Singapore Design Award (SDA)https://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DBCS-SDA-150-scaled.jpg25601707Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DBCS-SDA-150-scaled.jpg
The Singapore Design Awards (SDA) was conceived in 1988. Launched by then PM, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, at the first Singapore International Design Forum to recognise and honour outstanding design practitioners and design students. These designers create innovative designs and use a human-centric approach in their design methodology.
Source: Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visits a housing project. Credit: Larry Burrows via Getty Images
All nations come with a vast array of people with different cultures, heritages, and history – but only some succeed. Why? Singapore is positioned in a unique space that emphasises the importance of unity among its citizens despite our clear divides. As a consequence of this, we are also in a place that allows for effective nation-building.
Whilst our governmental bodies make huge decisions, they are also working in tandem with their citizens to build a better Singapore. Despite their best efforts, no one can solve every problem a nation has on their own. This is why ground-up initiatives are important to the future of Singapore.
This brings us to the current day. We live in, are exposed to, and are surrounded by so many good examples of good design that we barely notice. However, these designs were actually responses to the challenges that Singapore once faced. From our housing enclaves to our water system, we take many designs (read: solutions) for granted. We face no shortage of challenges – which is why it’s so important for people to unite to tackle these challenges from the ground up.
This year, 4 challenges were set forth by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.
While each of the finalists have wildly different ideas, each of them are similar in their ideology to create a better Singapore.
Singapore Design Awards (SDA) offers individuals the chance to ideate and come up with potential solutions to the current challenges that Singapore faces. While submissions to SDA only require ideas, winners of SDA will be given seed money to prototype their projects to make their designs a reality. Our four finalists have already launched their designs – and are trailblazing the way for Singapore’s future.
Want to be notified of the next open call for SDA? Interested in learning more about our other events? Keen on meeting like-minded designers and potential collaborators? Join our DBCS membership today for free.
Hunger for Supper that Sparked Scratchbachttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Core-Team-2.png40002667Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Core-Team-2.png
Cheryl, one of the co-founders of Scratchbac shares about her motivation and inspiration behind the ground-up project.
Tell us a little more about yourself
My background is in mechanical engineering and product design. Since 2020, I’ve been working on a start-up I co-founded, Scratchbac, which is a proximity-based favour app where people in the community can give or receive help and resources from one another.
I am also currently pursuing my masters at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) under the Innovation by Design programme. Concurrently, I also volunteer at TechforShe, mentoring and helping to facilitate UIUX workshops.
I would say I have a strong passion for user-centric tech and aspire to make a difference in people’s lives and the community through innovative solutions to everyday problems.
I’m also a strong advocate for design thinking education and hope to help people of all ages to get into the design landscape.
How did Scratchbac come about?
My co-founders and I came to the idea of Scratchbac because of personal problems we faced during SG’s circuit breaker period. For me personally, circuit breaker came into implementation during my final term and by then, I was already quite used to ‘university hall life’ having stayed in hall for the past few years. So, one night I was up late rushing a project and really wanted supper. Normally, I would have no problem ‘jio-ing’ other students in our SUTD group chat to share delivery fees. But stuck at home, I had to either go hungry or bite the bullet and pay the exorbitant delivery costs myself. This started the train of thought: “Why can’t I just ‘jio’ the neighbours around me instead?”
What is your greatest learning experience from running Scratchbac?
That good design is far from just creating the perfect product. In the context of a start-up, everything is limited – time, money, manpower (and as a student start-up, we even lack experience). Early in the game, I often came up with crazy ideas and designs which I believed would solve the user problems in the best way possible. But often those ideas would get thrown out or be stuck in the backlog perpetually because they were just not feasible to be built with the resources that we had. It took a while but eventually I came to appreciate the idea of what we call the ‘build, measure, learn and iterate’ cycle. As a start-up, it’s not about building perfect versions of features from the get go but rather just what is good enough to test the hypothesis within our limited resources and building up from there.
