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Journey to Global Design Awards This article is part of the LINE PRODUCT DESIGN newsletter (ON-LINE LETTER). INTERVIEWEESeungjun Park [MUX Interactive Design], Garam Bae [Main Product Design 1],Seunghee Chung [Common UX], Gain Lee, Hyunji Rhee [Advanced UX 2], Sangeun Nam [Design Relations] What's the secret to consistently performing well in international design competitions? Looking at recent achievements by LINE Product Design, they won the Good Design Award for LINE Seasonal Effects in 2024 and the iF Design Award for LINE CMS (Content Management System) and LYP Premium in 2025. We talked to some of the inspiring individuals who brought these features to life, asking them about how they find motivation in work and life and their experiences participating in these competitions. From left to right: Designers Seungjun Park, Garam Bae, Seunghee Chung, Gain Lee, Hyunji Rhee,and Design Facilitator Sang-eun Nam. First, congratulations on the awards! Let's start with the Seasonal Effects team. Can you tell us about the service? Seungjun: We offer a range of animated styles for LINE profile areas during global events like Christmas and Halloween, as well as national holidays and user birthdays. This feature was introduced to make the Home tab more user-centric, allowing users to celebrate special days meaningfully while getting closer to the LINE service. This could be a great way to reach out to friends or family you haven't talked to in a while. Garam: Exactly. We take it a step further by guiding users through each event. For example, through the Action Button, you can send gifts on Valentine's Day or make donations during times of need. When designing the interface and flow of Seasonal Effects, we paid close attention to ensuring visual harmony with existing elements and seamless integration within the app. That seamless connection is really important, isn't it? Garam: Yes, especially in Japan, where people are really into celebrating special occasions. Events tied to the LINE Gift Shop have been well-received. We've seen about a ninefold increase in Home Access NPU (new purchasing users) and a threefold rise in RPU (conversion of non-purchasers), contributing to GMV (gross merchandise value). One memorable event was Mother's Day, where we achieved a significant GMV of 900 million yen! Connecting visual effects with content and services within the LINE platform provides an immersive experience. How do you create animations that grab attention? Seungjun: I always think about animations that are easy to understand but also spark curiosity, making users want to click. I want them to feel like a gift to the user. Animations that make your fingers itch to tap? Seungjun: Exactly. We research and study the movements of objects and characters in detail. For animals or people, we pay extra attention. For Christmas 2023, we had graphics of Santa and Rudolph loaded with gifts. I remember analyzing countless videos to see how deer run. If Rudolph's movements looked awkward, it would ruin the overall effect. We reworked it three times to get it just right, and I'm really satisfied with the natural result. It's one of my favorite projects. Like an unexpected gift, it brings joy during New Year, birthdays, and other celebrations. I heard your passion for the project led to entering the competition. How was the second round of the Good Design Award's in-person judging? Garam: It was really, really tough (laughs). We took all the devices, including monitors, to Japan. Setting up our work on-site was challenging, but it was great to see all the other entries. It was quite fun to look around.Seungjun: It was the middle of summer, and there was no air conditioning in the setup area. Ha ha. But thanks to Garam's meticulous preparation and communication, our booth was one of the most well-organized and eye-catching. It's a cliché, but hard work really does pay off. Do you remember the day you heard about the award? Garam: Seasonal Effects was a collaborative effort involving product design, 2D and 3D graphics, and motion designers. Winning the 2024 Good Design Award felt like a reward for everyone's hard work. I was really happy, and the teamwork with Seungjun was great. I hope I wasn't the only one who felt that way!Seungjun: From 2022 to early 2025, we gathered a lot of data and insights. We entered the competition because it felt like a waste to keep our work hidden. It meant a lot to have our efforts recognized. Having Garam, a trusted colleague from the start, made it all possible. Let's keep working together! Designed to help LINE employees easily create, edit, and publish content, the LINE CMS. You can really feel the strong camaraderie (laughs). Now, let's move on to the CMS team, known for their teamwork. Can you briefly introduce the service? Seunghee: The LINE CMS is an internal content management system created by and for LINE employees. It allows designers, planners, and developers to create, edit, and distribute content using modular templates without needing coding expertise. By combining pre-designed templates, users can easily and consistently produce LINE-style content. What sets CMS apart from other tools? Gain: As Seunghui mentioned, the use of templates allows for quick content creation while maintaining consistency. The optimized publishing process reduces workload and minimizes errors. It also features an intuitive layer panel UX, letting users view content hierarchy at a glance and move layers freely. Those are very important features! Tell us more about them. Seunghee: It's not just an internal tool; it's part of the LINE product suite, so we aimed to reflect LINE's identity in the design. We customized the icons and created UI elements like buttons, layouts, and interactions to match the LINE style, ensuring a visually complete and consistent design language.Hyunji: Additionally, the module preview feature is a standout. It lets you see how your module will appear in different global environments, allowing for informed adjustments. It's like we've systematized LINE's global service development expertise (laughs). Like website builders Wix and WordPress, CMS is easy to use without coding knowledge. Since