrases 'Collect your pieces!' and 'Wear your pieces.' What do the 'pieces' referred to here mean?

'Collect your pieces!' embodies the meaning of gathering the experiences, emotions, and tastes encountered throughout life, one by one. I believe that records are a piece, and tastes are a piece as well. 'Wear your pieces' is a message encouraging us not just to keep what we have collected, but to actively use and express ourselves in our daily lives. Products serve as the tools to hold those pieces. In our collections, we translate these experiences into products, while offline, we continue the work of bringing together different people, spaces, and brands to create new pieces.

Q. It seems that the daily life in Korea that Livework has observed for over 20 years has influenced your products. What local characteristics have you discovered here?

I believe that Koreans are deeply interested in finding and documenting their own tastes, even amidst a rapidly changing environment. We have been creating our products while observing this closely for a long time. Therefore, I believe that Livework’s regional identity can be found in the lifestyles of people living in Korea today, rather than in specific traditional images. I also believe that for a good local brand, it is more important to deeply understand and express the experiences and emotions of the people living there, rather than simply importing local specialties or images.

A record is not a finished product

I think it is a process of capturing one's own thoughts and emotions.

Q. In this edition of <Edit Debt: Neo Local>, we are showcasing the Life and Pieces memo pad. I am also curious why you created a variety of sizes, ranging from A5 to the less common A3.

Many people consider their records to be nothing special or feel burdened by the idea of showing them to others. However, I believe that records are not a finished product, but rather a process of capturing one's thoughts and emotions. That is why I created the Memo Pad so that anyone can record a little more freely and confidently. We have prepared it in three sizes—A5, A4, and A3—and the A3 size, in particular, is not easily found in memo pads. I thought, why not try writing a little more boldly on a large sheet of paper rather than trying to fit into a small one? As your records accumulate, you might eventually want to show them to others or even exhibit them.

Q. How far would Livework like to expand its 'records' in the future?

I believe that books, photographs, thoughts, emotions, and even relationships between people can all be considered records. Therefore, moving forward, I want to view the act of recording from a broader perspective. I want to create various pieces that allow people to express, share, and cherish their tastes and experiences for a long time. Rather than creating perfect objects, I want to remain a brand that continues to offer small pieces that enrich each individual's life.

Maker's Pick

Life & Fishes Gel Pen 0.38

A gel pen created to refocus on the writing experience in a time when time for writing by hand has diminished. Livework personally designed everything from the body to the packaging, and developed 14 ink colors specifically for Life & Pieces. Personal taste is reflected in the process of choosing which color to write with, just as much as in what you write. Life & Pieces' philosophy of preserving daily experiences and emotions as one's own unique fragments is captured in the most familiar writing tool.

COMING SOON!

Livework this coming September

Meet them in person at!

September 17 - 30, 2026, The Hyundai Seoul POP-UP ICONIC B1

fin.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗲 Livework

Seeum Kim

Edeit Seulgi Lee