Speech by SMS Low Yen Ling at Singapore Design Week 2024 Opening Ceremony

His Excellency Mr Dante Brandi, Ambassador of Italy to Singapore;

Her Excellency Mrs Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand to Singapore;

Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of Economic Development Board;

Dawn Lim, Executive Director, DesignSingapore Council;

Jody Teo, Festival Director, Singapore Design Week 2024

Friends from the design and business community,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. I am delighted to welcome you to the opening of Singapore Design Week 2024. Today, we kick off a week-long celebration of the transformative power of creativity, innovation and design.

2. Since it started in 2014, Singapore Design Week has grown in focus and broadened its reach. This year, the festival has expanded to include new partners like the Asian Civilisations Museum and larger design districts. It features homegrown and international brands. For instance, its FIND - Design Fair Asia showcases over 300 brands.

Celebrating 'People of Design'

3. This year’s festival theme, “People of Design”, honours the meaningful contributions of everyday individuals who improve our lives through design.

4. Design is all around us – in our environment, experiences, and the products we use. This year’s festival commission, “The People of Design Showcase Series”, shows how design sensibilities can be accessible and beneficial in various contexts. Visit the National Design Centre to discover how children from Alexandra Primary School and older persons experiment with generative Artificial Intelligence. There is also Challenge X: The National Design Challenge, where organisations such as NTUC Health, Kampong Kapor Community Services and National Healthcare Group have created solutions on a national level to tackle social isolation and create more caring communities. At Bras Basah, Bugis Design District, encounter the rituals of daily life, like eating, sleeping, shopping, reading, and commuting, through the lens of design.

Design and the community

5. A key aim of Singapore Design Week is to bring design closer to the community and demonstrate its impact beyond aesthetics. This year’s line-up includes more than 80 programmes and activities across the city, showcasing how design intersects with daily life. Design firms, businesses and organisations were also invited to contribute to Design Community programmes.

6. In the Marina Central Business Improvement District, one of Singapore’s most renowned designers, Nathan Yong, has curated exciting programmes and interactive installations that bridge tradition with the future. You can find them in South Beach, Suntec City, Millenia Walk, and Marina Square.

7. In addition, design firms are working with local brands and stores to reimagine their offerings and store experiences. For example, designer Natasha Hassan introduced bold, new visuals to Kiddy Palace to spark children’s curiosity. Aaah Studio redefined the karaoke room by creating a third space for patrons to celebrate, study, or record a podcast,

8. Over at Orchard Design District, we can rediscover Singapore’s iconic shopping belt differently. Through placemaking and experience design, trendy stores are playfully reshaping public interactions and behaviours.

9. With more companies participating this year, festival-goers have a chance to experience design in action and its impact on the community. Corporates like Arup, Grab, KPMG, Lego, Sony, Standard Chartered, and Visa showcase their design innovations in customer-centric services, early childhood education, and financial literacy.

Drive positive change around the world through design

10. Design can inspire change for a better future. At the Design Futures Forum, we’ll hear from some 30 speakers convened by the DesignSingapore Council to discuss and share insights on how design can be harnessed in areas like healthcare, sustainability, and emerging technology to advance a brighter tomorrow.

11. The possibilities of a green future are here at the Singapore Design Week. The entire EMERGE @ FIND exhibition has been designed for reuse, setting a new standard for sustainable trade exhibitions. Check out Future Impact 2’s return showcase from Milan Design Week 2024; you’ll find cutting-edge sustainable works from seven local designers, including David Lee’s Monolith chair.

Conclusion

12. As one of Asia’s premier design festivals, Singapore Design Week continues to boost Singapore’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design. But more than just a celebration of design, it is also a call to action. It invites the community to reimagine our world and harness the power of design. Kinetic Singapore’s creative campaign for Singapore Design Week captures this rallying call beautifully. The characters illustrated by Lyla Soh highlight the diversity and individuality that define design.

13. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible—from the organizers and sponsors to the designers and participants. Your collective efforts embody the spirit of “People of Design.”

14. Let us continue to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation and, together, uncover the potential of design to inspire and produce fresh and better outcomes for a better world. Thank you.