we're on the topic, what special considerations did you have for global users? Seunghee: We focused on design localization optimized for each target country's language. It's not just about supporting multiple languages; we considered fonts, spacing, and UI layout specific to each language. This led to the creation of the "Multilingual Library," allowing us to easily create multiple language versions from the same template, providing a consistent and seamless UX for global users. How have your colleagues reacted to using it? Hyunji: We wanted it to be a tool anyone could use immediately, regardless of their role, without needing extra training. We made options like "Space Around" and "Space Evenly" visually intuitive with icons and grouped design properties more intuitively.Gain: Since the system significantly changed how content is managed, we've received a lot of positive feedback. It made us curious about what people outside of LINE would think of our system, so we decided to enter the competition. Entering an award is a big effort. How was the experience? Hyunji: I think many designers dream of winning an international design award. I joined in thanks to Gain and Seunghui's enthusiastic proposal. I'll never forget the last week before the deadline when we worked online late at night, chatting over our midnight snacks (laughs). We shouted, "Finally done!" only to find another typo after a short nap. It was funny and memorable. Continuously identifying and adding features to meet the needs of LINE employees. You achieved your goal by winning at the German iF Design Award 2025. How did that feel? Gain: Projects like designing internal tools don't get much attention most of the time, so it was thrilling to have our CMS officially recognized as a valuable system for users.Seunghee: I shared the award news with colleagues from Korea and Japan at a workshop in Tokyo this February and they were genuinely happy for us. While external recognition is nice, the cheers and support from my closest colleagues, who've been with me since the launch, are incomparable. Their encouragement was a huge motivator. The artist Olafur Eliasson said: "Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you create." As a facilitator who helped put together the design award entries, any final thoughts? Sangeun: Having your project evaluated for its design strengths by renowned designers is a huge advantage. Winning top awards like the Grand Prix or Best 100 means support for attending ceremonies in places like Germany and Japan, offering opportunities to network with global designers. It's not easy to take on new challenges, but it's a great opportunity. It's important to seize the moment and enjoy the experience. Discover more stories from LINE PRODUCT DESIGN through our newsletter! Subscribe Here
Hack Day Meetup One of the most fun events of the year at LINE is the “Hack Day Meetup”, when developers, product planners, designers and others join together to enjoy food and drinks while sharing stories about the company’s most recent hackathon day. Held in December in Korea in a hybrid on-offline format, the office was buzzing with LINERs eager to share their stories and hear from their colleagues. Hack Day Meetup was held simultaneously in our Korean and Japanese offices and also streamed online. But for the offline event, there was tasty food and drinks, creating a lively networking atmosphere. Let's take a look at some of the most memorable presentations from the meetup! The global team Hype6, which consists of three Korean and two Japanese members, created a product that captures the thrill of an arcade shooting game. Although language barriers were a challenge for the global team, they managed to align their ideas using various communication tools like automatic translation. They talked about how fun it was meeting all together in person at the Tokyo Kioicho office on the hackathon day, and how the hackathon event was a great way to gain technical skills and global experience. Finally, they capped off their presentation with their biggest takeaway: "We made friends from Korea!" The second presentation was given by the team ABC Star from the Korean office. They introduced an educational app called "Shortudy," a study program where users watch short videos and solve problems. They shared the backstory of joining the hackathon with the idea of "making leisure time enjoyable" and detailed the product's planning. After the presentation, they took questions from both the Korean and Japanese offices, as well as from the online audience. Although the overall mood of the day was upbeat, the presenters still faced challenging questions about their work. Their services may not yet ready for real-world use, but it was clear that the LINERs were highly focused and engaged, listening with a wide range of perspectives. Next up was the Pressure From Behind team, composed of three new employees from Japan. They chose their team’s name with the idea of "putting positive pressure on their seniors by winning the hackathon." They shared that the experience was a great motivator for both themselves and their seniors. This led to a flurry of questions from many senior colleagues, sparking laughter. When asked about the pressure they faced, they humorously replied, "We were stressed when there was no line at our booth while the team next to us had a long queue." They added, "That team presented right before us today," which drew laughs from the audience. In response, the presenter from the "LINE Vision" team, who unintentionally caused stress for the new employees, replied with light-hearted comments. They concluded their presentation by talking about why the hackathon appealed to them: the opportunity to explore unfamiliar areas and learn new things, as well as the chance to bring their imaginative ideas to life. The next presentation featured a product filled with affection for Sally. It introduced an Android app where users can enjoy a game based on the LINE FRIENDS characters created with Stable Diffusion. The presenter, a big fan of Sally, shared that while Sally looks simple, drawing her can be quite challenging, and they wanted to use AI to ensure she looked and moved just right. Due