Challenge January - February 2011

2011 UARY

R Y / FEB NUAR

JA

Exclusive! Head of Civil Service Peter Ong reveals his vision for the Public Service

Cover STORY

03

Your Say IF YOU COULD BE ANYONE FOR A DAY ON NEW YEAR’S DAY 2011, WHO WOULD YOU BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Readers share their dreams

FEATURES

18

Thinking Aloud TOWARDS A DESIGN DEMOCRACY

The world would be a better place if everyone can afford good design, says creative director Kelley Cheng

27

Letters to a Young Public Officer BE A WILLING LEARNER

Ambassador-at-Large Ridzwan Dzafir shares his career highlights

09

Don’t forget the customers!

Design thinking reminds public officers to step into the shoes of customers

05 EXCELLENT BIG IDEAS We showcase winners from the ExCEL Convention 2010

15 THE HEART OF INNOVATION

Design thinking firm IDEO shares what it is proudest of

16 FLIGHTS OF FANCY

Locally designed Singapore souvenirs that aren’t so predictable

32

BE SURPRISED by THIS OPEN HOUSE

This year’s Biennale will feature Singapore youth’s artworks alongside renowned artists’

40

BABA BLING IN PARIS

The Asian Civilisations Museum’s first major exhibition in Europe wows visitors

HIGHLIGHTS

04 NEWS FROM THE SERVICE

PLUS Win cash while filing taxes

VIEWPOINTS

02

Inbox

Your views on the Nov/Dec issue of Challenge

40

28 A Cuppa With…

“Focus on people... & you won’t go wrong”

Head of Civil Service, Peter Ong, talks about the importance of building capabilities and inter-agency collaboration in the Public Service

30 PERSPECTIVES RESCUE MISSION FOR HISTORY

Peer into the world of textile conservation to see how ancient fabrics are preserved

38

Word on the Street YES, SINGAPOREANS CAN DO FASHION!

Fashion designer Jo Soh says Singaporeans should be less prejudiced against local creatives who really can do good fashion

28

19

ON THE JOB

35 THE BIG IDEA CLOUDS & DOODLES

15

Who says cloud-gazing is an idle pastime?

36

Level Up HELLO BOSS, ARE YOU LISTENING?

Part I of a series on Change Management: How a Prison Officer handled change

REST & RELAX 19

The Challenge Pull Out LOVE LETTER

44

The Irreverent Last Page BINGO !

Tune out office-speak no more with this Office version of BINGO!

8 pages of tips to fan the flames

16

A Design for Life Every design has a designer. And every designer has a purpose for the design.

When our team first conceptualised this ‘Design’ issue, we wanted to explore the different ideas linked to design. For some of us, design brings to mind culture and the creative arts. So we sniffed out the sparkly Baba Bling exhibition taking place in Paris right now and also give you a sneak peek into the Singapore Biennale 2011. We’ve also checked out some quirky Singapore souvenirs you would be proud to bring on your next official trip. Aesthetic design and the creative arts have a purpose – they give us a sensory experience which we are wired to appreciate.

But design goes beyond the aesthetics. We foray into the world of design thinking in our cover story to unpack this concept for you. Is this a new panacea for the Public Service or an age-old concept that is receiving more deserved attention? At the heart of design thinking is a matter of the heart – bringing the user back in focus as the purpose for design.

IDEO CEO Tim Brown shares with Challenge that designers have a higher calling – to understand the world’s complexity and to attempt to solve them.

Like bringing clean water to the poor in Africa and India. Back home, MOM’s redesign of its Employment Pass Services Centre recognised its customers as individuals with aspirations rather than units to be moved from point to point. To me, these are examples of designing for life. In the words of Philippe Starck, “You don’t make good design if you think about the design. You make good design if you speak about life.”

A new year always brings with it fresh hopes and aspirations. Our Head of Civil Service, Mr Peter Ong, shares his purpose and vision for the Public Service in his very first interview as HCS. For me, I’m pleased to update that I did run my marathon last year (nothing short of a miracle for a jogging-averse person like me). This year, I’ll try to bear in mind to design my life for life. How will you design your new year? Have a good one!

Publisher

PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office 100 High Street, #07-01 The Treasury Singapore 179434 Email : psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Web : www.challenge.gov.sg

For enquiries or feedback on Challenge, please write to the Challenge Editorial Team at psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg.

