Jurors of the President’s Design Award discuss the impact of tech on the industry, and how good design can help make the world a better place.
Singapore’s most prestigious design industry honour, the President’s Design Award (PDA) was established by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) in 2006 to recognise the talents and achievements of Singapore and global designers working across all disciplines.
In 2017, the PDA was re-launched as a biennial award, and this year, the jury will focus on how design transforms work and business, raises the quality of life, enhances culture, and connects communities. Technology plays a big part in helping designers meet these requisites, and advances in tech will no doubt shape the industry’s future.
We speak to three PDA jury members—Dick Powell, chairman of British Design & Art Direction, Teo Lay Lim, country manging director of Accenture Singapore, and Daan Roosegaarde, founder of Studio Roosegaarde—to find out their thoughts on tech’s impact on design.
How has technology influenced design?
Dick Powell (DP): Nothing pushes design faster than new technology. At a product level, new materials and new ways of manipulating these materials allow designers to do things they could never have done before. For instance, thanks to changes in glass technology, we can make a phone thinner and more shock-resistant than ever.
But tech is just a means to an end. First and foremost, designers need to understand the people who will use their products. Only then can they find a technology that will allow them to meet the needs of their users.
"Tech is just a means to an end. First and foremost, designers need to understand the people who will use their products. Only then can they find a technology that will allow them to meet the needs of their users."