From independence to innovation – Singapore celebrates 60 years of design with Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION

14 of Singapore’s most forward-looking designers, design studios, and rising talents address contemporary societal needs in a three-part showcase that captures the city-state’s vision for innovative design

20 March 2025, Singapore – DesignSingapore Council returns to Milan Design Week with Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION at Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Monache, located in the historical Cinque Vie district from 8 – 13 April 2025. 

As 2025 marks 60 years of Singapore’s independence, the third instalment of the series – launched in 2023 – will explore the country’s evolution through the lens of design. With a unique approach that unifies forward-thinking design with innovation and creativity, Singapore has transformed into a successful global economy that is famed for being one of the most seamlessly-designed city-states in the world. 

Curated by Tony Chambers, Maria Cristina Didero and Singaporean co-curator Hunn Wai of Lanzavecchia + Wai, Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION is a three-part showcase that brings together 14 of Singapore’s most forward-looking designers, from established names to rising talents, who are pushing the boundaries of design to enhance the world we live in and how we live in it. 

Visitors will be taken on a journey through the past, present, and future of Singapore design, beginning with Little Island of Brave Ideas. Tracing design’s crucial role in nation-building over the past six decades, the first part of the showcase spotlights key milestones that demonstrate how strategic foresight and meticulous execution have made Singapore a global success story by design. This includes the country’s unique public housing system and robust public transport system, to beers brewed from Singapore’s reclaimed water and colour-coded plates in hawker centres.

The third iteration of the Future Impact series stands as the centrepiece, spotlighting eight works from designers Claudia Poh (Werable), Ng Sze Kiat (Bewilder), Olivia Lee, Randy Yeo (Practice Theory), Sacha Leong (Nice Projects), Wei Xiang, as well as design studio Supermama and a collective formed by FARM, Vouse and Changi General Hospital. The works will reflect how Singapore’s leading contemporary designers are creating design-driven solutions to tackle urgent global challenges, while reducing environmental impact and elevating everyday lives.

This includes a woven screen designed by Sacha Leong in response to overcrowding in cities, to a versatile bag that seamlessly adapts to its users by Claudia Poh. Design collective FARM, Vouse, and Changi General Hospital will present their work which utilises digital prototyping to enhance patient experience in hospitals. 

The influence of Singapore’s rich cultural heritage will also be showcased in new works by Supermama, which modernises the traditional Japanese art form of Kintsugi with 3D-printed resin and algorithmic growth patterns, and Olivia Lee, who reimagines the steel solar cooker, commonplace in Southeast Asia, to spark a broader reflection of the Sun’s role as a futuristic source of energy.

Exploring sustainable methods and materials is Ng Sze Kiat, who presents a new line of Fungariums developed using stainless steel, and the Knots Stool by Wei Xiang that transforms old blankets or curtains into functional furniture with simple knots. Finally, Randy Yeo (Practice Theory) considers Singapore’s design identity in the context of its nation-building history and unique blend of culture, manifested in a form of sculptural objects using paper offcuts.

“It is with great pride that we bring the third edition of Future Impact to Milan Design Week, to shine a light on the essence of Singapore’s unique design DNA with the world. Through each of the eight designers’ works, we hope visitors will recognise the important role design plays in shaping the world,” said Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero, co-curators for Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION.

Looking to the future, the final segment of the three-part showcase, Virtuoso Visionaires will demonstrate Singapore’s role as a global hub for design, empowering the next generation of designers to think creatively about contemporary challenges and cultural shifts. Works by six emerging design talents will interrogate topics such as leveraging artificial intelligence to redefine Singapore’s multicultural identity, an exploration of Singlish (Singaporean Colloquial English), examining post-consumer waste and circular design practices, as well as sustainable designs for living spaces.

“I am deeply honoured to be proudly showcasing the design excellence of our Lion City to the world at Milan Design Week. Singapore is well-known for thriving through ingenuity and resourcefulness and now, the future lies with the new generation of globally attuned, self-aware innovators who can continue this legacy,” said Hunn Wai, co-curator for Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION.

Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION will be on display within the cathedral setting of Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Monache, located within the Cinque Vie (5vie) district, one of the most vibrant areas for culture and design in central Milan, a short walk from the Duomo. 

Alongside the exhibitions, DesignSingapore Council will be hosting a series of events throughout the week. These will include daily designer-led activities that are open to the public such as decoding Singlish nuances and fungarium workshops, Live with Monocle, an exclusive live broadcast show with hourly interviews featuring designers and curators as well as evening cocktails, followed by a Singapore-themed Friday Late party to cap off the week. 

“This special edition of the Future Impact series spotlights Singapore’s unique design journey as our nation turns 60. Truly a Nation by Design, Singapore has been transformed by a remarkable attitude and approach to design that is purpose-driven, with people at its centre. Through Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION, visitors will gain insight into Singapore as a global design hub that pioneers solutions for pressing challenges,” said Dawn Lim, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council.

Notes to Editors
Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION is a three-part showcase presented by DesignSingapore Council, with curators Tony Chambers, Maria Cristina Didero, and Hunn Wai. 

Press Preview: 7 April 2025, Monday, 12pm – 5pm
Open from 8 – 13 April 2025, from 10am to 7pm
Address: Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Monache at Via Lanzone, 13, 20123 Milano MI, Italy

For full list of designers and their works, refer to Annex A and B here.
For images and more information, refer to the press kit here.

About 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.

About Tony Chambers
Tony Chambers is the founder of creative agency TC & Friends and co-founder, with artist Ryan Gander, of OTOMOTO – the design, art, and ideas platform. He is the editor and creative director of the definitive monograph of designer Paul Smith published by Phaidon and the Co-Chair of Brainstorm Design, Fortune magazine’s design & business conference.
From 2003 to 2018 Tony served as Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director of Wallpaper* magazine, for which he still contributes. He also served as Art Director of British GQ and Art Editor of The Sunday Times Magazine.

He has twice been named the PPA Designer of Year and twice Editor of the Year by the BSME. He is a recipient of the Mark Boxer Award for outstanding services to the Publishing Industry – the most prestigious honour in British publishing.

About Maria Cristina Didero
Maria Cristina Didero is an independent design curator, author, and consultant. She has worked for Vitra Design Museum and collaborated with magazines including Domus, Vogue Italia, and was editor-at-large of ICON Design from 2018 to 2020 and most recently served as the Milan editor for Wallpaper* magazine until 2024. 

Maria Cristina has contributed to many publications and collaborated with companies such as Vitra, Lexus, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Valextra among others.

Based in Milan, she works internationally, curating exhibitions for institutions, fairs and events dedicated to design. 

About Hunn Wai
Hunn Wai is the Director and Co-founder of Lanzavecchia + Wai (L+W), an internationally acclaimed design studio based in Milan and Singapore. Since 2010, L+W has worked at the intersection of industrial design, spatial narrative design, and luxury craft, collaborating with brands like Zanotta, Cappellini, Hermès, and Vacheron Constantin.

The studio’s body of work is intelligent, inquisitive and thought-provoking, earning prestigious accolades such as the President*s Design Award (Design of the Year, 2023) and the Red Dot Award.

A thought leader in contemporary design, Hunn speaks at global forums such as Milan Design Week and at institutions like School of Visual Arts and Rhode Island School of Design. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor and Senior Fellow at Singapore University of Technology and Design, where he teaches in Architecture, Sustainable Design, and Design & AI while leading executive training programmes.