Successful design collaborations between NYP students and industry professionals to create an innovative yet viable product that sells in the market.

Igniting The Design Spark To Be Set Apart

Mention design and Singapore may not have come to the top of mind but that has changed. The Lion City is now a step closer to becoming the design hub of Asia, having recently been awarded the title of UNESCO Creative City of Design – one of the first few ASEAN cities to be named.

In early 2015, an exhibition commissioned by the DesignSingapore Council “1000 Singapores: A model of the Compact City Exhibition” was presented in Paris as one of the highlights of the Singapore Festival in France. It presented Singapore as a model of a compact city housing the world’s 6.5 billion population in just 1,000 Singapores – a true testament of Singapore’s achievement in effective and extensive design that is urban planning.

The importance of design is ever increasing as the world experiences an exponential rate of change and obsolesces. For Singapore to remain globally relevant and competitive in the midst of growing regional and international competition, it must rely on design to create new value proposition that will help move Singapore up the value chain.

But how important is design on a corporate scale? Why should companies even pay attention to design?

Good design drives innovation and development, simplifies complexity and improves the competitive edge of companies. This is aligned with global emphasis on design as a key economic differentiator.

So when it comes to corporate gift buying, unique design can help organisations stand out from the mass-produced, factory-sourced premiums. In fact, one-of-a-kind gifts, in terms of make, are what give a lasting impression compared to common items simply branded with a company’s logo.

The Material Design Lab by Chris Lefteri Design housed in the National Design Centre is a great source of inspiration for both corporate gift suppliers and buyers. The Materials Design Lab is a hub that triggers new ideas and offer inspirational materials and design solutions by bridging the gap between the material industries and the design community. The material showroom serves as a resource library and showroom where visitors can choose from a range of smart materials like Corning Gorilla Glass, thermochromics pigment or even commodity polymers.

As firms start taking control of the design aspects of corporate gifts, there is also an option for them to call those designs their own. The Design Collaboration Assistance – a grant that helps catalyse new innovative intellectual property and value propositions created by Singapore design businesses for potential commercialisation through industry collaboration. Under this grant, companies are granted sole ownership of whatever products and designs they came up with, almost like being awarded a patent. The possession of the “patent” creates added value for companies and helps to monopolize certain aspects of the corporate gift market if their designs are well-received. Eligible items for funding include prototypes, trial production, user-feedback platforms, product testing and IP registrations.

With increasing awareness and emphasis for design among organisations, suppliers and marketers and greater collaboration with the design community, the next Singapore Gifts Show may just showcase a wider spread of Made-In-Singapore corporate gifts proving that creative culture is alive and flourishing.

*Source: The National Design Council Singapore’s website.

5 Questions with PCM Technology

1. Tell us more about PCM Technology and what your key focus areas are?

We are a Singapore-based company with a technology focus. We offer innovative products and services to help companies in their branding, particularly with 3D lenticular printing and custom-design promotional gifts.

2. What are some innovative/unique products that you offer at the moment?

We have a wide range of product which includes 3D Lenticular printing for posters, cards and collaterals, with lenticular effects like flip, 3D, Morph, Zoom.

3. How do you get inspired?

The possibilities are endless! Because lenticular effects are already unique on its own, most of our products are effective marketing tools that garner customers’ attention.

4. What misconceptions do buyers have about corporate gift buying?

A lot of customers expect products to be “cheap and good”. However, in this day and age, buyers need to start looking at quality and innovation instead.

5. Can you share a memorable gift idea or product you proposed to a client?

Our designs are highly customisable so it’s hard to pick one since they are all different in their own way. One such idea which we help develop were 3D lenticular invitation cards that had special effects. They also took the form limited edition as collector items.