Singapore Design Week 2024 drew over 190,000 visitors to discover the transformative power of design in the everyday

Annual design festival demonstrated the impact of good design and inspired collaboration across diverse communities, paving the way for next year's theme “Nation by Design”.

Singapore Design Week 2024 was held at the National Design Centre. Photo by AlvieAlive.
Singapore Design Week 2024 was held at the National Design Centre. Photo by AlvieAlive.

Singapore, 24 October 2024 – Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2024 drew over 190,000 visitors and more than 700 designers and creatives during its 11-day run from 26 September to 6 October 2024. More than 80 events were held across the city as part of the festival, spanning three Design Districts – Bras Basah.Bugis, Marina, and Orchard – and beyond, including an exhibition in the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum plus talks and open houses in the Changi and Joo Chiat areas.

Organised by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), this year's festival explored the theme "People of Design", bringing together participants from within and beyond the design community to celebrate everyday visionaries with a passion for making lives better through design.

“This edition was truly a festival for the people, exploring a wide range of topics and perspectives – from relatable ideas to in-depth discussions about the role of design in society. Our festival theme not only provided an opportunity for more creatives to come together to present their works collaboratively, but also cultivated a shared understanding of design among people from all walks of life. Key events that were curated with our partners in the three Design Districts presented distinct programming unique to each area, coupled with a human touch to design by featuring familiar rituals, objects, or places.” says Jody Teo, Festival Director of SDW 2024.

A festival for the people ​

Visitors at the key events in the Design Districts of (clockwise from left) Bras Basah.Bugis, Marina, and Orchard. Photos by AlvieAlive.
Visitors at the key events in the Design Districts of (clockwise from left) Bras Basah.Bugis, Marina, and Orchard. Photos by AlvieAlive.

In keeping with this year’s focus on people, the festival brought together partners, creatives, and designers across diverse fields and areas. For the first time, the Marina Design District encompassed not just the Marina Bay but also the Marina Central district.

"Marina Central is honoured to participate in Singapore Design Week 2024, where we presented 17 installations, exhibitions and events under the curatorial theme of Neufolk: ​ Bridging Tradition and Future in Design. The overall reception was heartening, especially when we saw families, friends, and couples gathered in our district to create their own shared memories and be enriched by the impact of good design," says Dawn Lai, Co-chairperson of the Marina Central Business Improvement District and Chief Operating Officer of ESR Trust Management (Suntec) Limited.

It was also the first time since SDW's relaunch in 2022 that a key event was staged in Orchard, Singapore’s famed shopping belt.

Cheryl Sim, one of the creative brains behind Re-Route: Orchard, shares, “Re-Route provided an accessible platform for design-savvy and mainstream audiences to engage with design, using Singapore's favourite shopping belt as a familiar starting point. Activations such as the Charrdo Stamp Rally and Orchard Photo Walk attracted high engagement online and on-site, while the industry talks sparked optimistic conversations about design's potential to create better solutions across a wide range of disciplines, especially in the retail sector. Our stakeholders in Orchard gave positive feedback, noting how the event had successfully helped people understand design's role in creating thoughtful interventions that bring attention to often-overlooked places, objects, and stories around us.”

Speakers and attendees at Design Futures Forum 2024, which was held over two days from 1 – 2 October 2024 at the historic Victoria Theatre and Chamber at The Arts House. Photos by Goderic Tia.
Speakers and attendees at Design Futures Forum 2024, which was held over two days from 1 – 2 October 2024 at the historic Victoria Theatre and Chamber at The Arts House. Photos by Goderic Tia.

In addition, this year’s expanded Design Futures Forum saw over 800 attendees across the two-day programme, which focused on design’s role in the future of emerging technology, sustainability, and care. Over 40 international and local thought leaders – nearly tripling last year’s line-up – shared their take on how designers and non-designers alike needed to take charge to design better solutions across these three focus areas. Among them were respected industry heavyweights, including tech futurists Lindsey McInerney and Cathy Hackl, keynote speakers for Day 1.

FIND – Design Fair Asia is the flagship event of SDW's ‘Design Marketplace’ pillar, bringing together interior brands, key opinion leaders, designers, and global content in a three-day exhibition. EMERGE @ FIND is its Southeast Asian showcase that highlights both established and emerging talents from the region. Photos by AlvieAlive.
FIND – Design Fair Asia is the flagship event of SDW's ‘Design Marketplace’ pillar, bringing together interior brands, key opinion leaders, designers, and global content in a three-day exhibition. EMERGE @ FIND is its Southeast Asian showcase that highlights both established and emerging talents from the region. Photos by AlvieAlive.

Lastly, the third edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia drew in a crowd of over 11,000 visitors from across 52 countries, which further established the trade platform as a leading show for the industry in the region. Southeast Asian showcase EMERGE @ FIND also presented works from over 60 established and emerging Southeast Asian designers, including recent graduates – a first for the exhibition.