to time constraints during the hackathon, they couldn't demonstrate the game, so they invited participants on the spot to try it out. This allowed the audience to see the game in action, enhancing both their understanding and enjoyment of the product. Next was a product that seemed like it could be released in the near future. It was a mobile app that uses AI to create virtual personas, which can then network with other people's AI personas. The presenter not only introduced this intriguing product but also described the experience as "one of the most meaningful memories in my seven years at LINE." They explained that it was because they discovered the joy of pursuing development they were passionate about and valued the real-time collaboration with team members to discuss actual requirements. They mentioned that over the three days, they wrote more than 20,000 lines of code, taking breaks only for stretching and pain relievers. (Laughter) The team members all share a love for cats, with some being cat owners themselves, so they created a "hack cats" logo and even made their own team T-shirts, which they wore every day during the event. This showed their deep affection for the team. One Japanese member visited Korea after the hackathon, and they all gathered for a fun party, sharing this delightful experience with everyone. The last team to present was Osaka N, which has been participating in LINE hackathons since 2019. With the presenter using pre-recorded audio files to deliver the presentation (due to losing their voice from a cold), they showcased all the products they've created over the years. They even pre-recorded the answers to many anticipated questions, demonstrating the charming wit that earned their products the Happy category award from 2019, 2022 and 2023. One of their creations, a machine to handle leftover tapioca pearls so they don’t go to waste, amazed everyone at the event. (Laughter) However, their shooting game designed to stop "Impression Zombie," created for last year's hackathon, didn't win an award. Undeterred, they entered it in an external tech awards competition, where it not only won but also received positive feedback from a broader audience. This announcement was met with enthusiastic applause from colleagues. We wrapped up the meetup by sending greetings to our colleagues in the Japan office. There were even more presentations held during Hack Day Meetup, but hopefully this gives you a sense of the passion and joy of the LINERs who participated in the hackathon. We look forward to seeing you as the star of our next company hackathon. For more details on LINE's Tech Week and Hack Day, please check out the posts below! [LY Tech Blog] Participated in Tech Week 2024: Our In-House Hackathon, Hack Day!
LINE Hybrid Work 2.0 LINE's Hybrid Work 2.0 : Letting Employees Choose How They Prefer to Work for Best PerformanceMost companies tell their employees how they should work. Based on the nature of their tasks, project cycles, and how much international collaborating they do, companies often allow everything from occasional remote work to 100% remote work. The focus is on managing employee tasks and performances, both domestically and overseas.With the Covid-19 pandemic now receding into the past, many companies are transitioning back to office work. But not LINE, which continues to maintain its much-praised Hybrid Work system. This is based on the belief that a hybrid environment allows each team and employee at LINE to work at their best efficiency and productivity. LINE's Journey to Its Unique Work Style In fact, even before the pandemic, LINE had implemented its LINE SMART WORK system, which offered the option of working remotely once a month (along with flexible working hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., as long as a monthly standard is met). Combined with video conferencing and other collaborative tools, the remote work environment was already in place. Therefore, when the initial pandemic situation occurred, we were able to swiftly transition to full remote work, ensuring all organizations could operate 100% smoothly while staying safe from COVID-19.As the pandemic continued, LINE began to fundamentally rethink our way of working to better realize our global business direction. The answer was an optimal way of working (or hybrid work) that could yield the best results. LINE chose a slightly different path, opting not to uniformly impose a single work style on the entire company, but instead experimenting and exchanging feedback on the optimal style for each organization and role.In July 2021, we officially implemented LINE Hybrid Work 1.0, making LINE the first major company in Korea to implement a remote work system after the pandemic. Depending on the work style needed by each department — based on the nature of their work, project cycles, and degree of global collaboration — we provided a range of options from 100% remote work to coming to the office for a number of days a week. Through the “Working in _____ for a Month” pilot program, we experimented with flexible working options from various locations. As a result, we decided to give our employees flexibility to work anywhere they wanted in Korea, with the approval of their department lead, as long as their tasks and performance could be responsibly managed.In July 2022, LINE once again proposed a new work paradigm, LINE Hybrid Work 2.0, which allowed people to work from overseas too. This was made possible because over the previous two years, LINERs built trust that they could deliver results responsibly and professionally. LINE Hybrid Work 2.0 With LINE Hybrid Work 2.0, it's possible to work from overseas locations (within a 4 time zones of Korea). Employees can work from anywhere in Korea for as long as they like, and overseas for up to 90 days per year. This expansion opened up such places as LINE’s major markets of Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia, as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Maldives, Guam, New Zealand, Saipan, and Australia. With LINE’s 200 million users around the world, being able to work abroad really helped our employees gain new insights and increase work efficiency through new experiences