It required a lot of humility on my part as a designer to move from seeing these limits as hindrances to appreciating them as opportunities for more nuanced learning. When development cycles are so tight, you are really forced to think hard about each decision you commit to making which I feel helps me grow as a designer as well.
As a Co-founder, has entrepreneurship changed the way you view the world?
Yeah definitely. One thing that is abundantly clear in entrepreneurship is that success doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design. Of course, there is an element of luck or good timing in entrepreneurship – but fundamentally, if you don’t put the work in, you aren’t going to go anywhere.
So, if you have a problem that you’re passionate about solving, put in the work and get it done. Don’t get hung up on the what-ifs and naysayers. Get serious, double down and be confident in what you’re doing. People are naturally going to respect and respond to that.
How do you recharge after work? Do you prefer a social gathering or a quiet retreat?
For me, my work involves a lot of ‘social activity’, be it discussions with my teammates, talking to users or different stakeholders. So usually, I’m more than happy to spend weekday nights in, watching shows or YouTube to unwind.
Nevertheless, I’m quite a FOMO kind of person, so I rarely say no if my friends ever want to go out for some good food & drinks or for some heart to heart convos. Also at Scratchbac, we do have weekly ‘sports days’ where we try new sports together – which is a great way for us to get to know each other outside of work and to let off some steam if needed HAHA!
Are there any books or podcasts that have impacted your life deeply that you would recommend to your friends?
Hmmm deeply impacted… I’m not too sure but I recently read ‘Seven Brief Lessons on Physics’ by Carlo Rovelli which I found quite intriguing. (I think if I didn’t end up pursuing design, I would have considered going into research on quantum physics instead!). Other good Introduction to Design reads include ‘Nudge’ by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein, ‘Hooked’ by Nir Eyal, ‘The Mom Test’ by Rob Fitzpatrick.
As a winner of Singapore Design Awards and Singapore Good Design Awards (SG Mark), what does it mean to you?
Hahaha to be honest I was quite shocked when I found out we won. To see our tiny start-up up there with all these well-known companies is honestly extremely humbling and it’s definitely a huge honour. But for me, I think the biggest takeaway has to be the connection to the design community that these awards have opened the doors to. Getting to meet and learn from this wide array of talented designers and solutions has been a great experience that has challenged me to grow even more as a designer.
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Park Yourself envisions a playful series of People "Parking Lots" to engage people in various play and rest positions. where people from all walks of life can position themselves within the frames for poses and photography opportunities.
Design Crawl 2022: GovTech & Scratcbachttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Design-Crawl_June_Teaser_Post.png10801080Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Design-Crawl_June_Teaser_Post.png
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” Communities create an interconnected web of people that help to support and care for one another. The power of community is unparalleled – so how can we use design and tap onto this to create a better world?
Join 2 of our SG Mark 2022 winners – Government Technology Agency Singapore (GovTech) and Scratchbac in this event to learn about how design and technology can be used to leverage the power of community.
“Dumpster Diving” to Recycle Righthttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1-Recycle-Right-Bins-project-1-JEM.jpg20481535Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1-Recycle-Right-Bins-project-1-JEM.jpg
Tommy from STUCK Design is following his passion for solving problems through his sustainable designs.
Tell us a little more about yourself
After graduation from NUS as an Industrial Designer in 2020, I am currently at STUCK Design.
As an Industrial Designer, my focus is to design sustainable and ambitious solutions which improve the quality of life. I also aim to create innovative products with a systematic and thorough iterative approach.
How did your award-winning ‘Recycle Right’ Bins project come about?
It was in NUS that I learnt about the issue of contamination in recycling in Singapore. I found out that almost all the plastic recyclables collected in Singapore are rejected by recycling companies.
This issue stuck with me; how can we recycle right with better design? I took on this challenge on my FYP, building on my seniors’ projects and their insights. I reached out to the NUS administration and offered to redefine how we treat the recycling experience with a bin design to tackle this problem.
