Rachel Hyein Kim

Back in college, I always dreamed of winning a design award one day, so this recognition means a great deal to me personally. It’s the first time I’ve received an international award with my name attached to professional work, which makes it especially meaningful. Professionally, it feels rewarding to know that the projects my team and I created have resonated beyond the company and been recognized within the wider creative industry. It’s both encouraging and motivating for future work.

For these projects, I was inspired by the themes and global issues the editorial content was exploring rather than the design direction itself. With Election Campaign 2024, I wanted to capture the political tension, fragmentation, and uncertainty surrounding a major global election cycle, especially the sense that the outcome would have consequences far beyond the US. The disrupted collage system reflected that instability and emotional intensity while still making the information visually engaging and readable. For The World Ahead 2025, the idea was more about navigation through complexity. The campaign explored geopolitics, conflict, technology, AI, and climate, and I wanted the visual system to feel dense and chaotic while still giving audiences a sense of direction. The red graphic interventions were inspired by navigational markings found on maps, reinforcing the idea of The Economist as a guide through uncertainty. I think the work represents a broader shift within the industry, where editorial design is not only about presenting information clearly, but also about creating emotionally resonant and visually distinctive experiences that help audiences connect with complex subjects.

One thing our team consistently tries to do is approach campaigns with a strong conceptual foundation while ensuring they stand apart visually from competitors. We wanted the work to feel striking enough to capture attention immediately while still supporting the editorial integrity of The Economist. For example, the fragmented collage system used in Election Campaign 2024 reflected political tension and instability, while the bold graphic interventions in The World Ahead 2025 helped structure complexity into something readable and navigable. I think the balance between strong visual impact and clear conceptual thinking helped the work stand out.

One of the biggest challenges was the unpredictability of the events themselves—particularly during the election cycle, where developments and candidates could change very quickly. At the same time, we had to remain visually balanced and avoid appearing politically biased by over-emphasizing certain individuals or perspectives. Finding the right imagery was also challenging, especially when trying to create consistency across multiple public figures and visual sources. Through close collaboration with the Creative Director, Art Director, and editorial team, we refined the work carefully through feedback and discussion until the campaigns felt both visually cohesive and editorially appropriate.

I hope this achievement brings broader recognition to our Creative Studio team and the type of work we’re producing at The Economist. Internally, it has already been encouraging to see colleagues across the company engage with and celebrate the projects. Personally, I hope it opens opportunities to continue growing creatively, take on more ambitious projects, and connect with a wider creative community. Hopefully, it will also lead to more opportunities like this interview.

The response internally has been incredibly positive. Our team received a shoutout during a company-wide meeting, which was a really memorable moment because it felt like the work was being recognized not just creatively, but across the wider organization as well. From a marketing perspective, I also heard that the campaigns performed strongly and connected well with their intended audiences, which was especially rewarding because the goal was always to make complex editorial subjects feel more engaging and accessible through visual storytelling.

I think a few things are especially important: being conceptual, communicating clearly, collaborating well with others, and staying critical of your own work in a healthy way. Strong creative work rarely comes from visuals alone; it comes from having a clear idea behind them. I also think curiosity and ambition matter a lot. Being genuinely excited about making great work pushes you to refine ideas further and pay attention to details people might otherwise overlook.

One of the biggest shifts in the creative industry right now is the development of AI. Personally, I still value the human side of creativity very deeply, particularly the emotional and conceptual thinking that comes from lived experience. At the same time, I think it’s important to understand how new technologies can be adapted and used responsibly within creative practice. Looking ahead, I’d love to continue exploring different areas of design while broadening my work as an artist. I’m especially interested in projects that combine editorial design, music, motion, and visual storytelling.

I’d say that awards are not always a perfect measurement of your work or talent. Creative fields are subjective—sometimes people simply respond differently to certain styles or ideas, and sometimes timing or luck also plays a role. The most important question to ask yourself is: “Am I proud of this work?” If the answer is yes, I think that already means something valuable. Competitions can be a great opportunity to build confidence, reflect on your progress, and share your work with a wider audience.

One lyric that has always stayed with me is from Tender by Blur: “Come on, come on, come on, Get through it, Come on, come on, come on, Love’s the greatest thing.” I think creative work is ultimately about connection—connecting with people, sharing ideas, and making something meaningful that others can feel something from. In such a competitive industry, it’s easy to become overly focused on individual success, but I believe empathy, sincerity, and supporting one another are just as important as ambition.

I’d like to dedicate this achievement to the Creative Studio team at The Economist, and especially the people I worked closely with throughout these campaigns. Creative Director: Michael Bradshaw Art Director: Vishaal Mistry Copywriters: Robert Bull, Ryleigh Wann I’d also like to thank Jennifer Parker for helping guide us through the award submission process. These projects were truly collaborative efforts, and I’m very grateful to have worked alongside such talented and thoughtful people. And of course, most importantly, I’d like to thank my family, my mom, my brother, John, and my cat, Ash, for always supporting and encouraging me throughout my creative journey.

“It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.” That lyric from Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day feels fitting because these projects evolved through uncertainty, experimentation, and constant refinement—but in the end, everything came together in a way that felt meaningful and rewarding.

As part of The Economist’s Creative Brand Studio team, I’m excited to continue creating campaigns that bring editorial ideas to audiences in visually engaging ways, across both editorial and marketing-focused projects. Personally, I’m also looking forward to continuing to grow as an artist and exploring new creative directions in the future.