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Professor Heng Chye Kiang, Dean of the
School of Design and Environment, National University of
Singapore (NUS),
Staff and students,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
It gives me great pleasure to officiate the opening
ceremony of the NUS School of Design & Environment
Industrial Design (ID) Graduation Show 2008. The works by the
sixth batch of graduates are a culmination of their efforts
over the past four years. This show marks their ‘coming of
age’ as they transit from being design students to budding
creative professionals.
Creative Industries and Design
2 The Creative Industries are making good progress
internationally and in Singapore. The value added of the
Creative Industries in Singapore grew by 8% in 2005, reaching
a total value of S$7.6 billion[1] and contributing to about
3.9% to Singapore’s GDP[2]. From 2002 to 2005, the value
added per worker in the Creative Industries grew by 4.8% to
reach approximately $75,000 in 2005. The employment in the
Creative Industries amounts to slightly in excess of 100,000
workers, making up 4.4% of total employment in Singapore. We
have also improved our ranking in the Design Competitiveness
Report[3], moving up from 22 in 2002 to
16 in 2005.
3 The power of design is becoming more apparent.
Increasingly, entrepreneurs appreciate that design can
contribute to business success and performance. The 2007
National Design Industry Study conducted by Ernst & Young
showed that 44% of businesses acknowledge that design gives
them a competitive edge, up from 32% in 2005. In addition, a
growing number of businesses that use design services have
invested in in-house designers or established design
capability to support their business need. All these spell
great opportunities for design students like yourselves.
4 Beyond direct economic contributions, the creative
industries and design’s indirect contributions are equally, if
not more important. Take today’s exhibition theme –
“ID’s(it’s) in the idea”. Frank Lloyd Wright once said, "An
idea is salvation by imagination". We often forget the
germination of the idea, the process of designing and
appreciate an object for its final outcome alone. It is a
reminder that we should also embrace the journey, the
conception of an idea, and the experience.
Nurturing next generation design talent
5 To fuel the growth of our Creative Industries, the
government has also invested efforts to nurture and grow the
next generation of design talent. For example, MICA’s
DesignSingapore Council works closely with NUS ID to provide
opportunities for ID alumni and students to gain both local
and international exposure. These opportunities were made
possible through the Council’s Overseas Partnership Promotion
Programme, Interdesign Development Programme and
DesignSingapore Studio Programme. At home, seven ID graduates
and students helped to design the National Day Parade 2008
funpack and interactive items. Other ID graduates have
exhibited at the St Etienne Design Biennale in 2004 and as
Professor Heng mentioned earlier, the Salone Internazionale
Del Mobile (Milan International Furniture Fair) from 2006 to
2008.
6 ID students and alumni have also excelled at
international platforms, clinching top honours like the
coveted Braun Prize, IF award, the reddot: design concept
Luminary prizes (2005 and 2006), Electrolux grand winner
(2005) and MUJI award. In fact, ID alumni, Donn Koh, became
the first Singaporean and first designer trained in Asia to
win the Braun Prize in 2007.
7 The DesignSingapore Council also awarded design
scholarships to promising NUS ID students, like alumni Hans
Tan and Hunn Wai in 2005 and Yong Jieyu in 2006 to further
their studies in prestigious design institutions. NUS has
additionally set up an in-house design studio within the
school, headed by local designer Patrick Chia. Called the
Design Incubation Centre (DIC), the studio organises workshops
and engages current undergraduates in actual design projects.
These efforts will help to grow a pool of bright, young talent
to propel our creative industries to greater heights.
Conclusion
8 The burgeoning Creative Industries present tremendous
opportunities for our design talent. The premium placed on
design excellence in today’s world has also stoked the demand
for good designers. The government will continue to support
capability development, and help creative Singaporeans to gain
skills in key areas such as content creation and accessing new
markets.
9 Today’s graduation show is but a stepping stone to your
budding careers. As good designers, I am sure you will
continually come up with novel ways to make life better and
easier. Like Thomas Edison said, “There’s a better way to do
it. Find it”. I hope this spurs you to strive for even greater
design excellence.
10 Thank you.
[1] Nominal VA
[2] Nominal GDP
[3] Report “Global Design Watch: April 2006”,
by DESIGNIUM, the New Centre of Innovation in Design, at the
University of Art and Design in Helsinki
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