The purpose of this study is to delineate and analyze the expression of the kidult and its characteristics and thereby provide data to be used for fashion design in various manners as well as to suggest creative and varied possibilities of fashion design. As a way to study, the author of this paper organized the general terms, concepts and definitions concerning the kidult in the previous papers and journals. The data was collected from the collections represent the characteristics of kidult especially from 2006 to 2015. The results are as follows: Firstly, The characters stimulating the innocence of children were used the most for infantile expression. Parody used characters in the movie or famous logos. Déformation was used to create designs by way of distortion and deformation. Exaggeration thereby showing visually strong impression and inducing surprise and unexpectedness. Dépaysement was useful to let us describe concepts and enhance our infinite creativity and interests about objects using surrealistic. Secondly, Infantile characteristics used the images of toys with infantile imagination and sense of humor. Fantasy introduced objects or expressed a dream-like feeling. Unexpectedness used two-faced ideas or conflicting ideas to express conflicts, collision and an interchange with heterogeneous things, avoiding the limit of size and the simplicity of materials. Parody used jocular expressions, satire and ironic expressions to express the original image in a fun manner. Exaggeration transformed changed the structure to restructure objects in a subjective and creative manner, thereby expressing creative patterns using various subject matters by way of special modeling or distortion and transformation.

본 연구는 이탈리아의 ‘FCL(Future Concept Lab)’의 12 마인드 스타일을 이해하고 이러한 이론을 바탕으로 ‘키덜트 (Kidult)’라는 문화에 대한 아이콘 그래픽 디자인을 제시한다. 12 마인드 스타일의 이론은 기업이나 단체가 소비자와의 커뮤니케이션 과정에 필요한 요소이다. 12 마인드 스타일은 인간의 마음과 행동 양식을 이해하고 분석하여 향후 기업이나 단체가 나아가야 할 방향을 제시한다. 이 마인드 스타일을 바탕으로 기억성, 흥미성, 독립성, 대중성을 바탕으로 만들어진 아이콘은 단순 이미지의 아이콘이 아닌 ‘모듈(module)’이라는 방법으로 이미지를 나타냈다. 이 아이콘디자인을 통해 12 마인드 스타일을 이해하여 향후 트렌드와 문화를 보는 시각을 넓히고자 한다. 모든 것을 만족하면서도 동시에 다양한 영역에 걸쳐 공통적인 요소를 확립하고 반복되는 방법으로도 트렌드를 나타낼 수 있다는 점을 연구하고자 하였다. 시각 언어인 아이콘은 커뮤니케이션 그래픽 기호라고 할 수 있다. 시각적으로 단순화된 아이콘 디자인은 특정한 의미 전달의 상징성을 내포하고 있어 향후 환경, 실내, 건축, 시각 등 다양한 분야 분야에서 이용 가치가 있다.

Over the recent years, there has been a sudden surge in interest over character-related products among mobile game developers in South Korea as a business strategy to extend mobile game lifespans. However, even with the majority of mobile game players aging around 18~35 and higher, there has been a lack of study regarding design preferences and consumption tendencies of adult players—or kidults—when it comes to character-related products. In this study, three distinctive decision patterns among kidults were identified using an online Q-Sort method: (a) Character Oriented, (b) Item Oriented, and (c) Character-item Oriented. The similarities and differences of these three types are further analyzed to provide insight into important factors that play decisive roles in purchasing decisions made by kidults. The results from this study can aid mobile game developers in establishing reference points for future character business directions.