Samsung Art and Design Institute

What Samsung Art and Design Institute does

Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI, 사디/삼성디자인교육원) is a private, for-profit design education institution founded in 1995 and wholly owned by Samsung Electronics, operating from a single campus in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea. The institute delivers specialized post-secondary design education through a three-tier curriculum — Foundation (파운데이션과정), Major Exploration (전공탐색과정), and Specialized tracks (전공심화과정) — across studios covering Fashion Design, Interface Design, Brand Development, Communication Design, Service System Design, Product Design, X Design (Experience Design), Interaction, Motion Graphics, and Product Designer Branding. Small class sizes, critique-based pedagogy, and global workshops form the core instructional model, with Design Thinking methodology positioning the program at the intersection of creative practice and interdisciplinary problem-solving.

SADI's core technology is its curriculum architecture and industry-academic project pipeline, which connects students to Samsung and other Korean enterprises for sponsored design work and future-lifestyle studies. The institute maintains an academic information system (steis.sadi.net) for course administration and certification, alongside facilities including model shops, photo studios, computer labs, and a library. Distribution occurs through direct on-campus enrollment in Seoul, supported by an annual graduate exhibition (졸업전시회/GRADSHOW), SADI News, and alumni profiles (SADI People) used for student recruitment and brand engagement. The institution is led by President Kim Jin-soo (김진수).

Revenue is generated through tuition fees for design education programs; the only publicly disclosed pricing is administrative fees for certificate issuance (1,000 won initial, 500 won per additional copy). Financial details including tuition structure, enrollment counts, and operating revenue are not publicly disclosed. The institution relies on its Samsung corporate affiliation for strategic continuity and industry-academic project access rather than external capital markets, with no funding rounds, M&A, or public listing activity.

Name

Samsung Art and Design Institute

Legal name

Samsung Art and Design Institute

Website

https://sadi.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI) is a Seoul-based, Samsung Electronics-owned private design school founded in 1995, offering multidisciplinary post-secondary design education across fashion, product, communication, and experience design to design career aspirants in Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Education

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Design education
• Vocational design training
• Creative design curriculum
• Design thinking programs
• Professional design studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Services: As a Samsung-affiliated design institute, SADI provides design education services. The institution charges fees for certificate issuance (1,000 won for initial issuance, 500 won for additional copies).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI) is a private educational institution that delivers design education programs through specialized studios covering Fashion Design, Interface Design, Brand Development, Communication Design, Service System Design, Product Design, X Design (Experience Design), Interaction, Motion Graphics, and Product Designer Branding. Programs are structured in three tiers — Foundation, Major Exploration, and Specialized — and include industry-academic projects with Samsung and other companies.

Product overview

Samsung Art and Design Institute (SADI) is an educational institution, not a technology product company. It offers design education programs through multiple specialized studios: Fashion Design, Interface Design, Brand Development, Communication Design, Service System Design, Product Design, X Design (Experience Design), Interaction, Motion Graphics, and Product Designer Branding. These represent academic departments/studio programs rather than commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SADI Design Education Programs (Multi-Studio Curriculum) Multi-studio design education programs covering Fashion Design, Interface Design, Brand Development, Communication Design, Service System Design, Product Design, X Design (Experience Design), Interaction, Motion Graphics, and Product Designer Branding, structured in three tiers (Foundation, Major Exploration, Specialized). Designed for individual students seeking professional design careers.
• Certificate Issuance Service Official certificate issuance service for enrolled and former students, available through the academic information system. First issuance at 1,000 won per copy; additional copies at 500 won per copy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates recognized by domestic and international design industry for practical adaptability and design competency

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SamsungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995SADI was established by Samsung and maintains close ties through industry-academic projects. Various collaborative projects with Samsung allow students to study future lifestyles and expand possibilities to global companies and markets. Samsung provides ongoing support as the founding organization of the design institute.
• Metaverse Experts and Industry ProfessionalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal experts including 박상욱 대표 are invited to conduct workshops and lectures. Design Thinking with Metaverse Workshop featured guest lectures from metaverse industry professionals to provide students with practical insights and real-world industry perspectives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• ArtCenter College of Design: US design school with strong industrial design and product design programs. International peer with comparable product design focus and industry partnerships.
• Seoul National University: Korea's most prestigious university with design programs in its College of Fine Arts. Competes with SADI for top domestic design students and academic prestige.
• Hongik University: Top Korean art and design university with strong design programs in industrial, visual, and communication design. Direct competitor in the Korean design education market for top design students.
• Royal College of Art: World-leading postgraduate design school in London with strong industrial design and design thinking programs. International peer with similar focus on design thinking methodology and interdisciplinary work.
• KAIST: Korea's leading science and technology university with an Industrial Design Department. Competes with SADI for design students interested in technology-integrated design programs.
• Pratt Institute: US design school with strong programs in industrial design, communication design, and digital arts. International peer with comparable multi-disciplinary offering and industry connections.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): One of the world's leading design schools offering programs across multiple design disciplines. International peer with comparable multi-disciplinary curriculum focus and design thinking emphasis.
• Parsons School of Design: Top US design school within The New School, offering programs in fashion, product, communication, and integrated design. International peer with comparable multi-disciplinary offering and industry focus.
• Kookmin University: Seoul-based university with a strong College of Design offering programs in industrial, transportation, and visual communication design. Direct competitor in the Korean design education market.
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University (School of Design): Hong Kong-based university with its School of Design, one of Asia's leading design schools. Asian regional peer with comparable design programs and international recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samsung Art and Design Institute