Past Event

​An evening of insight, inspiration, and celebration

​What does it take to lead with design in today’s world? And who are the leaders shaping that answer right now?

​Join us for Designed to Lead, an evening that puts the next generation of design-led leaders centre stage. Hear fresh, unfiltered leadership insights from emerging leaders across service design, design thinking, and business design. Then go deeper in conversation with seasoned industry voices who have walked the path before them.

​This is not a lecture. This is a live exchange between the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow, and you are invited into that room.

​The evening culminates in the graduation of our Future Leaders Fellowship cohort, a milestone worth celebrating together.

​5:00 PM — Welcome & Opening

​5:15 PM — Panel Discussion with Industry Leaders: Invited leaders from across industries join the conversation, on design, leadership, and what it really takes to move organisations forward

Panellists:
Adhiraj Mahajan, Group Product Manager, PRISM+

Raj is the Group Product Manager at PRISM+, Singapore’s largest electronics brand. An iF Award-winning product designer, he has designed over 30 global consumer products, including smart locks, robot vacuums, and smart laundry racks. His work blends aesthetic excellence with functional innovation, delivering smart home solutions used by thousands of people worldwide.

https://prismplus.sg/

Shermeen Tan, Director, OuterEdit

Shermeen is the Managing Director of OuterEdit, a Singapore-based creative agency that makes meaningful matter through brand strategy, visual communications, storytelling and experience design. With a hybrid background spanning business, communications and design, she leads with a balance of strategic sensibility, emotional intelligence and creative conviction, bridging the analytical and the human in equal measure.

https://outeredit.com/

Simon Ong, Deputy Chairman amd Co-founder Kingsmen Creatives

Simon Ong oversees the strategic direction, development, and creative standards, of Kingsmen, a leading communication design and production group with 18 offices across the Asia Pacific region and North America. He serves the creative industry in various advisory roles, including honourary advisor to the Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDA) and a member of Singapore Interior Design Accreditation Council.

https://kingsmen-int.com/

Moderator: 
Stacy Tan, Brand Director, Yellow Octopus

Stacy leads branding, research, and strategy at Y ellow Octopus, a multi-disciplinary creative communications agency. With 11 years of experience, she has directed rebrands and creative campaigns for pioneers such as Jumbo Group, CapitaLand, FairPrice Group, School of the Arts, Halogen, and Parkway Group. Rooted in a background spanning creative writing and teaching, Stacy brings a distinctive lens to her work—one that sits at the intersection of leadership, design practice, and culture.

https://yellowoctopus.com.sg/

​5:45 PM — Leadership Insights from the Fellows: Three groups share what they’ve learned about leading through design — candid, personal, and practical

6:30 PM — Certificate Presentation: Celebrating the graduation of our Future Leaders Fellowship cohort

​6:45 PM — Dinner & Networking: Continue the conversations over dinner with fellow design-led leaders


Come if you are:

​A design advocate or people leader who wants to be part of the community shaping design leadership in Singapore

​A mid-level manager ready to think more boldly about your leadership

​A leader who has always known that design is more than aesthetics, it is how you solve, decide, and lead.

Register here: https://luma.com/g20k0fw3

Few people sit at the intersection of design policy and geopolitical strategy. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann is one of them, and she’s opening the room.

As Senior Minister of State (MFA & MHA) and Patron of DBCS since 2018, SMS Sim Ann has been the bridge between Singaporean innovation and global policy. In this special Circle Connects, we’re going behind closed doors to discuss Creative Diplomacy in an Age of Geopolitical Disruption.

This is a rare session curated for design entrepreneurs and leaders ready to think beyond the organisation and navigate the bigger picture.

Event Details
📅 Monday, 25 May 2026
🕞 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
📍National Design Centre Auditorium Level 2, 111 Middle Road, Singapore 188969

Moderator: Hong Khai Seng, President of DBCS

*Chatham House Rules apply. Seats are limited.*

🔗 Register now → https://luma.com/2j507sz5

The design industry is changing faster than ever, and the designers who will shape its future are already among us.

The Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) is proud to bring together, for the very first time, alumni of the Seed Award, young designers recognised for embodying the five qualities of future design leaders: Creative Impact, Critical Thinking, Connective Intelligence, Perseverance, and Ethical Decision-Making.

This inaugural gathering is a celebration of the community these alumni represent, and a space to look ahead at the role they will play in shaping Singapore’s design industry.

As the first of many such events, we hope to create a meaningful platform for honest exchange between emerging designers and the industry leaders who came before them.

Event Details (by invitation only)
Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026
Time: 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM
Venue: Raffles College of Higher Education

​👉 What are we seeing — and what do we make of it?

​You know how DTIA usually unfolds.

​We come in with a few ideas, conversations take unexpected turns, and by the end of it, something shifts.

