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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.