Thankfully, they were keen to collaborate. I think student projects tend to be short-lived, more so on conceptual fidelity.
By working with the NUS administration, I hoped to test my ideas on the ground, and make a real impact beyond my FYP.
Share with us a memorable process of Recycle Right Bins?
Twice a week for 3 months, I spent my afternoons “dumpster diving” at the campus canteen. I engaged in ground research with a pair of tongs, a mask and a pair of sturdy rubber gloves. The objective was to find out what people were throwing into the recycling bins and find ways to ensure their efforts do not go to waste. My course mates would sometimes find me behind the canteen crouched over a heap of trash. When I tell them that was part of my FYP, some of them would reply with scepticism. But it was something I chose to do as part of the discovery process.
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Park Yourself envisions a playful series of People "Parking Lots" to engage people in various play and rest positions. where people from all walks of life can position themselves within the frames for poses and photography opportunities.
Join us for the BIG reveal at Singapore Design Awards!https://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Singapore-Design-Awards-2022.jpg10801080Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Singapore-Design-Awards-2022.jpg
The award was conceived in 1988 and unveiled by then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew at the first Singapore International Design Forum. It honours outstanding individuals and companies for creating innovative designs and applying a human-centric approach. This year, we’ve changed the game to acknowledge the evolution of a designer’s role.
Designers have a natural problem-solving ability that combines creativity with innovative thinking – and they are paramount in creating designs that can help tackle problems in our society.In partnership with The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the awards have been redesigned to be relevant to the current challenges that Singapore is facing whilst being a launchpad for designers to turn them into opportunities for brilliant design solutions.
Event details Date: 27 June 2022, 2.30pm onwards Venue:10 Central Exchange Green #01-02, PIXEL Singapore 138649 Guest of Honour: Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Development
Dress Code: Smart Casual
*Due to limited capacity of the venue, we will give priority to the awards finalists and members of DBCS Circle. Kindly note that RSVPs will be managed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Breaking Conventions as a Playscape Designerhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/street-dance-event.jpg1280960Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/street-dance-event.jpg
Shi Yun from Playpoint Asia Singapore cannot wait for the day when she sees children enjoy the playscapes she designed.
Tell us a little more about yourself and what do you do at Playpoint Singapore?
I studied Industrial Design at NUS and graduated last year. Being a playscape designer at Playpoint Singapore is my first full-time job since I graduated. As a playscape designer, I design custom playgrounds, from the conceptualisation to 3D development of the space and play equipment. I think about how to design playscapes which encourage the children to take risks, learn, and have lots of fun!
What do you love most about your job?
I love it whenever I have the chance to come up with new playscape concepts that break the conventional notions we have of a playscape. I’m a new designer so I haven’t had the chance to see my designs come to life. But I think seeing children playing on playscapes I designed in the future would probably be the most fulfilling part of the job.
Describe your personal design style
I don’t really have a specific design style but more of a design approach. I usually try to look at and interpret what I am designing in other ways that are uncommon and explore those interpretations through my design.
What’s your advice for those who are passionate about pursuing a career as a Playscape Designer?
Play is powerful, it enables children to interact, take risks, learn and grow in various areas. If you believe in the power of play for the children, that would be a good start! As a playscape designer, I believe it’s important to always be trying to push the boundaries, to always think about how we can make the playscapes more interesting for children to develop, learn and grow. And another personal belief I have is that more is not necessarily always good. If purposefully designed, sometimes having less “elements” in the playscape might inspire the children to play more.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
I love street dance! And I enjoy going on food adventures with my family and friends to find new, good delicacies!
What made you join dbcs circle / our recent circle connects event?
I joined one of the recent events as I have always been interested in inclusive/universal design and how we could better approach it. It was eye opening to see what has been designed so far for the communities and how different people from various sectors approach inclusive design. It was my first Circle Connects event and I’m excited to participate in more such events to connect with others and have a good exchange of thoughts!
