Future Impact 3: Design Nation Homecoming Programmes

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: Weaving Identity Through Design

02 Nov

3pm – 4pm

The Salon, Level 1

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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.