Borami Kang sits down with host Adam Fromme in this episode of the Thinking through Design podcast. 

“It’s all about people and all about understanding people…what they do, what they need, and what they experience through the things we make. And that means to be a good designer you have to be a good person.” Borami Kang

In this Student Spotlight episode, MFA candidate Borami Kang shares her journey from more than a decade in professional design leadership to studying Design Research and Development at Ohio State. After years working in branding, startups, and client-facing design roles, Borami discusses how returning to school shifted her focus from solving other people’s problems to asking her own research questions. Her thesis explores how generative AI is changing design education, examining how students, educators, researchers, and practicing designers perceive and use AI in creative work. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for designers, she argues that design education should help students critically evaluate AI as one tool within a broader research and design process. 

Borami shares how reflection, evidence gathering, and intentional experimentation have shaped both her teaching and research. She also offers practical advice for graduate students about embracing failure, protecting time for deep thinking, and treating everyday observations as opportunities for research. We also discuss how design education can prepare students to navigate emerging technologies while remaining grounded in human understanding, thoughtful decision making, and meaningful communication.

This episode is part of the Student Spotlight mini-series. During the summer, we sit down with students at Ohio State DESIGN, giving them a chance to share their experiences and talk about the ideas that inspire them.

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts.