Blog

“Singapore Good Design Mark gives us professional recognition for good concepts and design.”

Singapore Discovery Centre “Through the Lens of Time” Permanent Exhibits Gallery has impressionable thematic spaces designed for visitors to immerse, explore, interact and respond to the different facets of Singapore’s past. 

Using theatrical settings and through the lens of time, visitors are discovering the diverse stories and appreciating the dynamic nature of history, where narratives and voices interact with each other to form new understanding and perspectives. 

Visitors are actively engaged in the space and they enjoy this unique immersive educational experience. The team will continue to innovate with design and in projects that create social value and positive impact to Singapore and the world around us.

In our first few interactions with the business owners, we noticed how close they were to the residents. Therefore in our design approach, we wanted them to maintain this relationship with the community. We made this happen by carving out an external seating area within the shop’s tenancy area as a welcoming and friendly interface to the uncles and aunties who would walk by.

The elusive façade panels that allude to the imagery of “good morning” towels drying out in the sun also creates a sense of mystery for the general public who are pleasantly surprised that a salon is within and stop by to enquire more. This is organic marketing in the works.

How do you think East Coast Park Rejuvenation has impacted users?

“Thoughtful design is key to creating active architecture that uplifts and enriches lives and the human spirit.”

This, in turn, enhances the fostering of meaningful relationships between the community and physical place. In the rejuvenation of an iconic space at East Coast Park, for instance, the team collaborated and engaged with the authorities and community at large to reimagine the park experience, promote wellness and social activities, while paying homage to its rich history and people’s memories of the place.

How has SG Mark helped you in your area of work? How do you think your design has impacted users?

We are pleased to be a recipient of the 2021 SG Mark Award for Experience Design.

At DBS, employees are at the heart of what we do, and we are committed to designing user-centric experiences for our employees the same way we do for our customers.

The new design and journey that we have curated for our workspace DBS Facilities Reporting Tool (FRT) enables colleagues to now tell us how to improve their workspace in just three simple steps, and gives the team data on how to respond to faults better.

“It is indeed a great experience – both for DBS employees and for the FRT team too!”

“We inscribed the walls and mirrors with lines of Kevin Wong’s poetry that spoke of love and loss, letting visitors reflect on the mixed narratives of progress in light of the surrounding historic monuments on site.”

Four local writers wrote site-specific sonnets that were interpreted into spatial sculptures by architects. The end result was a multi-faceted narrative that ties fragments of history and present realities within specific historic markets in Singapore’s civic district. Between Two Worlds at Esplanade Park is an intimate passageway surrounded by mirrored memory pools.

How has SG Mark helped you in your area of work?

It gives the visitors of SINGAPO人 the promise that it would be a great experience. 

How do you think your design has impacted users?

Through a close partnership with the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, we were able to introduce Singaporeans to local Chinese culture, a topic that is often deemed ‘boring’ and ‘traditional’, through a highly interactive experience that is both unexpected and delightful.

We are excited to be a recipient of the inaugural 2021 SG Mark Award for Sustainable Design. Sustainability has always been at the core of DBS’ purpose-driven DNA. We strive to embed sustainability in everything we do, and the birth of this project stems from a question that we asked ourselves:

“What if our decorations made the earth better?”

Rooted in our drive to be more involved in the circular economy and achieve net zero energy operations, the DBS Giving Tree project is a ground-up initiative that demonstrates the small ways we can contribute to changes in our surroundings, play our part and give back to the community and planet even during the festive season, and inspire more sustainable actions every day!

How do you think Reveal Your Thaidentity has impacted users?

“Add some flavour, spice it up, and let the rhythm move our audience”.

We had never intended to retell the old touristic tales of Thailand. Instead, it was all about the fun and excitement that one usually experienced when travelling to Thailand – portrayed in a more caricature way.

We were delighted by the positive response to the campaign. The fact that our audiences can genuinely relate and get entertained by the campaign demonstrates the values of communication design when approaching it with authenticity and relevance.