in a diversity of global environments. To create an optimal work environment, we provide Hybrid Work Points. You can freely use points worth KRW2.04 million each year to build a remote work environment that best suits you and your working style.Finally, we've updated our company-wide collaboration rules, which we call the Ground Rules. The Ground Rules refer to guidelines we’ve added to ensure successful offline collaborations and interactions, such as regular face-to-face meetings, managing members' sense of belonging and bonding, and intensive onboarding for new members. Thanks to these Ground Rules, LINERs can efficiently interact with other roles/teams. We also support Ground Rule-related training programs, helping organizations to set their own policies that suit their work, projects, and collaboration style. Workplace/Location “Find a location where you can fully focus!” - Ensure a stable physical environment (network, equipment, etc.) that allows you to concentrate on your work. - When working remotely, the basic rule is to work from home where the physical environment is optimized to ensure full concentration on your work. (Working outside while traveling or in locations such as cafes, parks, or libraries is not allowed.) - … Work Management “Share and provide feedback frequently!” - Each department or project conducts daily scrums and greetings at the start or end of the day. - Share work plans (goals, due dates) and progress with your Lead/PM and team members as frequently as possible. - … Communication “Be proactive in communication!” - During business hours, please communicate through the LINE messenger and other channels and respond to others promptly. - When sending a Slack/LINE/Works message to colleagues, it is recommended to include both a greeting and the reason you are contacting them, making it easier for others to respond quickly, even during their meetings. - … Working Hours “Manage your working hours consistently, whether at home or in the office!” - It is recommended to align your working hours with colleagues for better collaboration. - Share your starting and finishing times, along with your work or away statues, with Leads and colleagues to facilitate good communication. - … Office or Remote? Office and Remote! LINE has fully renovated its office in Korea to reflect the hybrid work situation. The office has transitioned from a simple workspace to a central space for face-to-face collaborations and interactions. We've reduced the total number of seats, implementing free-seating system for most people instead of individual fixed seats, and filled the resultant space gains with larger and more pleasant multi-person meeting rooms and gathering spaces. Considering the increase in video conferences, we've also increased the number of single-person meeting rooms (called “Focus Rooms”) and installed personal lockers to everyone can secure their belongings. Each floor has public spaces for refreshments, tea time with colleagues, and casual idea meetings. LINE Hybrid Work 2.0 Snapshot With the implementation of LINE Hybrid Work 2.0, we introduced LINE Hybrid Work 2.0 Tips! to enhance LINERs' collaborations and interactions. Offering a wide range of meeting rooms, office equipment available for day rental, ways to increase bonding in a remote work environment, and security health checklists, the Tips guide has been used by about 75% of LINERs, making it a go-to resource for both existing and new employees curious about Hybrid Work.Next, a company-wide special lecture was conducted to help people improve work skills in a Hybrid Work environment. From the ultimate purpose and meaning of Ground Rules (our steps for ensuring efficient collaborations and trust in each department), to the use of 1-on-1s for seamless synchronization between the organization heads and members, and from education on concentration/space/time management to effectively managing the environment surrounding individuals and increase work productivity! Especially for space management, there was an opportunity to receive direct home office consulting from space experts.Finally, everything from new employee onboarding to all internal events have transitioned to hybrid. We broadcast offline events online, allowing all LINERs to participate regardless of their location. Presenting two keywords: “Jeju” and “Bali”. Can you guess what they are? They are the top places LINERs like to go for remote work. Jeju Island for people staying in Korea (followed by the east coast cities of Goseong and Yangyang), and Bali, Indonesia for those going abroad (followed by Chiang Mai and Bangkok in Thailand and Tokyo in Japan). For overseas work locations, we could see that LINE's main markets are popular. This confirms the needs of LINERs who want to see and experience firsthand how the services they create are used overseas and hear the users' voices. * Editor’s note: As I’m writing this, I'm currently in Jeju, working and living on my own. Only my physical location has changed, but I've not experienced problems getting my work done or communicating with team members. However, I do think working here has made me a lot more efficient and productive. Changing where I’m based has really helped me clear my head, making me more focused on my work! Experiencing what this is like firsthand has really made me more confident in LINE’s remote work program. * Editor’s note: The LINER who provided the above photo spent a month in Bali with their colleagues. Although they had a strong camaraderie, they didn't know much about how each other worked or what specific tasks they did due to the detailed division of work roles. However, through this Bali remote work, they were able to better understand each other's tasks and roles. The future of work is here So, that’s the story of LINE Hybrid Work. LINERs are finding the optimal work style according to job-specific, organization-specific, and individual styles, sometimes in the office and sometimes remotely, for the best results. If you’re interested in working for a company that lets you find the work environment that’s right for you, come join us! ※ The information in this content applies only to certain corporations, and may differ for other corporations.
