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Trash Talk

Trash Talk: Reimagining waste through design

28 Sep
2pm – 4pm
The Salon, Level 1
Free of charge, but pre-registration needed

From transforming fungi into furniture to giving urban detritus a new lease of life, this panel will dive into how seemingly “wild” or unconventional design ideas – especially those rooted in reclamation, upcycling, and circularity – can be brought to life with purpose and creativity. The discussion aims to inspire new ways of thinking about waste, material value and the role of design in cultivating more sustainable ways of life.

To spark ideas on mindful creation and consumption, the session will conclude with a show-and-tell of prototypes and samples, offering practical first-hand insights from three unique perspectives on how to start discovering waste as a resource for creative intervention.

This programme is organised by DesignSingapore Council and the National Museum of Singapore in conjunction with Future Impact 3: Design Nation Homecoming.

Speakers

Ng Sze Kiat is the founder of Bewilder, a mycological design studio positioned at the intersection of design, agritech and sustainability. Working exclusively with fungi, Bewilder’s design practice focuses on our relationship with these ancient organisms, where elements of surprise and wilderness interplay with containment and control.

Randy Yeo is the founder and Creative Director of Practice Theory, a creative agency working across Singapore and Vietnam. He is shaped by a mix of late modernism, contemporary culture, and the eclectic influences of JDM cars, cricket and ’90s British bands.

Wong Eng Geng is a designer whose profound passion for photography informs his distinctive approach to research. A graduate of the National University of Singapore’s Division of Industrial Design, he leverages photography as a potent storytelling medium, capturing the essence of people and environments while seamlessly merging the worlds of photojournalism and design.

Moderator Kong Yen Lin is an Assistant Curator (Design) at the National Museum of Singapore, where she researches on photography, graphic design and industrial design. She is especially curious about the influence of modernist aesthetics on Singapore’s design and visual culture from the 1950s to 1980s, and how everyday practices, such as vernacular photography and grassroots design interventions that emerge beyond institutional or professional frameworks, serve as a rich embodiment of agency and cultural expression.


Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery: Designing the shape of care

11 Oct
11am – 12pm
Gallery Theatre, Basement Level
Free of charge, but pre-registration needed

This panel brings together designers whose practices centre on interventions that empower individuals and uphold agency, empathy and dignity. From the personal to the systemic – such as adaptive clothing that enables persons with disabilities to dress independently, harnessing air as a lifting mechanism, and reimagining systems and experiences within an emergency ward – this session invites participants to think about how design can reshape the ways people care, heal, and support one another.

This programme is organised by DesignSingapore Council and the National Museum of Singapore in conjunction with Future Impact 3: Design Nation Homecoming.

Speakers

Claudia Poh is an inclusive design strategist, researcher and fashion designer at the forefront of accessibility-driven fashion innovation. Having trained at Central Saint Martins and Parsons School of Design, Claudia builds with care and is on a mission to make clothing easy to wear for every body. As the founder of Werable, Claudia drives design thinking and strategic partnerships, ensuring that fashion serves as a tool for versatility and mobility.

Eian Siew's works and ideas steer towards innovation for healthcare, where he has worked and co-designed directly with clinical professionals from various specialisations. Eian’s creations have gained international recognition and garnered multiple design awards such as the James Dyson Award, iF Design Award and Red Dot Award.

FARM is a cross-disciplinary design agency and a community-centred arts organisation. In collaboration with artists and designers, FARM works on a diverse range of projects including architecture, interior design, product design, merchandising, graphic design, branding, art installation and sculpture, exhibition design and curatorial work.
Vouse is a cross-technology design practice based in Singapore. They have worked on various commercial and community projects and are dedicated to developing platforms and software that tell stories of space and design.
Changi General Hospital (CGH) is a tertiary referral centre with over 1,000 beds, caring for more than one million people in Singapore. CGH is committed to medical research and education, clinical innovation and care for patients.

Moderator Samuel Lee is an Assistant Curator (Design) at the National Museum of Singapore, researching on and collecting post-war and contemporary architecture and fashion. He organised the special exhibition AMAZÔNIA: Photographs by Sebastião Salgado (2024) and is part of the curatorial team working on the revamp of the Singapore History Gallery (2026). He joined the National Heritage Board in 2020 and was previously Assistant Manager at the Heritage Conservation Centre.


Heritage Futures

Heritage Futures: Weaving Identity Through Design

02 Nov
3pm – 4pm
The Salon, Level 1
Free of charge, but pre-registration needed

From reimagining traditional textiles using AI-generated motifs to rethinking domestic rituals and revaluing everyday objects, this panel will explore how design can both preserve and re-invent cultural identity. It brings together designers whose work bridges the past and the future, merging heritage crafts, vernacular traditions and local narratives with contemporary materials, technologies and forms.

Participants will gain insights into how cultural symbols and traditions can be reinterpreted for a global stage without losing their soul, and how design can foster belonging, pride and inclusivity in an increasingly homogenised world. A closing activity will invite the audience to collaboratively create a new “future relic” – a shared artefact that captures the evolving spirit of Singaporean identity.

This programme is organised by DesignSingapore Council and the National Museum of Singapore in conjunction with Future Impact 3: Design Nation Homecoming.

Speakers

Nazurah Rohayat is a designer exploring the intersection of AI and cultural heritage. As the founder of Tapestree, she merges AI with traditional craftsmanship to create contemporary fabric designs that celebrate multicultural identity. Her work has been recognised on national platforms, including the National Day Parade 2024 and ASEAN Day, where ministers and delegates wore Tapestree motifs as a symbol of unity in diversity.

Olivia Lee is an internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary designer. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins and with roots in industrial design, her practice straddles conceptual design, product innovation, scenography and immersive experiences. Olivia’s nuanced and narrative-driven approach is agile and distinct, attracting commissions from global clients such as Hermès, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, Samsung, Hendricks, The Balvenie and Wallpaper* Handmade.

Supermama is a Singapore-based design studio and store that creates and curates objects reflecting the country’s multicultural identity. Founded by Edwin Low, with Priscilla Tan as Principal Designer and John Tay as Lead Designer, the studio moves fluidly between design, craft and material culture.

Moderator Hunn Wai is the Director and co-founder of Lanzavecchia + Wai (L+W), an internationally acclaimed design studio based in Milan and Singapore. Since 2010, L+W has worked at the intersection of industrial design, spatial narrative design and luxury craft, collaborating with brands such as Zanotta, Cappellini, Hermès and Vacheron Constantin.

Future Impact 3: Design Nation Homecoming Programmes
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