Design. We often take it for granted as we go about our daily lives. From the toothpaste tube we use every morning, the public transport system that gets us to work on time, the mobile phone that keeps us connected, to the tables and chairs we dine from at the hawker centre, each has been carefully designed and planned for us to use with ease and comfort. Credit must be given to designers for allowing us to go about our daily activities smoothly.

Beyond the simple and functional, designers envision extraordinary possibilities in ordinary things and translate these dreams for a better world into reality. Good design has a tremendous potential to transform lives, revitalise businesses and define nations.

The $100 “XO Laptop” by the OLPC organisation and the $2,500 “People’s Car” by the Tata Group are groundbreaking examples of how design has democratised two objects of desire and made them accessible to the masses. They also show how design can have emotional, not just practical, appeal. The XO Laptop gives underprivileged children in the most remote regions of the globe a window to the world and learning opportunities to navigate their way out of the poverty trap. The People’s Car is a revolution in the small car market in India. Created for the common man, the tiny, jelly bean-shaped automobile gives the masses in India’s cities and rural villages a chance to participate in the benefits of economic growth. In some villages, it even enhances a man’s marriage prospects! Imagine the impact design can have in addressing other pressing global concerns such as sustainable development, a greying population, global warming and homeland security.

Closer home, I am sure we all have had personal encounters with good design at home, at work or at play. This is the third year that we are presenting the President’s Design Award, Singapore’s highest accolade for design excellence. The Award is an opportunity for us to acknowledge, thank and put the spotlight on these designers, who have contributed significantly to improving the lives of Singaporeans and global communities through good design.

I urge you to share with us inspiring examples of designers and design projects that have touched your life, contributed to society, and put Singapore design on the world map. It gives me great pleasure to invite you to submit your nominations for the 2008 President’s Design Award.

 

Mr Edmund Cheng
Chairman, DesignSingapore Council