Editorial Advisor

Agnes Kwek Editor

Tay Li Shing

Assistant Editors

Edmund Soo & Shaun Khiu Editorial Assistant

Eric Loy

Tuber Productions Pte Ltd

298 River Valley Road Level 2 Singapore 238339 Tel : 6836-4030 Fax : 6836-4029 Email : info@tuberproductions.com Web : www.tuberproductions.com

Management Director

Lee Han Shih

Managing Director

Weiling Wong Project Director

Liew Wei Ping

Editorial

Contributing Editor

Bridgette See

Editorial Consultant

Koh Buck Song Staff Writer

If you could be anybody for a day on New Year’s Day 2011, who would you be and what would you do?

Readers share their thoughts!

EDITOR: Wow, more than 100 of you shared your wishes with us! We’re sorry we couldn’t print all of them but there’re more entries online – there were officers who wished they could be Mozart, Lady Gaga and even one’s mother-in-law! – so check out www. challenge.gov.sg for more.

Chen Jingting Contributors

Natasha Hong, Ming Lee, Alexis Ong, Bernice Tang, Wong Sher Maine, Yip Min-ting & Yong Shu Chiang

Creative

Creative Director

Ashik

Associate Art Director

Jasmine Tan

Graphic Designers

Beverly Chong, Cindy Anggono, Eva Sunarya, Kulturkampf & Marilyn Ang Production Manager

Nurul Malik Interns

Amanda Lim, Pamela Halomoan, Wong Wei Li, Zache Chen Inhouse Photographer

Chris Ong

Photog raphers

John Heng (www.daphotographer.com) Ryan Kwok (www.evolvefoto.com) Norman Ng (www.normanng.com) Lumina Studios (www.animulstudio.com) Challenge is published bimonthly by Tuber Productions Pte Ltd (Registration No: 200703697K) for PS21 Office, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office.

Copyright of the materials contained in this magazine belongs to PS21 Office. Nothing in here shall be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of PS21 Office. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of PS21 Office or Tuber Productions Pte Ltd and no liabilities shall be attached thereto.

All rights reserved.

All information correct at time of printing.

Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd (Registration No: 197801823M) 57 Loyang Drive Singapore 508968

INBOX

While I agree with Mr Balji that a more uncompromising public is emerging (Thinking Aloud: The Honeymoon is Ending), his characterisation of the Public Service as having “[taken its] eye off the ball on basic issues” is sweeping and unfair. It discounts the many successes public officers work hard to effect from saving jobs during a major global recession, to combating avian influenza, to swiftly responding to youth violence. Mr Balji makes a fair point that a good Public Service must adapt to changing circumstances.

We should welcome such constructive feedback, but those who overstate their case risk losing the plot.

Sheila Pakir PSD

I love the explanation for Red Tape and the name of the drink, Smoke Detector (Life.Style: Raise the Bar).

I know of some people

I would love to serve Smoke Detector to!

SMS sent to the Challenge team

EDITOR: Do you think a more unforgiving Singapore is emerging, as P N Balji asserts in our Nov/Dec issue?

What is your response to that? Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg Wow, the article (Going Bananas) featuring the

Banana Sisters was appropriately saucy! Love the gossip.

Tay Wen Ling CPF Board

Your Say03

wdhury reen Cho s a N a in L CDF

I’d like to be Multiple Man from X-Men and send my ‘copies’ to the 24 time zones around the world to experience the New Year for each time zone. Once my copies combine back with me, I’d have the memory of ushering 2011, 24 times for the rest of my life!

S

to convert the DMZ into a nature reserve. (This isn’t a joke, I am serious.)

Noel Ngo NEA

I’d love to be the late Princess of Wales, Lady Diana and continue her charitable work and make her dream of world peace a reality.

Rinda Kullar SPF

I ’d l i k e t o b e Av i author of Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian. I’d share the message that the strength of your conviction can see you through your dreams.

I’d also work with inmates to share the transformative power of books; that they can learn from their mistakes, mend their ways and create opportunities for self-improvement.

S teinberg ,

n Co

I would like to be Oprah W infrey a n d u s e h e r influence to create awareness for youth offenders. I’ve seen many female youth offenders who are inhalant abusers return back to prison w i t h i n m o n t h s . I ’d a l s o raise awareness on AIDS prevention and care.

Ms Shalinny Deavy

Singapore Prison Service

Tinkerbell

;) I’d go on a magical tour of the world on wings, visit orphans and give them the joy of flying with a tap of my wand. With their help, I’d drop food and medical supplies to the destitute. And also treasure the experience of feeling light and petite (which exists only in my dreams...)

Ng Geok Meng

Subordinate Courts

r in

gr ats da an g.

