KIA Internship
NEXT Exterior Design team, Frankfurt, Germany
Sep2025-Feb2026
Team leader: Erde Tungaa
Supervisor: Marcell sebestyen
In September 2025, I joined Kia’s Next Exterior Design Team in Frankfurt as an intern. During my internship, I worked on official company projects while also developing an iconic small car as my internship project, with a bold design direction.
KIA NEXT Exterior Design Internship Project
The Korean character “원” means CIRCLE, defines the main design form of this project.
The Korean character “원” is pronounced "ONE", referring to Kia’s smallest EV segment.
The main goal of this project is to design an ICONIC & COMPACT car that
brightens the city, makes us smile, and brings more joy to everyday life.
Form Experiment with the Circle
Circle as the simplest, friendliest, and most smiley form.
Experimentation with breaking, extruding, connecting, shifting, and twisting the circle.
Form Experiments to Automotive Execution
Defined two types of desire: emotional and rational.
EMOTIONAL DESIRE
RATIONAL DESIRE
Final Animation
3D Print Mock-Up
Internship Reflection
Starting my second internship, I approached the experience with more confidence and a higher personal standard. Adapting to a new design language compared to my previous internship was both challenging and valuable.
As a Korean designer, it was especially interesting to work for a Korean company based in Germany while also seeing the brand through the perspective of international designers.
Through experimental design work and official company projects, I was able to grow further as a designer and gain valuable new insights.
Special thanks to Erde and Marcell.
