In an increasingly ideas-driven economy, design has become an important enabler for transformational change to solve problems, balance our priorities and interests, realise potential, and create new value and markets.
Design plays a critical role in the global paradigm shift from an industrial economy to an experience and knowledge based economy. Design can not only help businesses innovate and differentiate by creating new products, services and experiences that satisfy consumers’ needs, wants and desires, it can even anticipate or uncover new ones to create new markets. Design is a user-centred innovation process that can transform products, services and experiences to enhance business competitiveness. Through the design innovation process, operational efficiency may be improved, but more importantly, the product-service-experience innovations will value add to businesses as they strive to be relevant to the ever changing demands of consumers and the market. By putting users as the focus of consideration, design actually helps improve lives.
By 2025, Singapore will be a thriving innovation-driven economy and a loveable city. To achieve the vision, 15 recommendations under five strategic thrusts were developed by the Design Masterplan Committee in 2015. The committee comprised members representing the design industry, business, academia and government.