O r L in a M ien ! We at l o n tal ’re s af e one a C so y en d in g World a cl ou c an sa you a $100 dining voucher for Melt – The e. Bring r vour w orld cuisine without leaving Singapo I would want to be my and tell my aunty that I love her and what a great daughter she has been. =)

medallist swimmer like Tao Li for one day. I would show

Joyce Tay

Celestine Lim

late grandfather

CAAS

Paris Hilton! I

want to know what it’s like to have a bad reputation and be a hottie too – decked in bling bling and branded apparel, with Chihuahua in tow, and guys going gaga over me!

She’s a party animal so I’ll get to experience that too!

After all, it’s just one day in 2011 yea? I think my hubby wouldn’t mind… :p

Grace Leow MOE

Being very out of shape, I wouldn’t mind being a gold

off her prowess and leave the ordinary folk trailing behind me. Hehe.

Ivan Ang

Anderson Junior College

IDA

I’d like to be Warren Buffett , the world’s third richest person. I’d travel to Haiti and help the people as much as I can by donating funds to rebuild the infrastructure, and also bring in medical professionals and supplies, and other urgent necessities to improve their lives.

Sam Yew Vital.Org

I’d be Kim Jong Il and make peace with South Korea, stop all illegal pre-war operations and make plans

What is your most memorable (best or worst) customer service encounter ever?

Tell us at:

psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg The best entry will win an attractive prize worth up to

$100!

All other published entries will win shopping

$30

each. vouchers worth Please include your name, email address, agency and contact number.

All entries should reach us by January 27, 2011.

04 Highlights

NEWS from the

SERVICE

Coming up...

JOURNEY THROUGH TIME Go back in time to the ancient city of Pompeii at the National Museum to relive life in a Roman town in 79CE. Some 270 artefacts including jewellery, sculptures, fresco paintings, household items and the body casts of eight victims immortalised during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius are on show till January 23.

Free scheduled guided tours daily for the first 15 on a first come, first served basis. Admission charges apply. www. nationalmuseum.sg

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PARTNER

OURCOMMUNITY.SG ON YOUR PHONE The People’s Association’s (PA) newly launched mobile portal OurCommunity.sg offers the latest on courses, activities, interest groups, facilities, news and information of community clubs in your neighbourhood. Specially designed for smart phones, the website allows residents to get information on PA’s programmes anytime, anywhere.

THUMBS UP FOR EXCELLENCE The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) ( p i c t u re d ) a n d t h e Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) won the S ingapore Quality Award (SQA) for all-round business excellence in November 2010. MOM is the first government ministry to win the award following efforts to improve and improvise manpower policies and programmes. SCDF wins the award a second time for its continued improvements to its operations.

Fourteen public sector organisations have won the SQA since it was established in 1995.

Learn how to choose the right life partner with the Social Development Network on February 12. This interactive workshop will give you a chance to group date and make friends while understanding more about relationships and dating. www.lovebyte. org.sg

‘HOME’ VIDEO Commemorate Total Defence Day by making a video about what ‘Home’ means to you.

Be sure to feature the classic Singapore song “Home” in your clip.

You could score Apple Macbooks, iPads, Canon and Flip video cameras.

Go to www.thisishome. sg to download tracks.

Contest ends March 31.

PAY TAXES, WIN CASH Pay your taxes through GIRO and you might get back more than what you paid up! A total of $360,000 is up for grabs over the next three years in the GIRO Your Tax and Win Cash! lucky draws. www.iras.gov.sg

Feature05

by

Ming Lee

The most innovative and value-adding ideas from public off icers are recognised at the annual PS21 ExCEL Convention. From 108 nominations, 29 teams and individuals received awards in November 2010.

Challenge showcases three of the award-winning projects.

Buried on an island a f e w h u n d re d miles east of Singapore – more than $5,000,000 worth of treasure in gold and silver (The Straits Times, January 6, 1952, pg 10). A full grown tiger shot dead in Kallang on the eve of the grand centenary celebrations (The Straits Times, August 10, 1969, pg 12). Now you can read about such exciting stories of the past at NewspaperSG (http:// newspapers.nl.sg).

The online newspaper archive dating back to 1831 was launched in January 2010 by the National Library Board (NLB). With close to 15 million ar tic les from 21 newspapers, including over 165 years of The Straits Times and microfilms of 200 newspapers from Singapore and Malaysia, it is a dream come true for researchers.

Ms Judy Ng, Director of National Reference and Special Libraries, NLB, says: “Previously, users who did not know the date and page number of a newspaper article had to manually scroll through reels of microfilms in order to locate the article. With digitisation and Optical Character Recognition technology, they can now do an easy search for an article according to keywords.”

And if the three million page views

with major news publishers on digitising, archiving and accessing content. Another challenge NLB faced was to protect intellectual property rights while ensuring access to the public. This was eventually done through a combination of Internet Protocol authentication, publication date and watermarking.

