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DesignSingapore Council returned 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 to 13 April 2025. This year, 14 of Singapore’s most forward-looking designers, design studios, and rising talents addressed contemporary societal needs in a three-part showcase that captured the country’s vision for innovative design.
The showcase was curated by Tony Chambers, Maria Cristina Didero and Singaporean co-curator Hunn Wai of Lanzavecchia + Wai. Visitors journeyed through the past, present, and future of Singapore design, tracing its crucial role in nation-building over the past 60 years.
The spotlight shone on 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 reflected how Singapore’s leading contemporary designers are creating design-driven solutions to tackle urgent global challenges, while reducing environmental impact and elevating daily life.
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 presented their work which utilises digital prototyping to enhance patient experience in hospitals.
The influence of Singapore’s rich cultural heritage was presented in new works by Supermama, which modernised the traditional Japanese art form of kintsugi with 3D-printed resin and algorithmic growth patterns. Olivia Lee reimagined the steel solar cooker – commonplace in Southeast Asia – to spark a broader reflection of the sun’s role as a futuristic source of energy.
Ng Sze Kiat explored sustainable methods and materials with a new line of Fungariums developed using stainless steel. Meanwhile, Knots Stool by Wei Xiang turned 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.