What is one thing you had to learn the hard way?
I think that would be learning to not lose sight of what I believe in and the main purpose behind each design/project. Design requirements and criteria should still be met but it’s important to constantly circle back and remind ourselves of the core of the project and make sure that our design is trending towards that direction.
What is good design?
Good design is one which has empathy for people (and often goes unnoticed).
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Park Yourself envisions a playful series of People "Parking Lots" to engage people in various play and rest positions. where people from all walks of life can position themselves within the frames for poses and photography opportunities.
Dbcs Circle Connectshttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DBCS_May-circleconnects.png10801080Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DBCS_May-circleconnects.png
If it takes a whole village to raise a child, it most certainly takes a community of like-minded people to build a business that will thrive through uncharted roads.
What does design mean in business? How can we diagnose problems, discover insights and come up with creative solutions that may simplify processes or spring forth new business trajectories?
An invitation-only event by DBCS (Design Business Chamber Singapore), in collaboration with SMU Business Families Alumni Group.
We will get to hear from the team at Commune to share about their business journey and NBDA Asia will provide a case study on how design takes on a crucial role in business transformation.
Immanuel Goh’s Fascination with UX and Design Researchhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/research-shot-2-scaled.jpg25601706Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/research-shot-2-scaled.jpg
Tell us a little more about yourself and what do you do at GovTech?
I was formerly a design researcher working on the Singpass App and most recently the Deputy Lead of the newly set up Accessibility Enabling Team focused on helping public officers have improved access to their digital products and making sure no one gets left behind in our Smart Nation journey.
How did you get to learn about the design or UX community?
I got started in design, meddling with Photoshop as a kid, designing stuff for friends and family but I got serious with design when I saw that famous TED Talk by David Kelley of IDEO on Creative Confidence. I was inspired by the power of the human-centred approach to design and I knew that I wanted to be part of such a practice. Since then, I’ve been really blessed to meet amazing UX practitioners in Singapore who have generously shared their lives and practices with me.
What’s your advice for those who are passionate about pursuing a career as a design researcher?
Be bold, curious, patient, and humble. Don’t be afraid to speak with fellow design researchers in the field to learn from them. Don’t worry too much about the latest tools and trends, master the basics — Start small and keep practising the craft of asking good questions, effective note taking and compelling storytelling.
Lastly, a pack of sticky notes, a pen and an inquisitive spirit are your best tools (and they never run out of battery).
Immanuel (Manny) shares how design meddling during his formative years has evolved into the monumental task of ensuring no one gets left behind in our Smart Nation journey.
What do you love most about your job?
I get the privilege to hear and hold the diverse stories of the people of Singapore and represent them by retelling their stories to our product leaders and teammates.
I remember one interview I had with an elderly uncle, he looked me in the eye and said: “Boy, thank you for taking time to listen to me and taking my feedback.” He never experienced a research interview before and felt touched to have a young person actively listen to him and represent his thoughts. I don’t get many moments like this, but this one really stuck with me and keeps me going.
What’s your advice for those who are passionate about pursuing a career as a design researcher?
Be bold, curious, patient, and humble. Don’t be afraid to speak with fellow design researchers in the field to learn from them. Don’t worry too much about the latest tools and trends, master the basics — Start small and keep practising the craft of asking good questions, effective note taking and compelling storytelling.
Lastly, a pack of sticky notes, a pen and an inquisitive spirit are your best tools (and they never run out of battery).
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy running and I love being a dad and caring for my baby girl! Interestingly, these were two blessings that came out from this pandemic. I started running in 2020 to get out of the house after hours of working from home. And my beautiful baby girl made her debut in 2021 and brought a lot of joy to the family.
How important is rest and being part of a community mean to you?
There are many articles extolling the importance of rest. I’ve learnt very recently to move beyond reading about rest to actually practising rest — and not just for my body but for my mind and soul. While I try my best to clock 8 hours of sleep, could I also clock at least 2 hours of not worrying a day? (I’m still trying HAHA!).