The NewspaperSG team spent two years to complete the project, making close to 15 million articles from 21 newspapers available to researchers. They also handled negotiations with news publishers on digitising, archiving and accessing content.

garnered so far is anything to go by, NewspaperSG is a useful information resource for Singaporeans and anyone who wants to obtain information on Singapore, worldwide. To make the process more efficient and effective, the search capability was enhanced for users to search by type of articles, including advertisements and obituaries.

NewspaperSG’s success shows NLB’s focus on encouraging a culture of innovation within the organisation to provide the best possible service to its customers.

The project took two years to complete, and staff had to undertake negotiations

While full content is available at libraries, home users (from outside the libraries) can access digitised newspapers published up to December 31, 1989 for The Straits Times. For the convenience of users, a citation saving feature was introduced to email and print for future reference, along with social media bookmarking tools for sharing through Facebook and other platforms. To further enhance the user experience, work has begun on digitising content in Lianhe Zaobao and Berita Harian newspapers, scheduled to be available from mid-2011 onwards.

Based on user feedback, NewspaperSG has certainly revolutionised research on newspaper content as it allows easy discovery of interesting information from over 179 years of newspapers that were a challenge to find in the past.

Gold Award: NewspaperSG

Ministry of Information,

Communications and the Arts and National Library Board

Gold Award: RQuest4 IQC Ministry of National Development

and Housing and

Development Board

The RQuest4 Innovation and Quality Circle explored new ideas to use less concrete in construction.

This led to lighter building structures and more efficient design and construction in building projects piloted in Sengkang and Woodlands.

W hat would you do when building raw material supply is suddenly cut off totally? When sand imports were banned by Indonesia, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) built some, well, variations of concrete solutions.

The sand ban in 2007 affected Singapore’s construction industry severely, including HDB – its buildings required concrete, which is made from sand and granite.

The biggest worry: How to avoid delaying delivery of so many flats to residents?

Even as HDB sprang into action to source for alternative sand suppliers, it worked at long-term solutions that would also add value to contractors, suppliers and residents. The RQuest4 Innovation and Quality Circle took up the challenge to explore other building methods that would use much less concrete, yet offer more sustainability in construction.

Using less sand was the key in the new building designs. This was done with concrete peripheral façade walls with bigger window openings; concrete parapet walls with closely spaced slits; and lightweight partition walls to reduce material and weight. Using less concrete resulted in lighter building structures and more efficient design

and construction. These were piloted in Sengkang and Woodlands. Apart from cost savings, home-owners also reported better ventilation and lighting.

Other alternative raw materials were used to substitute for sand and granite, such as recycled copper slag as well as recycled concreting sands and aggregates from disused construction materials and demolition waste.

This is just one of many instances at HDB where innovation led to value-

added services and products. An annual Organisational Excellence Week recognises staff and teams with monetary awards under the Innovation Award Programme, while the top Innovation and Quality Circle receives a travel incentive award.

Meanwhile, spurred on by the positive response, HDB has picked up its paces in introducing environmentally sus-

What would you do when building raw material supply is suddenly cut off totally? tainable technologies and eco-friendly building solutions such as renewable energy, water recycling and saving features, and more greenery to lower ambient temperatures.

Feature07 The time is somewhere in the future.

Singapore is being attacked by an alien race of Aedes mosquitoes. Agents from Operation MACE (Monster Annihilation and Control Enforcement) must eliminate them by destroying their food sources and breeding grounds.

munity), 3P Partnership Department at NEA, says: “The film was Alien Resurrection, which had a scene of astronauts battling an alien underwater. I thought a campaign involving science-fiction and animation would be effective in conveying the message.”

Over 1,700 people have signed on to be MACE agents on the website (www. macecommand.com.sg), an NEA public education campaign on dengue prevention in households. Users can download videos, wallpapers, screensavers, as well as play online games embedded with succinct dengue prevention messages.

The website has drawn over 106,350 hits by October 2010.

Communicating the campaign’s concept was difficult initially because there were no templates to follow and no tangible examples to explain Operation MACE. “But we had great support from our bosses who contributed enormously to the production,” says Mr Teo.

MACE was created in November 2009 after Mr Adrian Gerald Teo watched a movie. The Senior Executive (Com-

It also helps that NEA has a culture of innovation. “We must continuously find new ways to do things better, reach out to the community more effectively and enhance their ownership of the environment. Then, and only

then, can we achieve environmental sustainability. An open culture allows staff to propose, and experiment with, new ways to work,” he adds.

Mr Teo and his team are exploring video productions and school roadshows, as well as online and mobile games, to further boost youth awareness. So, look out for the next episode of MACE.

