The Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS), Singapore’s prestigious cross-disciplinary design chamber, has marked its 11th consecutive year of championing design excellence, announcing the top nine winners for the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards 2024.

To mark the occasion, Guest of Honour and distinguished Japanese designer, Naoto Fukasawa, graced the SG Mark Awards Ceremony, which took place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel today. Senior Minister of State & National Development, Ms Sim Ann, unveiled the top nine winners, extending her continuous support to the Mark as its patron, while Senior Parliamentary Secretary Eric Chua launched this year’s Singapore Design Awards (SDA) — organised by DBCS in partnership with National Council of Social Service (NCSS) — at the gala dinner.

“Many people often see design as merely the colour and shape of the exterior, or as a solution to a problem. While that’s not entirely wrong, I believe that the true essence of design lies in the ability to recognise what the problem actually is. To create spaces where people can live in peace and tranquillity, we need to be aware of various factors, including how our bodies unconsciously react to these environments. Ultimately, good design is about enhancing quality of life,” remarked Naoto.

In line with this year’s special category on health and wellness designs, the Platinum title was awarded to the Silver Lion Pride Troupe, a multi-ethnic, culturally-integrated active ageing program that promotes the wellbeing of Singaporean seniors through lion dance.

Coming at a close second for the Gold award was the Re-Route Festival, a project to shift tourist focus towards Little India, exposing them to the rich socio-cultural experience of the community. The second Gold went to Sumu Yakushima, which combines off-grid energy with traditional Japanese civil engineering and modern technology to re-conceptualise the relationship between human habitation and Yakushima Island in Japan.

These meticulously-selected winning designs, judged by 53 jurors over two screenings, highlight the SG Mark’s prestige. For 11 years, the SG Mark, which was launched in 2013 in partnership with the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP), has been setting benchmarks for designers to redefine design thinking. The award has inspired both seasoned and budding designers to innovate beyond conventional design boundaries, and provided many businesses the support to grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Honouring designs that are integrated into everyday spaces shows designers worldwide that their work can be recognised. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or excessively elaborate; good design that is safe, comfortable, and thoughtfully crafted for daily use is equally deserving of acknowledgement and applause. I am pleased that SG Mark continues to celebrate such designs.”
– Juliet Kavishe, Vice President, International Council of Design, and a juror for the SG Mark 2024

Through the globally-recognised award, DBCS has been spotlighting innovation in designs that go beyond the physical and aesthetic aspects, and often don’t come under the radar of conventional design recognition.

Silver Pride Lion Troupe (Platinum Winner)

This year’s Platinum winner, the Silver Lion Pride Troupe, was recognised for their imaginative design in modifying lion dance activities to improve comfort and control for both ambulant and wheelchair-bound participants, which also benefits Singapore’s increasing ageing population.

Design thinking is about maintaining a commitment to excellence while dealing with practical constraints,” shared SMS Sim Ann. “DBCS not only takes a cross-disciplinary approach to design thinking, but also encourages Singapore brands and innovators to scale their impact.”

Among the six Special Mention awardees, Neurowyzr’s 15-minute Digital Brain Function Screen (DBFS), which pioneers early brain decline detection, stands out as a prime example of design impact in health and wellness. Another winning project, The Luna menstrual disposal station, is an all-in-one solution designed for commercial toilets. With an antimicrobial top, gesture-activated sensor and a modular design for customisable installation, the thoughtfully engineered unit is a transformational design for feminine hygiene disposal.

“This year, the SG Mark is celebrating the ingenuity of using design to solve creative tension — where dissonance leads to better outcomes. Balancing finer details with the big picture, long-term goals with short-term wins, and stakeholder needs with design sensibilities may seem conflicting, but the creative pursuits of finding a solution often lead to the finest design iterations,” noted Hong Khai Seng, Vice-President of DBCS, Chairman of SG Mark.

Looking forward to the coming years, SG Mark aims to continue expanding the influence of meaningful and purse-led designs locally and globally, highlighting the design thinking behind the user-centric and multidisciplinary approaches.

For more information, please visit the SG Mark website at www.sgmark.org.

Images: Singapore Good Design (SG Mark)