Singapore is often seen as efficient, reliable, well-run. What’s less obvious is how design underpins it all. So on the nation’s 60th birthday, together with the DesignSingapore Council, we set out to rally Singaporeans in a different way by spotlighting Singapore design — celebrating the many ways design has truly shaped our nation over the years.
Visual Identity
To illustrate this sense of progress over 60 years, we naturally created a visual identity inspired by a progress bar, which works well in both static and animated formats.
Furthermore, each individual bar also became a masking tool, which allowed for visuals to be encased within — extending the story of how a specific design project came to shape our progress.
Campaign Film
Rather than explaining what design is, we launched the campaign with a short film that asked Singaporeans to look again at the things they take for granted, and to recognise everyday life itself as the outcome of design.
Progress Stories
On social media, we leveraged carousel post formats to highlight Singapore’s design projects that have impacted our lives. Similar to how the campaign film began, we piqued viewers’ interest with an introductory frame to spark curiosity about the theme in focus, before diving deeper.
Out-Of-Home Placements
Out in the city, out-of-home placements embedded the idea into daily routines rather than interrupting them, turning the nation itself into a canvas for reflection while directing Singaporeans to the Nation by Design website.
Website
The campaign led audiences to the Nation by Design website, where deeper exploration took place. Features like 60 on 60 brought together profiles across ages, professions, and perspectives, inviting Singaporeans to share what design meant to them, and how it has shaped their lives.
Singapore Design Week
Nation by Design culminated at Singapore Design Week, where it became the festival’s central theme. Through exhibitions, talks, workshops, and more, visitors could physically experience the ethos of Nation by Design. This allowed designers, partners, and festival-goers alike to participate in the festivities and reflect on the role of design in their daily lives.