Silver Award: Ed-Venturers Ministry of the Environment

and Water Resources and National Environment Agency

MACE Agents

Check out pictures of the PS21 ExCEL Convention 2010 at www.challenge.gov.sg

08 Feature

I am a firm believer in PS21 and the spirit it champions. We want every public officer to be an agent of change, in order to build a Public Service worthy of Singapore, one that is ready for the future.

On Innovation and Change

We are practising the spirit of PS21 everyday, except that some call it innovation while others call it organisational or business excellence. We may feel passionate about these activities, but may not directly identify them with PS21.

Customers – the citizens we serve – are the reason for our existence. Are their expectations changing faster than what the Service can keep up with? Here I need to caveat that we are talking about reasonable expectations – not every expectation of an unreasonable customer.

The key is to keep the spirit of PS21 fresh and relevant to our work: Firstly, things can always be better and we can always improve; secondly, every one of us, from officer to leader, has a role to play; and thirdly, we are building an excellent Public Service to serve Singapore and Singaporeans better.

On Productivity

The traditional definition of productivity is output per unit of input. This however cannot be applied blindly to the Public Service as our outputs are often intangible or difficult to measure. Public policies often take years to produce desired results but this does not mean we don’t need to watch our productivity. It means looking at productivity with different lens.

To do so, the Public Service needs to keep pace in three areas: customer expectations; technological changes; and global competition.

Do we experiment enough with new technology to deliver public services in fresh, creative and improved ways? Do we exploit the possibilities that new technology brings in a timely manner?

And how do we measure up against others? As a Public Service, we always need to do better in the global competition for investments, talent and jobs. This is a world where countries and cities are all trying to steal a march on each other to get ahead in economic growth and development.

We are practising the spirit of PS21 everyday, except that some of us call it innovation while others call it organisational excellence.

We can increase our “outputs” by providing better services and creating new value for our stakeholders. We innovate and experiment to find ways to achieve our strategic outcomes; to grow the economy, secure our nation and create the conditions for a stable society and a conducive home.

By constantly improving, we can also help our businesses and people to become more productive. PS21 is the core driver as it urges us to embrace change, to innovate and seek constant improvement.

By encouraging officers to think creatively, experiment and take calculated risks, we can find ways to improve our policies, processes and the delivery of public services.

On Leaders

L eaders can champion the PS21 movement by setting the direction and determining how best to measure its effectiveness.

Since 2008, PS21 reporting is no longer just about WITS and SSS targets.

You can choose the initiatives to run, and to report results based on a mix of qualitative and quantitative indicators. With this comes the responsibility to pick the right portfolio of activities to drive PS21 in your organisations. As leaders, we are all personally responsible for what we want PS21 to achieve and its state in our agencies.

Leaders can encourage their organisations to promote productivity by developing deeper capabilities and higher skills. Our Public Service must develop and upgrade existing capabilities, and identify new capabilities to nurture. When we deepen and upgrade our officers’ skills and capabilities, they will be able to deliver higher value services to our stakeholders.

Cover Story09

Design thinking, a creative approach to problem solving, is catching on here.

At its heart is empathy - the power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person’s feelings.

Are you ready to feel this way?

First, repeat after us:

Don’t Forget the Customers! by

Chen Jingting & Bridgette See

be moved from point to point in the process but instead were individuals with aspirations, preferences and relationships,” she writes.

I n 2004, Japanese bicycle parts maker Shimano explored creating a new bike to grow its market share, which had reached a plateau in high-end road-racing and mountain bikes.

Instead of calling in end-stage bike designers, Shimano invited design firm IDEO to collaborate right from the start of the process.

The IDEO-Shimano team – engineers, designers, behavioural scientists, marketers – spent a lot of time trying to understand cyclists and non-cyclists.

The average American, they found, felt intimidated in a high-end bike store; they were daunted by complexity, cost, even specialised clothing.

Human-centred exploration helped Shimano realise the large untapped market for casual bikes that bring back childhood cycling memories. The result?

The “coasting” bike – no controls on handlebars, no cables, brakes applied by backpedalling – now made by at least 10 manufacturers.

This example, highlighted by IDEO President Tim Brown in a June 2008 Harvard Business Review article, Design Thinking, was the result of an innovation process that placed the user right at the centre.

Call it what you want – I DEO’s founder David Kelley decided to call it “design thinking” in 2003 – but this way of designing products and services based on users’ perspectives is catching on globally.

With its rising profile and reported benefits – not just in product design – but also in redesigning service experience and even social assistance programmes in rural villages, public agencies here have also begun to test out the design thinking approach.

