Designer shares about Singapore's cultural renaissance

16 Aug 2019 3 min read

When Norman Teh first took on the role as Art Director of local creative consultancy Studio Wong Huzir in 2011, the last thing he was expecting was front row seats to a lesser known side of Singapore.

One of his first projects with the company was helping to set up POSKOD.SG, an edgy online magazine that documented unique people and places in Singapore.

In the process of putting together the magazine, the Malaysian-born designer met movers and shakers of Singapore’s creative community — highly talented individuals who were bold enough to take the path less travelled.

One of Norman’s most memorable encounters was with the founders of Edible Garden City, which specialises in setting up farms in urban environments.

On another occasion, he got to meet an aspiring local entrepreneur who was a kindergarten teacher by day and homemade granola chef by night.

Being at the heart of Singapore’s creative community allowed him the opportunity to meet locals who were shaping the future of the island nation’s potential as a global hub for innovation.

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“I loved it. These individuals were doing intriguing things that I wouldn’t normally associate with Singapore. I guess I came at the right time where I could see and interact with them so I wanted to be a part of this,” says Norman, who recently took on the role of Regional Product Design Lead at ride-hailing company Grab.

Intrigued by what he observed, he started participating actively in the local creative community.

He is passionate about topics at the intersections of business, culture, people, and technology, and has convened and curated immersive and interactive discussions on topics like “What future skills, values, or attributes will be important in the workplace and our communities in 2030?”

Business leaders, artists, civil servants, writers, and chefs have turned up for The Symposium, which started in 2015, to take deep dives into these topics. The interactive talk shows are also streamed live so that viewers can post questions and interact with the panel.

He also regularly conducts workshops on topics like psychology and persuasion in UX (User Experience Design) at General Assembly, a global education organisation that teaches entrepreneurs and business professionals practical technology skills.

After years of living in the country, one thing is clear for Norman: Singapore’s strength is in bringing diverse cultures and ideas together.

“What’s interesting is that lots of people from around the world have come to Singapore, and they are now participating in shaping it. They are creating all kinds of new products, services and experiences,” he says.

He thinks Singapore’s melting pot results in a cultural blossoming that has manifested itself in the exponential growth of start-ups, food culture movements, and subcultures over the past decade. He ponders whether Singapore is going through a “Cultural Renaissance”.

Says Norman: “Singapore is the world’s sandbox. Where else could you access a diverse array of components, A/B test them quickly and let different types of people shape them together?”

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Living in Singapore

Designer shares about Singapore's cultural renaissance

Designer shares about Singapore's cultural renaissance

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