Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 56

Woojin wasn’t really someone who was good at giving presentations in his past life.

Or, more accurately, he didn’t often get the chance to do them.

Woojin’s job was more like being a field expert and construction worker.

Since he was an employee, not the boss, he didn’t need to give presentations.

So, presenting his ideas in front of so many people was almost the first time for Woojin.

This was what worried Woojin the most when he was getting ready for the contest.

‘I’m not known as a good speaker,’ he thought.

But Woojin proved his worries wrong.

He shared everything he and his team had prepared with the judges, holding nothing back.

“The most important thing in a nursing home is what the people who live there experience.”

“Like the teams before us who talked about UX design, our team also thought it was the most important thing when we were designing.”

Woojin explained everything perfectly. It was clear and easy to understand. You wouldn’t guess it was his first time giving a big presentation!

“But, there are big differences between the UX that the other teams talked about and the UX that our team’s design is based on.”

So, where did Woojin learn to give presentations?

Did Woojin have a secret talent for speaking?

No, that wasn’t it.

Woojin simply had great confidence that none of the other teams in the contest had.

“The user experience that the other teams and our team focused on is completely different.”

He had many experiences from his past life. He carefully studied the blueprints. He deeply understood nursing homes.

All of this gave him great confidence.

“A nursing home should be comfortable and easy to use. It should take great care of patients who have trouble moving around.”

“So, the UX design of this nursing home should let the patients have a ‘comfortable experience’.”

“This is the UX design that all the other teams have focused on so far.”

Woojin paused and looked around at the audience.

Then, in a clear voice, he continued.

“Of course, that’s all true. Making things easy for patients who have trouble moving around is always a very important thing to think about.”

“But…”

Woojin’s eyes sparkled.

The last piece of the puzzle, the story he was about to tell, would complete the designs and plans he had explained.

“Is feeling comfortable the only thing that people want from a nursing home?”

In Woojin’s mind, what happened exactly two weeks ago flashed by like a slideshow.

* * *

“Hehe, our Soyeon is bringing young men home as friends… I’m seeing things I never thought I would.”

“Hello, I’m Seo Woojin, a friend from Soyeon’s school.”

“Yes, welcome. You young men look handsome and bright.”

“Thank you!”

“Soyeon, which one of these friends is going to be your husband?”

“Ah, Grandma! Really!”

After Woojin and the others had a tough time at the nursing home in Bulgwang-dong,

they drove in Jayden’s car to the Seongsu-dong nursing home where Soyeon’s grandmother lived.

There, Woojin met Soyeon’s grandmother and had a long talk with her.

“So, you’re doing a school project?”

“It’s not a project, Grandma, it’s a contest.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“It’s not!”

Soyeon’s grandmother was cheerful and youthful for her age, and she spoke gracefully.

She was in the nursing home only because she had trouble moving her lower body.

Her mind was still sharp.

“Anyway… so what kind of story do you want to hear from this old woman?”

“I’m curious about what it’s like to live in a nursing home.”

“Experiences?”

“That’s too vague, Oppa.”

“Um…?”

“Grandma, what was your happiest experience in the nursing home?”

“The happiest… experience?”

“Yes. We have to design a new nursing home, and that nursing home should have many happy experiences.”

Soyeon’s grandmother told Woojin and the others many detailed stories.

From the nursing home’s daily schedule to what was easy and hard, and even what she wanted to change.

But the story that touched Woojin the most was when Soyeon left the room for a moment to go to the restroom. It was the story she told with a sad look.

“But,” Grandma sighed, her voice softer now, “what good are these little things, really?”

Woojin leaned closer. “What do you mean, Grandma?”

She looked out the window, at the trees swaying gently in the breeze. “In the end,” she said quietly, “what people like me need most in a place like this… it’s people. Just people.”

Her eyes, fixed on something far away, started to water, turning the edges red. A tiny tear escaped and traced a slow path down her wrinkled cheek.

“We miss being part of things,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “We miss the warmth of family, the laughter of friends… That’s what we truly long for. That’s what matters most.”