Being part of a community is a reminder for me to recognise there’s beauty and abundance in diversity, there’s something about being among persons different from you yet finding common ground. It is also a reminder to me that ‘help’ is a four-letter word that I’m allowed to say.
What made you join dbcs circle?
Some of the amazing design practitioners I’ve met and learnt from are part of dbcs—so it wasn’t hard for me to want to be part of this community. It is also a way for me to give back to the design community for the blessing it has been to me.
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Park Yourself envisions a playful series of People "Parking Lots" to engage people in various play and rest positions. where people from all walks of life can position themselves within the frames for poses and photography opportunities.
ASEAN Design Forumhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SG-MARK-AND-G-MARK-WINNERS_ASEAN-JAPAN-.jpeg843843Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SG-MARK-AND-G-MARK-WINNERS_ASEAN-JAPAN-.jpeg
ASEAN Design Forum is a collaboration with ASEAN Design Center. The webinar aims to promote partnership between Japan and ASEAN creative industries through introducing excellent design products in ASEAN.
For those interested in the creative industry and good design, interested in importing and selling design products, educational institutions and research institutions related to design are the main targets. We look forward to seeing you.
The Artistic Beauty of Glass in the Eyes of Sara Anghttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DSC7570-scaled.jpg17032560Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DSC7570-scaled.jpg
How did Synergraphic design start?
Synergraphic Design was founded by Florence, my mother, who is a glass artist and businesswoman. In its early days, it offered only plain glass panels for windows and doors. But as an artist, my mother felt that instead of leaving the glass plain, the panels could in fact become a canvas for her art and design. Hence, over the years, Synergraphic accumulated techniques in cold, warm and hot glassmaking to create art and design works in glass.
Why Glass?
Glass is beyond a very functional material (food-safe, non-porous hence weather-resistant and hygienic, transparent, reflective, etc). It is also a wonderful material for art and design in its endless applications spanning interior and architectural spaces, lighting, furniture, dining ware, vessels, etc. Hence, there is still so much more discovery to be made of this intriguing and incredible material.
Sara Ang from Synergraphic raves about her mum and shares about her work, mantra and more.
I love many things:
Working with people who are so different, with varying strengths and bringing them together to work as a team
Sharing with people the amazing possibilities in glass that they have never seen or thought of
Finding new ways to work with glass to create new fluidities and effects to transform spaces
Sharing the craft with people through hands-on workshops
But I guess what I love most is that I get to create unique art and design works in glass that meet our customers’ varying needs, and it is done not because I do it myself, but because I have to bring people together who have vastly different strengths, to make it happen.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing the most?
Spending time with my 2.5 years old daughter and drinking alcohol.
Is there anyone that inspires you in life?
My mother, absolutely . She is the most gracious, generous and strongest person I have ever met and I am very much a result of what she has poured into my life and demonstrated for me.
What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?
‘It could be worse.’ (commonly said by my mother). It seems like an inconsequential statement but I think it really is a representation of an optimistic state of mind of choosing to see and believing that things are never as bad as they seem. It is a statement of gratitude, which empowers us to keep going and fighting
What is the most important message you want to share with younger women who are thinking about their careers?
Everything begins with knowing and acknowledging who you are, weaknesses, fears and strengths alike. Once you’re comfortable in your own skin, you will never feel the need to strive to become somebody you’re not or whom you may think society/organisations require of you. With clarity on who you are, and with faith, you will be able to remain steadfast in the small steps even in the face of winds of change. Keep strengthening the strengths that you already have, know what you have to offer, and you will find yourself well-positioned to work in the team or the ecosystem that you’re in.
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Park Yourself envisions a playful series of People "Parking Lots" to engage people in various play and rest positions. where people from all walks of life can position themselves within the frames for poses and photography opportunities.
. She is the most gracious, generous and strongest person I have ever met and I am very much a result of what she has poured into my life and demonstrated for me.