#yonsei

I got accepted to Yonsei University's graduate program for a MA in Korean Studies and I have to be there by the first week of September!!!!!!

First five works - gouache drawings

Packaging and white wasp- Blender

3D Environments Created in Unity

Magnetic Socket usage image - Blender

Album Covers created in Blender:

Access Web Design and 3D filter videos through the Google Drive link.

Self Portrait - gouache drawing

Hello, I am Mariia Buhaievska and I am from Ukraine. I was born and lived my entire life there, until I came to Korea for my undergraduate studies. At this moment in life, I am a learner, still discovering who I am and who I want to become. My deep interest in various forms of design has brought me to Yonsei UIC, where I am majoring in CDM (Culture and Design Management) and IID (Information Interaction Design).In the realm of art and design, I have experienced variety of different aspects. Starting with an official Art school, I learned traditional art, sculpture, and art history. I have also explored art and design on my own, creating graphic illustrations and animations through Procreate. At Yonsei, I have enhanced my skills in Blender, Unity, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, Adobe Premiere, and MetaSpark Studio. I still must admit I am not as good with Touch Designer.

As a junior, I am seeking work experience in the design field. Currently, I have a part-time job as a graphic designer and product manager with the Ukrainian brand SweetStone. There I design packaging for their products and work on prototyping and production. Additionally, I am working as an RA (Residential Assistant) in the Appenzeller House for the third semester in a row. There, I guide freshman students, design programs, and collaborate with an RA team to organize large-scale events (approximately 150-200 people). I was a member of the DFK (Design Factory Korea) club and have also organized a Mockup Session event in collaboration with them.Beyond the design sphere, I am an introverted person who enjoys meaningful conversations with others yet cherishes time alone to find balance. Having recently adopted a cat, I now have much more home time than before :)

As mentioned, I appreciate the company of others and value understanding their perspectives. My favourite places are the high mountains and grassy fields; I am a true nature person who would prefer collecting mushrooms in the forest over a night out at a party. I enjoy drawing with gouache paints, creating 3D models in Blender, and surfing (even though I am not that good at the last one). Through the analysis of my favourite things, I have found my own style in art and life. Specifically, I've discovered that I enjoy depicting issues through nature by incorporating hard meanings into aesthetically pleasing elements, such as flowers (examples of which are available in my portfolio). I enjoy uncovering new design features and learning more about myself throughout the course. It was a really pleasant moment when I was able to create 3D models and environments on my own during my previous semester; it felt like unlocking a new level in a game, revealing fresh opportunities in design.

During this course, I am eager to learn more about gamification, which I believe is deeply connected with human psychology and thought processes—an area that fascinates me. I aim to understand why people prefer certain content or applications over others.

            My current dream is quite straightforward: to financially support myself and my parents while living peacefully in a nature-centric area. I want to live near mountains or the sea, perhaps in a place similar to Jeju Island, where I can surf and work remotely. My plan to realize this dream involves working as a designer in a Korean or US company to build my reputation among fellow designers and 3D modellers. Eventually, I intend to transition to freelancing and online work.

Mariia Buhaievska

Education

Yonsei University, South Korea Double Major in Culture and Design Management and Information and Interaction Design [May 2022 – Present] GPA: 4.2/4.3 (previous semester) Activities:

Member of the Public Relations team in the Global Career Society Club. Created graphic design for SNS, merchandise, and mascot design.

Developed digital illustrations, led a sustainable fashion project, and designed an upcycled garment for the Design Factory Korea Club.

Traditional Art School, Ukraine [2011-2019] Graduated with Excellence

Public School, Ukraine [2021] Completed with Excellence Contemporary Dance School, Ukraine [2007 – 2020]

Completed with Excellence

Work Experience

Graphic Designer and Product Manager, Ukraine | SweetStone [January 18th, 2024] - Present

Designing graphics and packaging for fruit products, including 3-D designs, prototypes, and digital illustrations.

Residential Assistant | Appenzeller House Dormitory, Korea [March 1st, 2023] - Present

Led and navigated 21 to 32 freshman students each semester, assisting with documents, college life adjustment, and courses.