From people to nation: Unveiling the theme of Singapore Design Week 2025

As Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary of independence next year, SDW 2025 will mark this milestone through the theme "Nation by Design". Set to return in September, next year’s festival will offer a national perspective on Singapore’s design-led development, its recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Design, and the transformative role of design for the country’s future.

More information about SDW 2025 will be shared on Dsg’s website, newsletter, and social media channels.

 

PRESS ASSETS AND ONGOING SDW EVENTS

Download Press Assets

 

High-resolution images of SDW 2024 can be downloaded HERE. To request more images, please contact the Dsg representatives below.

 

Explore More Events from SDW

 

Several SDW 2024 events are extending beyond the festival period, such as the Future Impact 2: Homecoming Showcase. For more information on these ongoing SDW 2024 events, please refer to Annex A.

 

In addition, School of Tomorrow – a key event from SDW 2023 – is back with a second edition. Titled School of Tomorrow Term 2, the new exhibition is refreshed with a new History Class alongside 10 other familiar subjects. This exhibition is showing at New Bahru until 28 November 2024 For more information, visit https://designsingapore.org/events/school-of-tomorrow-term-2/.

 

About Singapore Design Week

One of Asia’s premier design festivals, Singapore Design Week (SDW) celebrates Singapore’s distinctive brand of creativity, exploring design through three defining festival pillars: Design Futures (the design of the future and the future of design), Design Marketplace (lifestyle trends with a spotlight on Southeast Asia) and Design Impact (innovative solutions for a better world). Organised by DesignSingapore Council, SDW is a celebration of creativity and innovation, championing thought leadership and showcasing the best of design from Singapore and beyond.

sdw.sg

 

About the DesignSingapore Council

The DesignSingapore Council’s (Dsg's) vision is for Singapore to be an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city by design. As the national agency that promotes design, our mission is to develop the design sector, help Singapore use design for innovation and growth, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.

designsingapore.org

 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Camron for DesignSingapore Council

Priya Suman

Account Director

priya.suman@camronglobal.com

Judith Fereday

Managing Partner

judith.fereday@camronglobal.com

ANNEX A

Singapore Design Week 2024: Ongoing Events

 

People of Design Showcase Series –
READ: BOOK?

Until 3 November 2024

National Library Building (Level 7 to 10)Free Admission

READ:BOOK? presents Atelier HOKO's interrogation of the physical book through an immersive showcase at the National Library Building.

Learn More

 

People Of Design Showcase Series –
EAT: Transformative Seeds

Until 10 November 2024

National Design Centre

Free Admission

EAT: Transformative Seeds explores food design by investigating seeds through culinary transformations and materials innovation.

Learn More

 

People Of Design Showcase Series –
DESIGN

Until 10 November 2024

National Design Centre

Free Admission

DESIGN showcases innovative works by everyday people, empowered by the transformative power of design.

Learn More

 

Future Impact 2: Homecoming Showcase

Until 17 November 2024

Asian Civilisations Museum

Ticketed

Launched during Milan Design Week in April 2024, Future Impact 2 demonstrates how designers push the boundaries of their creative practices to create forward-thinking designs.

Learn More

 

Cesar Jung-Harada: An Ocean City Imagined

Until 27 October 2024

ArtScience Museum

Free with Registration

Cesar Jung-Harada envisions a hopeful future in which society has adapted creatively to environmental changes.

Learn More

 

The Nature Of Things

Until 5 January 2025

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

Ticketed

The Nature of Things seeks to share a dialogue with Nature designed by the students from the NUS Division of Industrial Design.

Learn More

 

 

 

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About DesignSingapore Council

The DesignSingapore Council was established in 2003 to help develop the nation’s design sector. This follows from the Singapore’s Economic Review Committee report, which identified the creative industry as one of the three new sectors (including education and healthcare) for economic growth. Developing the design sector can help to enhance Singapore’s value proposition; as well as contribute to the country’s economic growth and social progress.

The vision of the DesignSingapore Council is for Singapore to be an innovation-driven economy and a loveable city through design by 2025. As the national agency for design, the Council’s mission is to develop the design sector, help Singapore use design for innovation and growth, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. Our work focuses on three areas. First, we help organisations and enterprises use design as a strategy for business growth; and for excellent delivery of public services. Second, we nurture industry-ready talents skilled in design and innovation; and engender a design-minded workforce for the future economy. Third, we advance the Singapore brand through raising design appreciation on homeground; and making emotional connections with people across the world.

Singapore was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Design in December 2015. This designation supports the development of a creative culture and eco-system in Singapore that fully integrates design and creativity into everyday life. It is also an opportunity for Singapore to collaborate internationally with the cities of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The City of Design Office is sited within the DesignSingapore Council to coordinate and implement programmes that contributes towards the UCCN mission.