Design for change | Five Pillars

Global challenges such as the climate crisis, combined with pandemic-induced uncertainties and impending economic downturn, have prompted companies to identify new opportunities and develop alternate business models that can make a difference. Understanding consumers’ journey and responding to environmental and social changes would be critical parts of the success equation, while design and innovation could give brands the ability to evolve and stay relevant amid a fickle landscape. 

The cultural habitats of a city offer a sense of place, while cultural initiatives and creative industries stimulate economic growth and contribute to sustainable planning. In times of change, it is especially important for design masters and cultural advocates to gather and weave together our most cherished human values, legacies, and innovations, to help define the identity of a city and improve quality of life. 

The line between our physical and digital worlds is rapidly blurring. The ubiquitous influence of tech platforms is the hallmark of our modern economy and can be felt everywhere. Innovation in technologies and business models promise to reshape our future digital landscape and set new boundaries of the metaverse. While the advent of metaverse is fast setting the stage for the next evolution and has a great impact on our lives, trying to predict how the metaverse will unfold is becoming more difficult than ever. Nonetheless, creative leaders and designers are determined to lead the charge and unlock the potential of this new transformation.    

Cities are becoming the focus for change — urban prosperity and sustainable urban development have emerged as growing challenges, whereas mobility, economics, and people-centric design converge and redefine our wellbeing and a city’s liveability. For cities to prosper long-term, architects and designers need to identify potential areas of intervention, remodel urban development, and co-create sustainable practices that could benefit our generations to come.   

Design for wellbeing concerns myriad aspects of our lives and requires a holistic approach that integrates human-centred design, technology, and service perspectives. Eminent designers and creative entrepreneurs are exploring new design thinking and profound innovations like blockchain, AI and IoT, to better respond to societal needs and create endless possibilities that could forever change the way we eat, connect, produce and live, transforming our cities and economies once and for all.