LINE OPEN OFFICE Once a month, a packed LINE library on the 20th floor of Bundang Square buzzes with excitement as we host LINE OPEN OFFICE. Debuting in April 2023, each LINE OPEN OFFICE features young people aspiring to join LINE and their seniors from school or other activities, gathering to learn more about the fun and challenges that LINE offers. Thus far, some 200 have attended, so let’s learn more about what makes LINE OPEN OFFICE so special. What makes LINE OPEN OFFICE so ‘open’? First of all, the views are wide open. "Welcome to LINE!” Upon arrival at LINE’s office in Bundang, just south of Seoul, the first thing that greets participants is the spectacular view from our WOW Library on the 20th floor. The library is a popular space where employees usually read books or magazines, chat over coffee, and collaborate on projects. It’s also where many events are held, like town halls and workshops. However, during LINE OPEN OFFICE, it's exclusively for the use of our future LINERs as they learn all about our company. After hearing about LINE's work culture, there's an office tour so attendees can experience LINE's work environment up close. From the in-house cafe that LINERs visit first when they come to the office, to the meeting rooms and focus rooms where various LINE services are born, to the in-house convenience store and massage room for when people want a break, they get to explore every nook and cranny of LINE's office and envision how LINERs work. Secondly, 'LINE's A to Z' is open for those who are curious about everything LINE! “I'm curious about your code review culture.”, “Is it true that there are no fixed working hours?”, "What does an AI developer at LINE do? As part of the big day, we offer a session to reveal LINE's A to Z for participants and answer all their questions.LINERs work wherever their efficiency can be maximized in accordance to their team policy, developing services for 200 million users by collaborating with global colleagues. That kind of freedom seems appealing, but the languages and workload might be worrying at the same time. However, after hearing about the values LINE considers important and its journey so far, they can better understand how LINERs work with autonomy and also great responsibility. Attendees can start to envision why so many excellent people want to work at LINE, how they would work if they were a part of the team.Especially notable is the LINE Engineering introduction session, where the participants' eyes really light up. After listening attentively to the session, everyone participates in the Q&A, leading to honest and realistic questions that are typical of college students. From talks about technology used in practice, to organization and culture, and personal career and goals, students can get honest answers from current LINERs. Thirdly, we open a meeting place with senior LINE members. What I'd like to tell myself if I were to go back to job hunting is, 'The important thing is to just keep on going, even when you're feeling down.' The most special part of LINE OPEN OFFICE is getting to meet with senior LINERs. They share stories about when they started dreaming of becoming developers, what activities they did in college to achieve their goals, how the interview process was, what they find most satisfying about working at LINE now, and what they wish they had prepared during their undergraduate years. Through the interview session, senior LINERs offer honest, clear, and heartfelt answers to the questions juniors are most curious about, giving those young, aspiring LINERs a chance to learn how the senior LINERs came to do their current jobs.Afterwards, we move to a meeting room on a different floor to glimpse the work atmosphere and have a cozy lunch between seniors and juniors. As everyone eats hot burgers fresh from the restaurant on the first floor, we unwind and continue talking. Before everyone knows it, they’re not just hosts and guests, but friends, exchanging contacts and social media handles, promising to meet again soon. Looking forward to seeing you at LINE Seeing and hearing about LINE and LINERs firsthand from LINE’s office, we hope our guests get to experience LINE on a level that they couldn’t from the outside. We are also constantly working on developing more ways for our future LINERs to learn more about our company.We know many of you are eagerly waiting for the day LINE's open recruitment begins. Although the schedule is not yet set, once confirmed, you'll be able to check the good news first on the recruitment site you're reading now, or on the LINE CAREERS' social media accounts. Until then, please keep reading the LINE CAREERS channels and look for future LINE OPEN OFFICE events where we can continue our meetings with you! ※ The information in this content applies only to certain corporations, and may differ for other corporations.

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