Carousell admitted into the 2025 Design Power Index

DBCS and Consulus are pleased to announce that Carousell is admitted into the Design Power Index (DPI) 2025.

The Design Power Index is an economic premise and framework based on three key questions:
1. Does design generate economic value?
2. If yes, what is the value?
3. Is the nominated organisation great at harnessing the power of design to generate economic value and shape societal impact?

This inaugural index is launched by the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) in partnership with its global knowledge partner Consulus, a global impact investment and creative change firm, as part of DBCS’s 40th anniversary.

Companies and organisations are first shortlisted from a wide range of industries and then nominated. By accepting the nomination, honorees affirm that design shapes economic value through their business model, products, and services. Acceptance also means they agree to participate in an assessment the following year for the Design Power Index 2026, ensuring a deepening study on the value of design for economic growth. Acceptance of nomination, use of the logo, and participation in next year’s survey are without fee.

As of now, the estimated total market value of the private and listed companies who have accepted the nomination has reached SGD 20 billion. For the non-profit organisations included, their work impacts the lives of Singaporeans.

Carousell – Making Secondhand the First Choice Through Design

Carousell exemplifies how design, when deeply embedded across product, business, technology, and corporate functions, can fuel growth and shape culture. With Empathy as one of its core values, the company evaluates ideas through the lens of its customers, ensuring design is not just cosmetic, but a driver of strategic decisions that impact tens of millions across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Behind Carousell’s effortless “snap, list, sell” simplicity is the result of deliberate design thinking that makes complex technology, including recent advances in AI, feel invisible to the user. From creating seamless listing flows and powering personalised recommendations to keeping the marketplace safe, Carousell’s design decisions remove friction, foster confidence, and encourage participation in the circular economy.

This design-led approach directly supports Carousell’s mission to make secondhand the first choice, inspiring communities to embrace more sustainable ways of living. The outcome is more than just a beautiful interface—it is a thriving ecosystem that makes buying and selling secondhand simple, social, and rewarding. By uniting design thinking with business strategy and technical innovation, Carousell has redefined recommerce, championing sustainability while driving market leadership. For Carousell, design is not just about making technology usable, but about making it meaningful.

About the Design Power Index (DPI)

The Design Power Index (DPI) is the world’s first longitudinal economics index designed to measure and track the economic value generated by companies through the strategic use of design and the creation of design intellectual property (IP). Showcasing 40 companies and 20 organisations recognised for their business growth, market creation, technological innovation, and social impact through design, the inaugural DPI 2025 provides a holistic lens of design’s contribution to the economy.

Developed by the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) in partnership with Consulus, the DPI analyses design’s impact across four dimensions:

• Business of Design — Companies who have achieved revenue and growth through creating unique intellectual property by design
• Market of Design — Companies who have harnessed design to create a new business category
• Technology of Design — Companies who have used design to innovate and shape use-behaviour
• Social Impact of Design — Companies/organisations who use design to shape societal change or impact