How designers in Singapore are applying their skills to solve pressing problems, from tackling the waste crisis to serving marginalised communities
- Individuals and enterprises in the city state’s design scene have been inspired to work on developing solutions for environmental and social issues
- DesignSingapore Council’s Good Design Research initiative provides funding, mentorship and support to encourage innovative ideas that bring positive change
For Singaporean designer Genevieve Ang, design and art have always gone hand in hand. This is reflected in her background, which includes a master’s degree in architecture and work as a ceramicist.
“When I work with clay, I don’t necessarily approach it the same way craftspeople do. I’m more curious about it as a building material,” Ang says. “This is perhaps why I run two parallel practices – design and art.”
As a young designer in what she calls Singapore’s “bustling design scene”, Ang is optimistic about being able to make a mark through her work. “I dream a little further to what kind of impact I can make,” she says.
So it proved to be serendipitous that Ang discovered a challenge statement as part of a grant call by DesignSingapore Council’s Good Design Research (GDR) initiative, which involved recycling products made of glass – a material commonly used in glaze finishes for clay.
First launched in March 2020, the GDR initiative seeks to encourage and empower designers in Singapore to develop work that addresses global and societal challenges by providing funding, mentorship and support. Terra Sol, a Singapore-based technology firm that focuses on sustainability, was invited by DesignSingapore Council to sponsor a challenge statement as part of this initiative.
