Every September, Singapore Design Week (SDW) organised by the DesignSingapore Council transforms our little red dot into a vibrant showcase of creativity. For designers and enthusiasts alike, it’s a celebration of the ingenuity of local and regional talents that often goes unnoticed. Over the years, SDW has evolved, now focusing on sustainability and addressing human needs.
Discover how Singapore designers blend tradition and innovation at Singapore Design Week 2024
21 September 2024
By Larissa Santhana Nair
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This year, from Sep 26 to Oct 6, Singapore will once again become a canvas for the nation’s top design talent. The theme, “People of Design”, shines the spotlight on everyday visionaries who, through their work, influence how we live, work, and interact with the world around us. Yet, as we marvel at the innovations, we must ask ourselves: why is it so important to highlight our local designers?
THE SOLUTION MAKERS TO EVERYDAY PROBLEMS
The answer to this question lies in the way our local designers seamlessly weave culture, tradition, and modernity into their work. Design is not just about aesthetics – it’s also about creating functional solutions that reflect our behaviours, norms and values.
Take, for example, a well-designed office space. It can foster an environment that enhances interaction and collaboration. Local designers, who understand Singapore’s work culture, create spaces that reflect the balance we strive for in our daily lives. CapitaSpring, a winner of the President*s Design Award 2023, exemplifies this with a good mix of community spaces and lush green terraces in its 51-storey building, perfect for midday walks by office workers in the building and mental unwinding.
Even something as simple as menu design plays a significant role in our cultural identity. With food as a cornerstone of our cultural identity, a well-designed menu can either entice or dissuade us. Dumpling Darlings’ menu, with its quirky design, bold colours and friendly typography feels more like a picture book, making dining there a delightful experience.
SINGAPORE DESIGN WEEK IS A PLATFORM FOR DISCOVERY
This is where SDW takes centre stage for the Singaporean public to discover the innovation of local designers. From the creative displays in Bras Basah.Bugis to the forward-thinking installations at Marina Bay, the festival showcases how local designers shape Singapore’s identity. Their work resonates because it builds on our traditions and cultural values, creating something that speaks to both our past and our future.
One indicator is Hans Tan’s curatorial vision for SDW 2024’s People of Design Showcase Series in the Bras Basah.Bugis Design District, where he invites visitors to rethink everyday activities and pastimes like eating, commuting and shopping. His work, along with other local talents, reimagines our most routine actions through a cultural lens, demonstrating how design thinking can address modern day problems.
Tan, who is internationally recognised for his forward-thinking design, exemplifies how local designers bridge the gap between the old and the new. By reinterpreting these daily actions, Tan and his team show how design can honour local social culture while making room for innovation.
TRADITION AND BEHAVIOUR CAN INSPIRE DESIGN
Creative Director of SDW Nathan Yong’s “NeuFolk” series in the Marina Design District merges traditional community values with futuristic designs as part of the SDW exhibit. Yong’s installations bring the concepts of sustainability and community to the forefront, emphasising how design can look forward and ground itself into the spirit of the people it is made for.
By merging past and future, his work exemplifies how local designers are not just creating objects – they’re shaping a sustainable mindset that reflects Singapore’s values.
Pann Lim, co-founder and creative director of advertising agency Kinetic Singapore, shared with DesignSingapore Council in 2023 that engaging storytelling and thoughtful design can make even the most complex issues relatable and impactful.
Lim pointed out that “conceptual thinking must be even stronger and sharper, especially when everybody’s production standards are already high”. This is what sets great design apart. For Lim, design can tell a story that resonates on a human level. His work with Kinetic, from the #ThankYouDeliveryHeroes campaign to the [Not-So] Convenience Store exhibition, exemplifies how thoughtful design can challenge societal norms and encourage new ways of thinking.
REFRAMING HOW WE SEE DESIGN
Design, at its best, offers us a lens through which to view our past and envision our future. It shows us that tradition and culture are not relics of the past – they are living, evolving elements that continue to influence our modern world.
As we mark our calendars to celebrate the “People of Design” at SDW, we must remember that these individuals are the architects of how we experience life. Through their work, they show us that design honours the past while innovating for the present. And that’s why it’s crucial to support our local designers—they are, quite literally, shaping the world we live in.
Image credits: The plan, DesignSingapore Council, Mark Corksedge and Marina Central.
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