A total of four teams were selected as finalists at the semifinal of Herald Corporation’s English-language presentation competition Wednesday.

The design-themed contest welcomed a diverse array of opinions that delved into the broad spectrum of design-related topics ― including music, shoes, newspapers and even Korea’s traditional pottery. A total of 10 semifinalists competed in the hope of making it to the finals.

“This is the second edition (of the event) and I see it is just getting better and better,” said Lee Young-man, CEO and publisher of Herald Corp.

“Though this event is only Seoul-based at the moment, I’d like to see it happening overseas as well in the future.”

“Shall We Design,” one of the four teams who made it to the finals, gave a presentation about urban redevelopment plans in Korea and the case of Gamcheon village in Busan, a former slum area which has been transformed into a cultural hub for both artists and residents. The four-member group consists of students with different majors: French literature, law, landscape architecture, and electrical engineering.

“I’ve always liked speaking in front of people,” said Jeong Jun-young, a member of the group. “So it was a lot of fun expressing our views to the audience. I’m very excited about the final round, and I’m more than willing to do my best.”

A three-member group, “Philozign,” also made it to the finals with a presentation focusing on the relationship between design and storytelling.

“We are all communication and journalism majors so our concern was how to make this presentation as visually pleasing as possible, because it isn’t necessarily our forte,” said Cho Eun-jung, one of the members of the group. “But we had a lot of fun while working on this project and we are happy to participate in the finals.”

The presentation competition is a major side event of Herald Design Forum, which was launched last year. It has positioned itself as a major design-themed event in Korea, inviting acclaimed figures in the field and attracting local audiences looking for inspiration.

“All of the teams addressed the issues that they are going through as young people while talking about design at the same time,” said Jackie Kim, a fashion design professor at Samsung Art and Design Institute, who served as one of the judges. “But I was expecting more creativity. Instead of talking about what’s been already said by other people, it would’ve been refreshing to hear fresh and original perspectives.”

The final competition will be held on Thursday at COEX Auditorium in southern Seoul. The top prize winner will be given a cash prize of 3 million won and the opportunity to give their winning presentation during a VIP dinner attended by the forum’s invited figures.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)