Feel the “Customer Journey”

The Manpower Ministry (MOM) is among the early adopters. In 2009, its Work Pass Division collaborated with IDEO to redesign its Employment Pass Services Centre, as part of its business process redesign cycle.

As Dr June Gwee notes in Redesigning the Service Experience (Ethos Issue 8, Aug 2010), instead of looking at employment pass services as a series of functional processes, the division began to consider them through the eyes of users – employers, employment agencies and foreign workers.

“The Work Pass application transaction was recast as an experience (emphasis added) – applicants were not units to

CHILD’S PLAY Cheerful cabanas at the Manpower Ministry’s Employment Pass Services Centre serve the parents while their children are occupied by toys.

The redesign required officers to better understand opportunities and difficulties facing users who had succeeded or failed in using the existing process, encountered problems or just avoided the whole process.

Officers used field observation to understand the “customer journey”. Instead of relying on floor plans for renovation, MOM officers made a prototype of the Centre’s layout by using foam boards, props and lightweight furniture. They also role-played as customers to finalise ideas, making changes such as lowering the finger-printing machine to a more comfortable level.

The project that spanned five months created a much more welcoming space.

Among the changes: roaming customer service staff; waiting areas with views of the skyline; users addressed by name and not numbers; families served in cheerful cabanas while children are occupied with toys.

More significantly, officers learnt that users wanted certainty in their applications, and this led to an appointmentbased service. It boosted productivity greatly: users are now served within 15 minutes, with 90% under 10 minutes – down from a dreary four-hour wait in 2002. The centre, which serves up to 900 daily, scored 5.5 out of 6 in user satisfaction.

Tim Brown told Challenge that the redesigned experience goes beyond boosting efficiency. “By thinking about how we deliver the emotional and functional needs of our customers... we can make a difference to how it feels to be a citizen of a place, we can make a difference to how it feels to be a Singaporean and how it feels to be in Singapore.” (emphasis added) This ‘feel-good’ factor which makes a country more attractive could even give it an edge in attracting talent in this highly competitive world, he adds.

Cover Story11

Move onto the next projectRepeat

EXPECT SUCCESS Build implementation resources into your plan

What’s the business problem?

Where’s the opportunity?

What has changed (or soon may change)?

Make the case to the business - spread the word Help marketing design a communication strategy

EXECUTE THE VISION Engineer the experience

Prototype some more, test with users, test internally

What are the business constraints (time, lack of resources, impoverished customer base, shrinking market)?

Look at the world: Observe what people do, how they think, what they need and want

Involve many disciplines from the start (e.g. engineering and marketing)

Pay close attention to ‘extreme’ users such as children or elderly

Have a project room where you can share insights, tell stories

How can new technology help?

Communicate internally Don’t work in the dark!

Prototype, test...

Prototype, test...

Tell more stories (They keep ideas alive)

Put customers in the midst of everything; describe their journeys

Apply integrative thinking Build creative frameworks (Order out of chaos)

Make many sketches, concoct scenarios

Are valuable ideas, assets and expertise hiding inside the business?

Organise information and synthesise possibilities (Tell more stories!)

HOW DESIGN THINKING HAPPENS Diagram adapted from IDEO

BRAINSTORM

New Tools that Add Value

Mr Brown notes that many of the most successful brands create breakthrough ideas inspired by a deep understanding of customers’ lives and use the principles of design to innovate and build value.

In their quest to match human needs with available technical resources within practical economic limits of business, designers have honed skills to create enjoyable products, he says in his book Change by Design.

And design thinking goes one step further: “[It] puts these tools into the hands of people who may never have

three stages are meant to be fluid, not structured. thought of themselves as designers and applies them to a vastly greater range of problems”.

So design thinkers use creative thinking tools and skills like observation, brainstorming and experimentation to derive possible solutions, while bearing in mind the “customer journey”.

Design thinkers go through a “system of spaces” that overlap fluidly between inspiration, ideation and implementation. (See diagram above) Mr Brown warns first-time design thinkers that the approach may feel ‘chaotic’ as the

A design thinking team comprises people from various specialisations, emphasising col labor ation across disciplines so that more innovative alternatives can come from a broader worldview – something like the Public Service’s “whole-of-government” interagency approach.

One point to note is that the classical sense of design and design thinking are not the same, yet they are intertwined.

Mr Brown observes that, historically, designers were called in at the last stage of the innovation process to “put a beautiful wrapper around the idea”.

12 Cover Story

says Ms Heather Fraser, Director of DesignWorks, a Rotman School of Management’s centre for design-based innovation and education.

Rotman has collaborated with Singapore Polytechnic to set up DesignWorks Singapore to promote design thinking in enterprises here.