Woojin listened, his own throat tightening. He couldn’t speak for a moment, the grandmother’s words hitting him deeply.

Unlike Soyeon and Jayden, Woojin had lived for over forty years, and it was something he hadn’t realized yet.

“Soyeon asked me earlier what my happiest experience was, right?”

“Yes… that’s right.”

“It’s when Soyeon came to see me with you all. Right now, this very moment is my happiest experience.”

“…!”

“For me, the happiest time is when my granddaughters come to visit me like this.”

Woojin nodded without realizing it.

He could feel his emotions welling up.

For a moment, he remembered his mother’s wrinkled face from his past life.

“Even if you’re not feeling well physically, what makes people happy is all similar, student.”

“Of course, from your point of view as an architect, my story might sound unrealistic.”

The grandmother seemed to have trouble swallowing her tears and couldn’t continue speaking.

But that was enough.

Woojin realized what the last important thing was that he needed to include in his design and plan.

* * *

“All of human life is made up of relationships.”

“If people don’t feel satisfied by their relationships, they become sad and lonely.”

“And the place where people feel the most isolated is in a nursing home.”

The judges’ eyes widened a little at the unexpected story from Woojin.

None of the teams that had presented so far had mentioned this kind of story.

“The older, sicker, and more physically uncomfortable someone is, the more isolated they become from other people.”

“So, they will miss and long for people even more.”

Zzzzzing-

When Woojin pressed the button on the laser pointer, the screen changed, and one part of the floor plan became much larger.

It was a fairly large space called ‘Entertainment Zone’.

The space was filled with many different things, and the judges who looked closely were surprised.

The things in the space didn’t seem to fit in a nursing home.

Woojin saw the judges’ surprised faces and quickly continued.

“Do you know where the word ‘Entertainment’ comes from?”

Woojin asked, but no one answered.

So Woojin told them the answer.

“It comes from the French word ‘Entretenir’. It means ‘to hold on to’.”

Chuck-

Woojin moved the laser pointer and pointed to one of the things drawn on the blueprint.

It was a slide that looked like something children would play on.

Chuck-

Next to it was a jungle gym, a ball pit, a trampoline, a seesaw, a rocking horse, and other children’s play equipment.

“Even though it’s called the Entertainment Zone, this space is like a Kids Cafe.”

“This space won’t be able to hold on to the people living in the nursing home. It’s not a space for adults.”

“But it will be able to hold on to their grandchildren.”

Now, most of the people listening to Woojin understood what he was trying to say.

It was a story about family that everyone could understand.

For some, it was the story of grandparents like Soyeon, for others, it was their parents.

And for some, it could be a story about what might happen in the future.

“And those young children will keep the old people in the nursing home happy.”

“If there is a space in the nursing home where children can play without worry, parents will feel much better about bringing their children to visit their parents.”

Woojin had shared many stories and stopped to catch his breath.

At that moment, Woojin was sure.

All of the judges were feeling his story.

So Woojin’s presentation started to end.

“I thought about designing for happiness, not just for comfort.”

“Designing a space where people can feel happy. Maybe that’s what UX design is really about.”

“Because the purpose of architecture is to help people.”

Woojin finished speaking and took a deep breath.

Then, finally.

Zzzzzing-

On the screen, there was a wide view of the nursing home he designed.

“My design presentation is over. Thank you for listening to my story for a long time.”

Tap tap- Tap tap-

Woojin walked to the side of the platform where the microphone was and bowed politely to the audience and the judges.

When Woojin stood up straight again,

Clap clap clap-

Woojin saw an amazing sight.

All the judges and audience members were standing up and clapping loudly.

“Bravo.”

“Excellent.”

“Crazy. This is an undergraduate’s presentation.”

“I don’t remember any of the presentations before this one. Is it just me…?”

“Of course not.”

Because of the huge applause, Woojin couldn’t hear what the judges were saying.

But one thing was clear.

Today, Woojin was the winner of the event.