SPH Media admitted into the 2025 Design Power Index

DBCS and Consulus are pleased to announce that SPH Media is admitted into the Design Power Index (DPI) 2025.

The Design Power Index is an economic premise and framework based on three key questions:
1. Does design generate economic value?
2. If yes, what is the value?
3. Is the nominated organisation great at harnessing the power of design to generate economic value and shape societal impact?

This inaugural index is launched by the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) in partnership with its global knowledge partner Consulus, a global impact investment and creative change firm, as part of DBCS’s 40th anniversary.

Companies and organisations are first shortlisted from a wide range of industries and then nominated. By accepting the nomination, honorees affirm that design shapes economic value through their business model, products, and services. Acceptance also means they agree to participate in an assessment the following year for the Design Power Index 2026, ensuring a deepening study on the value of design for economic growth. Acceptance of nomination, use of the logo, and participation in next year’s survey are without fee.

As of now, the estimated total market value of the private and listed companies who have accepted the nomination has reached SGD 20 billion. For the non-profit organisations included, their work impacts the lives of Singaporeans.

SPH Media — Designing Information for a Modern World

SPH Media is a powerful example of a company where design is not merely a feature, but the product itself. As Singapore’s largest media organization, its economic value is fundamentally tied to the sale of design-centric goods and services. The company’s core business revolves around the design of information and content, creating a suite of products—from newspapers and magazines to digital platforms—that are meticulously crafted to engage and inform a diverse audience.

SPH’s success is a result of its mastery of design services at a macro level. The firm employs a vast network of journalists, designers, and data visualization experts to produce high-quality, credible news and lifestyle content. This editorial and visual design is the core intellectual property that differentiates its various titles, such as The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, and allows them to command subscriptions and advertising revenue. The company also offers design-centric services in the form of content marketing and advertising solutions, where its expertise is sold to help brands connect with specific audiences across its omnichannel network.

Through a strategic combination of print publications, digital platforms, and radio stations, SPH Media has created a cohesive media ecosystem where the design of each channel is tailored to its audience. The company’s continued investment in digital products, like its news apps and online portals, demonstrates its commitment to using design to adapt to evolving consumer behaviors and maintain its position as a trusted source of news and information.

About the Design Power Index (DPI)

The Design Power Index (DPI) is the world’s first longitudinal economics index designed to measure and track the economic value generated by companies through the strategic use of design and the creation of design intellectual property (IP). Showcasing 40 companies and 20 organisations recognised for their business growth, market creation, technological innovation, and social impact through design, the inaugural DPI 2025 provides a holistic lens of design’s contribution to the economy.

Developed by the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) in partnership with Consulus, the DPI analyses design’s impact across four dimensions:

• Business of Design — Companies who have achieved revenue and growth through creating unique intellectual property by design
• Market of Design — Companies who have harnessed design to create a new business category
• Technology of Design — Companies who have used design to innovate and shape use-behaviour
• Social Impact of Design — Companies/organisations who use design to shape societal change or impact