STEWARDS OF DESIGN

The rise of local design competitions brings opportunity for young designers to showcase their talent. Here are some of the brand initiatives to get the creative juices going.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The rise of local design competitions brings opportunity for young designers to showcase their talent. Here are some of the brand initiatives to get the creative juices going.

FREEPLAY BY P5 STUDIO

Furniture retailer P5 Studio collaborated with Danish furniture brand Montana this year to create eight furniture pieces designed by young design and architectural studios here. The brief was to conceptualise a product from Montana’s 42 colours and 36 modules. The winning design was picked to compete with those from South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Australia. The top winner’s creation will be included in the Montana International Collection and sold worldwide at a later date.

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YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD BY DESIGN INTERVENTION

Design Intervention has been conducting the Young Designer Award since 2015. The interior design studio aims to nurture young designers and encourage them to push boundaries in design. Open to interior design students at tertiary level, the competition takes into account the quality of the interior or architectural design concept, functionality and originality, among other criteria. Participants will receive a design brief. For 2019, the brief for participants is to design a home for a couple in their 30s, with two schoolgoing children and a grandmother in a wheelchair. The interior design must accommodate the needs of a multigenerational family. Submission closes on Sept 8.

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DESIGNATHON 2019 BY DESIGN SINGAPORE COUNCIL

Since 2016, Design Singapore Council has been running a yearly Designathon for designers and design enthusiasts to create design solutions for the elderly. Designathon We Engage 2019 rallies participants to develop ideas to boost social interaction for people with dementia. The aim is for them to engage socially and improve their subjective well-being. Following the submission of the design proposals, shortlisted teams will take part in a two-day “makeathon” event at the National Design Centre. There, they will also get to speak with industry experts and mentors, as well as work with dementia professionals and caregivers. Participants will also learn about dementia in depth, as well as explore rapid prototyping and materials.

ASIA YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD BY NIPPON PAINT

Nippon Paint’s Annual Asia Young Designer Award begins at the national level. Thereafter, winners from 13 countries across Asia will compete for the title of Asia Young Designer of the Year. An initiative that started in 2008, the award comprises architecture and interior design categories. These young designers get the opportunity to engage with renowned figures in the design industry to gain industry knowledge, mentoring and skills through workshops. More than 100 entries came in for the 2018/2019 contest, of which the theme was FORWARD: Challenging Design Boundaries. Tertiary-level students were encouraged to think beyond the parameters of design, to impact society and add value to how people live and interact in the future. 

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NEST BY NAFA AND SCANTEAK

As part of an initiative by Singapore furniture retailer Scanteak, a class of students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) were briefed on conceptualising a unique furniture item that would solve the challenges of small-space living. The students competed in the process, leading to five multifunctional designs suited for modern living in compact spaces. The result of this effort was the commercialisation of the top three designs. The Nest collection is sold in Scanteak.

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UNLEASH YOUR DESIGN TALENTS CONTEST BY SITIA AND D’DOUBLES

As part of Singapore Design Week 2019, Italian artisan furniture maker Sitia and furniture retailer d’Doubles conducted a competition for Singapore designers. The initiative was supported by Design Singapore Council, the Italian Embassy in Singapore and the Italian Chamber of Commerce. The prize consisted of a professional contract to continue collaborating with Sitia and a trip to the factory in Italy. The winning design would be included in Sitia’s catalogue and global distribution network. The brief was for human-centred “multitasking” office furniture that would encourage collaboration, while being as eco-sustainable as possible. Una by Abigail Chang is a transformable and multi-functional space divider that won among more than 30 submissions.

IN CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ZANOTTA’S SACCO BEANBAG CHAIRS, THE BRAND COLLABORATED WITH RETAILER W. ATELIER TO INITIATE A DESIGN COMPETITION. 

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SACCO PROJECT BY W. ATELIER AND ZANOTTA

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Zanotta’s Sacco beanbag chairs this year, the brand collaborated with retailer W. Atelier to initiate a design competition. With the support of Design Singapore Council, the competition called for all local talents to design and produce a creative take on the Sacco chair. The theme was “Urban Living the Asian Way”. Of the 10 shortlisted designers, Jarrod Lim (below) of Jarrod Lim Design created the winning entry. His winning design, along with the designs by runners-up Karyn Lim and Tiffany Loy, was showcased in the Italian brand’s showroom in Milan.

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THE JAMES DYSON AWARD BY DYSON

Into its 15th year, the James Dyson Award is about empowering the next generation of engineers and designers to solve problems ranging from issues we face in daily life or those on a macro, global scale. While it runs internationally – 27 countries and regions in all – entries are judged first at the national level, where each national winner receives $3,400. Last year’s award winner for Singapore, Kevin Chiam, created a series of kitchenware (above) to help the visually impaired prepare their meals. This year’s winner will be announced later this month. 

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YOUNG DESIGNER AWARD BY IKEA SINGAPORE

The aim of this award, launched in 2014, was to let tertiary design students showcase their creative home furnishing solutions. The competition has since evolved to give young designers the chance to advocate change through design innovation. This year, Ikea Singapore held a Zero Waste Challenge, where participants were to design a product or service that would inspire waste reduction at home. The waste sources to focus on were food, paper packaging, plastic and e-waste. All winners will receive a cash prize, with the top prize winner receiving an overseas trip on top of $1,500 cash.