Youngse Kim was born in Korea, but moved to Silicon Valley where he became a celebrated designer of consumer electronics products. Bill Gates called Kim’s iriver MP3 player “a leading design product of the digital era.”

But even after more than 3 decades in California where he founded the high-tech design firm INNO Design, he never forgot where he came from.  Korea has been largely known as a manufacturer of low-cost products, but Kim knew the country was home to many great designers who needed more resources to bring their ideas to market.  To help them along, he founded Design Accelerator Lab (DXL-Lab) in Pangyo, at the heart of Korea’s Techno Valley.

Many Korean designers seek to work at INNO Design, but the firm simply can’t employ all interested applicants.  Kim found a solution with DXL-Lab, which not only helps encourage the design process but also supports other aspects of the development process required to get a product that consumers want into the market.  Key to the program is a cloud-based platform that allows aspiring designers to connect with INNO Design experts and potential investors. Every step of the collaborative process happens on the platform.

Compass recently took a look at the vision for DXL-Lab, and its “Design Together” philosophy.   Learn more about what the organization is doing, including some early successful projects like the Hycore electric bike wheel set to be released in 2017.