Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION, presented by DesignSingapore Council has officially opened at Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Monache, located in the historical Cinque Vie district.
A total of 14 Singaporean designers and design studios across different fields are presenting their latest works at Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION during Milan Design Week 2025. (Photo: Mark Cocksedge)
With 2025 marking 60 years of Singapore’s independence, the third instalment of the series–launched in 2023–explores the country’s evolution through the lens of design. With a unique approach that unifies forward-thinking design with innovation and creativity, Singapore has transformed into a successful global economy that is famed for being one of the most seamlessly-designed city-states in the world.
Curated by Tony Chambers, Maria Cristina Didero and Singaporean co-curator Hunn Wai of Lanzavecchia + Wai, Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION is a three-part showcase that brings together 14 of Singapore’s most forward-looking designers, from established names to rising talents, who are pushing the boundaries of design to enhance the world we live in and how we live in it.
Visitors will be taken on a journey through the past, present, and future of Singapore design, beginning with the Little Island of Brave Ideas. Tracing design’s crucial role in nation-building over the past six decades, the first part of the showcase spotlights key milestones that demonstrate how strategic foresight and meticulous execution have made Singapore a global success story by design. This includes the country’s unique public housing system and robust public transport system, as well as beers brewed from Singapore’s reclaimed water and colour-coded plates in hawker centres.
The third iteration of the Future Impact series stands as the centrepiece, spotlighting 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 will reflect how Singapore’s leading contemporary designers are creating design-driven solutions to tackle urgent global challenges, while reducing environmental impact and elevating everyday lives.
This includes a woven screen designed by Sacha Leong (Nice Projects) in response to overcrowding in cities, to a versatile bag that seamlessly adapts to its users by Claudia Poh (Werable). Design collective FARM, Vouse and Changi General Hospital will present their work on a dynamic digital twin of the hospital’s Emergency Department to aid holistic decision-making for enhanced patient care.
The influence of Singapore’s rich cultural heritage will also be showcased in new works by Supermama, which modernises the traditional Japanese art form of Kintsugi with 3D-printed resin and algorithmic growth patterns, and Olivia Lee, who reimagines the steel solar cooker, commonplace in Southeast Asia, to spark a broader reflection of the Sun’s role as a futuristic source of energy.
Exploring sustainable methods and materials is Ng Sze Kiat (Bewilder), who presents a new line of Fungariums developed using stainless steel, and the Knots Stool by Wei Xiang that transforms 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.
“It is with great pride that we bring the third edition of Future Impact to Milan Design Week, to shine a light on the essence of Singapore’s unique design DNA with the world. Through each of the eight designers’ works, we hope visitors will recognise the important role design plays in shaping the world,” said Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero, co-curators for Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION.
Looking to the future, the final segment of the three-part showcase, Virtuoso Visionaires demonstrates Singapore’s role as a global hub for design, empowering the next generation of designers to think creatively about contemporary challenges and cultural shifts. Works by six emerging design talents will interrogate topics such as leveraging artificial intelligence to redefine Singapore’s multicultural identity, an exploration of Singlish (Singaporean Colloquial English), examining post-consumer waste and circular design practices, as well as sustainable designs for living spaces.
“I am deeply honoured to be proudly showcasing the design excellence of our Lion City to the world at Milan Design Week. Singapore is well-known for thriving through ingenuity and resourcefulness and now, the future lies with the new generation of globally attuned, self-aware innovators who can continue this legacy,” said Hunn Wai, co-curator for Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION.
Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION is currently on display within the cathedral setting of Chiesa di San Bernardino alle Monache, located within the Cinque Vie (5vie) district, one of the most vibrant areas for culture and design in central Milan, a short walk from the Duomo. The showcase runs from 8 to 13 April 2025.
Alongside the exhibitions, DesignSingapore Council is hosting a series of events throughout the week. These will include daily designer-led activities that are open to the public such as decoding Singlish nuances and fungarium workshops, Live with Monocle, an exclusive live broadcast show with hourly interviews featuring designers and curators as well as evening cocktails, followed by a Singapore-themed Friday Late party to cap off the week.
“This special edition of the Future Impact series spotlights Singapore’s unique design journey as our nation turns 60. Truly a Nation by Design, Singapore has been transformed by a remarkable attitude and approach to design that is purpose-driven, with people at its centre. Through Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION, visitors will gain insight into Singapore as a global design hub that pioneers solutions for pressing challenges,” said Dawn Lim, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council.