She adds, “Suppressing human creativity and discounting intuition as a source of inspiration and innovation... hold us back from breakthroughs.”

RETHINKING COUNTER SERVICE Police officers in a trial design thinking project to rethink counter service at neighbourhood police centres. Using a variety of methods – from taking pictures, to noting down a ‘customer’s’ journey, and even setting up mock counters and role playing users and counter service officers – they try to understand the problems faced by the public when lodging reports.

Design thinking is about involving designers right from the start – this is more strategic and creates new forms of value by giving a tool for imagining what will satisfy users emotionally and giving these experiences a desirable form.

“The notion of design has come back into the ‘business conversation’ in full force in recent years because there are a number of economic, social, environmental and political challenges that more linear and analytical approach have been unable to solve,”

Design thinking is set up as the creative, intuitive approach to balance out (not oppose or replace) the ‘analytical’ approach favoured by organisations.

“Nobody wants to run a business based on feeling, intuition and inspiration,” admits Mr Brown, “but an over-reliance on the rational and analytical can be just as dangerous.”

The “Experience Economy”

Design thinkers would be first to admit that what they do is not new-fangled; being human-centred is age-old. “It may be common sense, but surprisingly, not

013 Cover Story common practice,” says Ms Fraser of DesignWorks.

Despite how ‘natural’ it seems to consider users’ needs and worldviews, the pressure to stay ahead of competitors has forced many organisations to focus more on optimising current systems instead of also tapping intuitive, empathetic approaches to opportunities and innovations.

But consumers are much more sophisticated today, so businesses have to dig deeper to identify still unsatisfied needs, she adds.

This has been dubbed the “experience economy”, where consumers increasingly seek satisfying and delightful experiences – be it the pleasurable unboxing of a well-designed product to the (irksome) filing of taxes (how do we make it more painless?).

“All of a sudden, companies can’t just sell you a cup. They have to think of how [they] can help you experience the cup, ” quips Mark Wee of UNION, an experience design studio that worked with the National Library Board (NLB) to form STUDIO, an intiative that helps organisations innovate user experiences using design thinking.

PS21: Ready to Explore

The PS21 Office is eager to explore how it can “reap fresh insights into policies and processes,” says its Director, Agnes Kwek.

She acknowledges that agencies have been successful with time-tested methods to formulate policies and programmes, such as using research data and studying best practices. But sometimes, what is missing is an intimate understanding of the needs of the customers, from their point of view.

“We sometimes neglect the important facet of ‘user acceptance’ of the solutions we create,” she says. “The best solutions are ineffective unless our customers, the public, have a high rate of acceptance and adoption. And to do this, we must first put ourselves in their shoes.”

Ms Kwek admits that design thinking is “new ground” and “it is too early to tell to what extent it will work in the

area of public policies. However, in the spirit of experimentation and ‘safe-fail’, it is worth a shot.”

The Singapore Police Force has also made a foray into design thinking. In 2009, it worked with STUDIO on a trial project to look at the problems counter service officers at neighbourhood police centres face daily.

Police officers who participated are tasked to infuse design thinking into existing work improvement initiatives like Staff Suggestion Schemes and Innovation Teams.

“We interviewed both the officers and the public. We gathered plenty of research data through video recordings and analysis. One unique aspect was the use of ‘body storming’, which meant officers [physically] simulated the environments and conducted lots of role-playing to understand the needs of both officers and the public,” explains Assistant Commissioner (AC) Lau Peet Meng, who initiated the project when he was Commander of Central Police Division.

He had attended a six-month design thinking course conducted by the Stanford Business School and the Stanford Institute of Design.

What stands out about design thinking for STUDIO members is its “extremely visual nature”: graphics, videos and photos were used to help them understand problems faced by

All of a sudden, companies cannot just sell you a cup. They have to think how they can help you experience the cup.

the public when lodging police reports; mock counters were set up and police officers role-playing users and counter service officers could put themselves in the shoes of both parties. They also carried out rapid prototyping using paper to create a mock Online Reporting Kiosk. “ Traditional problem-sol ving approaches start with a ‘problem’ and then try to solve it – sometimes even when the problem is poorly defined!

Design thinking starts with a ‘user’ and asks what ‘needs’ he has that can be better met, not what needs we think he has,” adds AC Lau. “It emphasises rapid prototyping and testing ideas in real situations.”

In her article, Dr June Gwee points out that design thinking has yet to become widespread in the public sector as it “may appear irrational, abstract or even extravagant with outcomes that may not be directly measurable or tangible” which is at odds with how public spending is traditionally accounted for.

