Member’s Spotlight

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. 

_{Lee Tuan from Bekind Solutions is the man behind numerous elderly care products designed to empower seniors such as the Smart Walking Sticks collection.}

What is your personal mantra?

“Finalise it. Whatever the idea is, however small it is, always try to make a presentable milestone.”

What inspires you?

Problem situations inspire me. Like many people, I encounter problems daily- big or small. Many of them may already have existing solutions. But sometimes, I get lucky and encounter a problem with very few existing solutions. Even when a problem has a decent solution for it, I enjoy the interesting process of trying to understand its background and ideate my own version of it. 

Why do you do what you do?

I think any job with ‘designer’ in it can be associated with the nature of being ‘makers’. The key characteristic I believe makers share is that the biggest joy of being a maker is to have a chance to materialise a concept. It could be visualised as a sketch or a presentation. If the idea is solid enough, it could have a chance to be given a physical form. If the idea gets big enough momentum, it will bring in more minds and evolve itself. The fulfilment I gain from making things happen is something I can’t find doing anything else. 

What is the most important lesson you learned?

Designs have no boundaries. Anybody can have any idea. But crafting a solution is no easy feat and an art that not anybody can do. For that reason, there are always points to learn if that idea is in the market. 

What’s your advice for those passionate about pursuing a career in design?

Browse the world around you ‘a lot’.

What changes would you like to see in the design ecosystem?

I’d like to see more projects embrace design thinking in the early stage. Realising problems and fine-tuning details in earlier stages can make a big impact on human society. With empathy at the heart of design thinking, the design ecosystem will grow in multitudes.  

What does design mean to you?

A collaboration between understanding and balancing. 

What made you join dbcs circle?

I was trying to reach out to design groups in Singapore as a Korean/American designer. 

What do you think design can do to change the world?

Design thinking can bridge minds from different backgrounds. Nowadays, a customer group is getting bigger and products are produced in masses now more than ever. Design has the potential to bring the world together. 

Yuree Hwang is a Korean and American product designer living in Singapore and is a strong believer of the power of the story behind every product and brand.  

How would you describe your personality?

My son, friends and colleagues fittingly call me “Mr. Fix-It” as I like to solve problems in creative and innovative ways.    

How has design thinking impacted what you do?

Creative and innovative solutions led me to develop a design thinking mindset and it really solved many problems, especially the recent solutions we had for our car showroom aka Car Vending Machine. 

What is your favourite automobile brand?

My favourite automobile brand is Porsche. It’s a unique brand that is somewhat sporty yet very understated.

What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?

To build TenSquare as another car vending machine showroom especially after we just built one not too long ago. Given that this took place in the middle of the pandemic, it was stressful.

Who is your hero and why?

Like many Singaporeans, my hero is our founding father, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. With a bright mind, strong leadership and perseverance, he formed a capable team to develop Singapore into a world-renowned global city from its humble beginnings. Today, Singapore stands out in the world for its low level of poverty and highly-acclaimed education system among many attributes. 

_{Gary Hong, GM and Founder of Autobahn Motors aspires to bring an immersive experience to the community of creators, animators, marketers and brand owners together, to showcase their creativity and bring about more social awareness.}

What motivated your career switch?

I always knew I wanted to start something of my own. Most of the time, I pursued things that were of interest to me. So you can say the “career switch” was motivated by interest and curiosity. I went from studying Biological Sciences (hoping to be a scientist) to a very much design, engineering and business driven career. 

(I’m not sure I switched careers, I more of switched paths. My career has always been in design, engineering and business.)

How would you advise your younger self?

I’d spend more time making meaningful and long-lasting connections. I realised a bit later in life that “your network is your net worth”.

What’s the key thing you see lacking in the design community?

I meet a lot of designers who are perfectionists. Not sure whether it stems from character or from the design education, but I would like to see more designers give precedence to iteration. Designers can adopt the mindset that getting it right is a process of “continuous improvement” rather than hoping to hit a homerun on the first try. This also helps a lot with the anxiety designers face when putting their work out.

What is your greatest fear?

I have a fear of regret. I don’t want to get old and think, “I should have done this, I should have done that”. So as much as I can, I try to be very open to new experiences, opportunities and projects. But I also have learnt how to say “No” – the opportunity must either allow me to learn or earn. Equally great is my fear of getting old.

What do you love most about your job?

By helping businesses build brands, it is constantly enriching to see how our work can help our clients transform themselves, especially during Covid. Helping them survive and thrive, saving businesses and jobs, improving their products/services/designs during these trying times give meaning to what we do. There’s never an ordinary day as we’re working on multiple projects across different industries, bringing in new challenges and opportunities for us to ideate and design solutions. It is a privilege to make something out of nothing every single day. 

What’s your advice for those passionate about pursuing a career in design?

Going beyond your innate passion, design is about solving other people’s problems – which means it isn’t always going to be what you like. It’s our responsibility to make the world better through understanding, innovating, and solving unmet needs. We must also ensure that our creations won’t add more problems to the world – socially and environmentally. What you do is important, and in a certain way, every little thing you put out there can impact the world for better or worse. 

What made you join DBCS Circle?

I wanted to be involved in the local design community to learn from the veterans and participate in design initiatives. Sharing my voice for the community allows me to play a part in shaping Singapore’s design scene as well.