​Last year especially had that “house party” feel — people stayed, conversations carried on, and the best moments weren’t always the planned ones.

​👉 Time well spent—with people who matter

​We’re bringing it together again this year.

​As always, it’s something we organize as a community and simply share the cost of making it happen.

​This includes:

• ​Lunch on Saturday and Sunday
• ​Saturday drinks and light food (informal, roaming — same setup as before)

​For those who want to go a bit further, we’ve arranged an optional visit to INNOX in Shenzhen on Monday (18 May).

​INNOX applies end-to-end design thinking to incubate startups — from problem definition through to product and market — so it’s a chance to see that in practice.

​If this gathering of minds matters, it’s worth locking it in now—before the calendar fills up.

Theme and format

The World Has Shifted — What Now?

Making sense in a bewildering world. Moving forward.

Over two days, we’ll move through a simple journey together:

Making Sense → Rethinking Our Role → From D (Domesticated)  to W (Wilder) → Becoming Wilder

Each part building on the last—moving from understanding to action.

This isn’t a traditional conference—more a curated, participative gathering shaped by the people in the room.

Sign up here: https://luma.com/uzhx4a01?coupon=DBCS

As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, join 55 Minutes for an intimate,
hands-on workshop dive into inclusive design, turning empathy into action.

• 284 River Valley Rd Singapore 238325
• Saturday, 9 May 
• 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Find out more:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/accessible-by-design-crafting-assistive-tools-with-3d-printing-tickets-1985691230925?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, join 55 Minutes on how to design digital experiences
that truly include people with visual impairment.

• 284 River Valley Rd Singapore 238325
• Thursday, 14 May 
• 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Find out more:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-workshop-on-designing-digital-experiences-for-the-visually-impaired-tickets-1986957368978?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

About Future Economy Conference 

Inaugurated in 2017, the Future Economy Conference (FEC) is SBF’s annual strategic platform for government-to-business engagement, convening policymakers, industry leaders, and solution partners to chart the course for a future-ready Singapore economy. FEC brings together key decision makers from both the public and private sectors to examine national priorities, enterprise transformation, and actionable pathways for business adoption. The vision: to help Singapore’s business community tackle emerging challenges, seize new opportunities, and accelerate transformation at scale—both locally and across the region.  

Organised by SBF and supported by leading partners from both the public and private sectors, FEC is a premium conference featuring high-level speakers from Singapore and beyond. Distinguished guests—including senior government officials, business leaders, and ecosystem partners—offer insights and commitments that drive dynamic growth and resilience for Singapore’s economy.  

In 2026, FEC 2026 is expected to convene national and regional leaders to chart a united course through today’s volatile and complex global landscape. The conference rallies stakeholders to deepen public-private collaboration, spark innovation, and deliver real-world impact for enterprises of all sizes.   

For more information, visit here.

In an age where AI is rapidly transforming the design industry, the need for stronger decision-making and thoughtful budgeting has never been more critical. Amid ongoing global conflicts, economic uncertainty and shifting market dynamics, organisations are under increasing pressure to do more with less while still delivering meaningful impact. As we navigate this evolving landscape, the value of design becomes even more significant, not just as an aesthetic layer but as a strategic tool to drive clarity, resilience and innovation.

We invite you to join us for a leadership dialogue on how to lead through this transition with intention, adaptability and purpose.

The biennial World Cities Summit (WCS) is an exclusive platform for government leaders and industry
experts to address liveable and sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge
new partnerships. Jointly organised by Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the Urban
Redevelopment Authority (URA), key highlights of the Summit include the Mayors Forum, the Lee
Kuan Yew World City Prize, the WCS Young Leaders Symposium and the Science of Cities
Symposium.

The 10th edition of the World Cities Summit will be held from 14 to 16 June 2026, in Singapore.

Centred on the theme “Liveable and Sustainable Cities: ACT Now!”, WCS 2026 celebrates how cities are transforming through bold leadership and partnerships, to actively shape a more liveable future for all.

– Accelerate sustainable and innovative urban solutions
– Collaborate across borders and sectors
– Transform cities for future generations through bold leadership and partnership

Delegates will engage with the theme across six Tracks:
– Cities for People
– Resilient & Regenerative Cities
– Smart Cities
– Financing of Cities
– Future Cities
– WRLDCTY Connections Stage (new)

For more information, visit www.worldcitiesummit.com.sg.

Design no longer lives in silos.
AI is reshaping roles.
Industry needs hybrid thinkers.
Government relies on cross-disciplinary design to shape the nation.

This event gathers voices from academia, industry, and government to explore why transdisciplinary capability is fast becoming the defining skillset of the next decade.

Join the conversation and be part of what’s ahead. 

🔗 Learn more: https://luma.com/6gc54s1d