Organized creative and educational programs such as a drawing cafe and led in a team large-scale events with up to 150 participants.

Collaborated with the Design Factory Korea Club to organize an Adobe Photoshop Mockup Session.

Worked with the social media team to create engaging content for the Appenzeller House community.

Volunteer Experience

Artwork Exhibition [2023], Korea

Led a charity art exhibition, raising $150 for war-affected people in Ukraine.

Volunteer | Dog and Cat Shelter, Ansan [2022]

Assisted in shelter clean-up, feeding approximately 75 dogs and 25 cats, and walked the dogs.

Technical Skills

Digital Illustration: Proficient in Procreate with over 6 years of experience.

Graphic Design: Intermediate skills with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

3D Modeling & Animation: Competent in Blender; have experience with Unity for creating 3D environments and gameplay experiences.

Augmented Reality: Created animated AR masks with Metaspark Studio, integrating Blender-designed characters.

UX/UI Design: In a team, developed "UpClo" website prototype with Adobe XD.

Artistic Skills

Traditional Art: 8 years of experience in composition, color theory, art movements, lighting, shading, and sculpting.

CDM and IID Coursework

Information and Interaction Design:

Basic Drawing 2: Advanced art techniques and spatial orientation on canvas.

Color Design: In-depth color theory knowledge.

Introduction to Digital Tools: Familiarization with Unity, Blender, Adobe XD, Adobe Premiere, and Touch Designer.

Culture and Design Management:

Creative Thinking and Visualization: Foundation in traditional art and organizational skills.

Introduction to Marketing: Mastery of 5C and SWAT market analyses.

Design 2: Design and Technology: Skill enhancement in Blender; AR mask creation with MetaSpark Studio.

Contemporary Topics in Cultural Industry: Exploration of AR, VR, and the Metaverse's role in culture.

Korean Culture and Aesthetics: Art analysis from diverse cultural perspectives.

New Product Development Process: Comprehensive study of product development and design prototyping.

Culture and Design Trends: Personal art style development through various artistic tools and themes.

Languages

Ukrainian: Native proficiency

Russian: Native proficiency

English: Proficient

This is one of the things that stressed me out the most about coming to Yonsei. In my home university, I studied to around TOPIK level 4 before coming to Korea but I was super nervous since I didn't know how the test would go and where they would put me.

If you put your Korean level as none, then you don't have to take the placement test and will immediately be put in level 1. If you don't, then you'll have to take the placement test if you intend to take Korean classes in KLI.

Everyone gets split into a bunch of classrooms to take the test. It's two parts: a written test and a short speaking test. The written test is a packet, composed of mainly multiple choice questions, that get harder and harder as they go on. There's no obligation to try and answer all of the questions and once you get to ones that you think you definitely can't answer, you can just stop there and hand in the paper. At the end of the packet there's an essay question you can answer, if you understand the prompt and feel comfortable with it. But again, you're not obligated to. The speaking test only takes a few minutes and is very relaxed. You go into a separate room with a teacher who asks you a few questions about yourself and what you know. For me, she just started asking about my name and where I was from, and then we moved on to slightly more complicated questions, a few of them asking if I'd studied certain grammar and if I could use it in sentences. I was really nervous about this part but it was much more relaxed and low-stress than I thought it would be.

A few days after you take the placement test, you find out your level and classroom assignment on the KLI website, and then about an hour or two later there's the KLI orientation. When classes start on the Monday after, you just make your way to your classroom and the teachers will explain how your class will work, the semester schedule, and some other things.

Honestly, I was a little embarrassed at first, but I got placed in level 3 following my placement test. I showed up in my classroom on the first day and I was just going to play it by ear because I wasn't entirely sure if it was an accurate placement or not. After the first day, I realized I already knew pretty much all of the grammar and vocab and definitely just messed up my test because I was stressed (lol), so I explained my situation to my teacher and asked if I could move up a level. Originally, they told me I would have to talk to the office but when I came to class the next day, they just moved me up into a level 4 classroom. I think sometimes they might make you talk to a couple of teacher and check if you can move up or not. But it was pretty smooth for me, luckily.