Beyond 2050: Reimagining Design Education in Singapore
As Singapore progresses from an industrial economy to an innovation economy, the role of design has grown to tackle multifaceted challenges, navigate ambiguity, and effective problem solving. Following its first two-year term, the Design Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) has outlined three key recommendations, comprising a Point-of-Vision centred around six pillars, for 2050.
To realise the 2050 vision, the DEAC will continue to champion the recommendations and work closely with a wide group of stakeholders to shape a globally recognised design education unique to Singapore and bring design education and the industry closer together.

About the DEAC
The DEAC was launched by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and appointed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in April 2020 as the first-ever national platform for design education thought and practice leadership. Comprising leaders from the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), the design industry and non-design sector, as well as policymakers from the government agencies, the committee aims to shape the quality of design education and embed design into the nation’s education system. It signals the government’s commitment to develop a workforce with the relevant skills needed by the design industry and the wider economy.
The formation of the DEAC is one of the five key recommendations mooted by the Design Education Review Committee (DERC) to strengthen the links between the schools and industry in order to develop and strengthen the quality of manpower with the relevant design skills needed by the design industry and wider economy.

Mr Low Cheaw Hwei
DEAC Chairman
“Design is about solving problems and today, more than ever creative problem-solving capabilities have become needed core skills for all disciplines of work and professions, especially for an anomalous future we are stepping into. ”
Guide to reading the report
- If you’re on-the-go, read the executive summary.
- If you’re finding it a good read, dive into the full report.
- If you’re on a reading marathon, dig into both the full report and the Design Education Review Committee (DERC) report.
