He received BA (Hons.) and MA degrees in Industrial Design from Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London. Subsequently, he obtained a PhD in design management from Manchester Metropolitan University. Nam worked as Faculty Research Facilitator at the University of Lincoln, UK, before joining KAIST where he established his research lab, Design IS. He publishes his research internationally in major design and design management journals and conferences, for which he also regularly reviews papers. Nam carries out industry projects for major companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Coway, and advises the government in various capacities. He is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Design Management.