Shelf-first, brand-second
We start every concept on the floor — the lighting, the sightlines, the dwell paths — and let brand language move into a structure that already works.
About ShelfForge Studio
Seven people, one workshop, shelf-first since 2019.
ShelfForge is a project-based retail display design agency in Seoul. We were founded by Hye-jin Park and Marcus Andersen after a frustrated coffee in Mapo about agencies that treated structural design as an afterthought. The studio has run on the same operating belief since: a display that wins the second glance is engineered, not just decorated.
We work primarily with CPG challenger brands, national retail suppliers, and global FMCG marketing teams entering Korean and Northeast Asian channels. Most engagements last a single launch window; a handful become multi-year retainers we are quietly proud of.
How we work
Four principles, written down so we cannot quietly drift.
Honest about trade-offs
If a finish will not survive twelve months in your channel, we tell you on day one. We would rather lose a brief than ship a fixture we will be apologising for at week eight.
Production over presentation
Renders matter, but the work only counts when it ships. Half of our team has spent time on vendor floors. The other half has driven a forklift on a launch night.
In-region by default
For KR rollouts we source within Korea unless you have a specific reason to import. It keeps timelines predictable and quality reviews physical.
The seven
The team you actually meet on the project.
No layered subcontracting. The people listed below are the people you work with — directly, on every working session.
Creative Director
Hye-jin Park
Leads concept direction across launches, balancing brand voice with the practical realities of crowded shelves. Twelve years in CPG, formerly with a Seoul-based packaging studio serving snack and beverage clients.
Hometown — Daejeon At studio — 6 years
Retail Strategy Lead
Marcus Andersen
Translates category insights into display briefs that win endcap real estate. Background in trade marketing for Nordic personal care brands; advises clients on store-channel fit.
Hometown — Copenhagen At studio — 4 years
Senior Structural Designer
So-young Lim
Engineers display structures that survive forklift transit and a six-week run on the floor. Trained in industrial design at Hongik, known on the team for her honest "this will warp" verdicts.
Hometown — Seoul At studio — 5 years
3D Visualization Artist
Daniel Okafor
Builds rendered display walkthroughs that buyers can sign off without guessing. Spent three years in architectural visualization before pivoting to retail.
Hometown — Lagos At studio — 3 years
Production Coordinator
Yui Tanaka
Maps materials, vendors, and timelines so prototypes ship without surprise overages. Speaks Japanese, Korean, and English with the suppliers we work with.
Hometown — Osaka At studio — 4 years
Client Success Manager
Ji-ho Kang
Keeps engagement rhythms steady — weekly walkthroughs, decision logs, post-launch debriefs. Former retail buyer at a national grocery chain in Korea.
Hometown — Busan At studio — 3 years
Project Manager
Renée Bouchard
Runs the production calendar across overlapping launches without dropping a milestone. Previously managed campaign rollouts for a global FMCG marketing team.
Hometown — Montréal At studio — 2 years
Recent milestones
A short list of things that actually happened.
- 2019
Studio founded in Seoul
ShelfForge opens with three projects in flight — two for Han River Beverage Co. and one for an unnamed challenger snack brand.
- 2022
Workshop expansion in Mapo
A 480 m² workshop opens in Mapo so prototypes ship without sub-contracting prototype builds. Seven full-time team members by year-end.
- 2025
Cross-channel category resets
First multi-bay modular wall (Atrium) ships into specialty retail. Studio crosses 200 launches across endcap, countertop, floor, and seasonal formats.
From the engagements that shipped
A few notes from clients.
We ran the Lantern Endcap System across ninety-six stores. Two header swaps mid-flight, both done in under ten minutes per location. That alone was worth the project to us.
Min-jung Seo
Trade Marketing Manager — Han River Beverage Co.
4.8/5
Bamboo finish reads as warm wood at three metres, not "wood-effect plastic" — that detail matters for the brand we put on it.
Aaron
Incheon
Solid build. Asked for a millimetre-level edit on the Brass-edge Counter Tower; ShelfForge came back with revised drawings the next morning.
Verified Buyer
5.0/5 verified
Most agencies showed us moulded-plastic versions of the Loom trellis idea. ShelfForge actually wove the oak. Honest note: it takes longer to produce, and they told us that upfront.
Layla
Brand Manager — Greentide Wellness
5.0/5
Drugstore counters are crowded — the Glove-fit Counter Tray holds its 28 cm and our staff stopped hiding it under the till.
Soo-min
4.7/5 verified