Design is also often regarded, at best, as a “good-to-have element of other key public roles instead of being itself a strategic function of operational planning”, she observes. “Most public agencies are the sole providers of unique and often mandated services; there is inherently no strong impetus to radically reinvent their services and operations, and little comparative basis with which to make changes.”

14 Cover Story A New Key Ingredient

Indeed, agencies seem to be taking a cautious approach before jumping onto the design thinking bandwagon.

Challenge understands that a few are exploring but declined to reveal more.

There also seems to be a notion that design thinking is ‘costly’.

But this is likely to change now, with the government making a concerted effort to push for design thinking.

At the President’s Design Award ceremony in November 2010, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew said the government has identified design thinking as “one important ingredient” to drive Singapore’s ability to create original and differentiated products and services that the global market demands.

consultants to transfer knowledge of the methodology, bringing officers through the paces in actual projects to learn on the job.

the business has been hoping for, and despite the best efforts, design thinking will continue to be something only a few can do well.”

Design thinking must also be imbued in the organisation’s long- and shortterm planning: both management and staff apply it from product and service development to planning, communications and service delivery.

No Magic Bullet

“The real challenge is to train people effectively to use it, and not just skim over the surface and adopt what appears to be design thinking,” says AC Lau of SPF.

The real challenge is to train people effectively to use it, and not just skim over the surface and adopt what appears to be design thinking.

He revealed that more than 2,000 people from the public and private sectors have attended design thinking workshops and seminars organised by the DesignSingapore Council and its partners. The council is also engaging senior and middle management to see how design can be strategically adopted to drive their organisations’ outcomes.

As a sign of commitment, the council is investing $7.5million to establish the Design Thinking and Innovation Academy to introduce programmes to build design thinking capabilities.

For agencies keen to adopt the methodology, Dr Gwee outlines three success factors: mindset, methodology, and organisational culture and competency.

Organisations need a mindset that appreciates design thinking principles: the capacity to experiment, take risks and explore radical possibilities.

For agencies new to design thinking, she recommends that they appoint

“ The only way to ‘cultivate’ a design thinking culture is to al low more people to get their hands ‘dirty’ working through an actual project. So time and appropriate training will be the key obstacles.”

While design thinking has admirers, it has detractors too. The criticisms are wide-ranging: some say design thinking has succumbed to business realities where great product ideas are watered down because risk-averse businesses believe they can’t sell enough to justify the product’s existence; others say design thinking’s methodical process is itself a paradox, despite Tim Brown stressing that the process is not sequential but fluid.

As Brian Ling of design firm Design Sojourn says on his blog, “dictating design thinking as a sequential stepby-step process is ripe for failure in the creativity and solutions department.

This is probably why after half a decade; the companies that are creating innovative products continue to be the usual suspects... Therefore I feel design thinking has not produced the results

Other critics say design thinking has joined the slew of ‘creative methods’ as a nicely packaged product taught in schools and touted to be the next big business trend when, in fact, it should only be seen as part of a larger toolbox for business creativity.

But design thinkers say they never touted a panacea. Stressing the integrative nature of design thinking, Ms Fraser says: “Success is a matter of many factors – creative opportunity-seeking, solution development along with deep technical skills, analytical rigour, management leadership and acumen, and other vital skills.”

Mr Wee of UNION adds: “It’s about being able to provide space where people can test out a number of solutions before we can confirm one, and learning from other disciplines, using their examples to see how they can address our issues. It ’s an approach that’s very logical.”

Design thinking also does not promise overnight change. AC Lau says: “I wish I could say we fundamentally changed the way we did counter ser vice in the Police – we didn’t. But we raised important questions and made some interesting experiments that continue to shape the way the Police sees counter service, for example, should officers at counters also handle phone calls? We had found this to be a major drag from the user’s perspective.”

He adds: “Design thinking is a really powerful tool. I am hopeful this will mean that the Public Service will, as a result, be better able to deliver the kind of service Singaporeans deserve this side of the 21st century.”

015 Feature

Design consultancy f irm IDEO, rated one of 50 top innovative companies by business magazine Fast Company in 2010, has worked with many big corporations. But its proudest achievements are designing solutions for developing countries and improving healthcare industries. by

Chen Jingting

In the business of innovation, you’re into everything... well, almost.

Just look at IDEO’s wide range of work. The creative firm, named by BusinessWeek as one of the most innovative companies in 2006, helped design Apple Inc’s first mouse and build Prada’s interactive dressing rooms in New York City.

Whichever the industry, IDEO believes in applying the same human-centred design approach, especially discerning users’ needs and developing fast, cheap prototypes to test out ideas.

This was how IDEO came up with the “Keep the Change” programme for the Bank of America, attracting over 12 million signups since 2005. After observing that customers often round up payments to the nearest dollar, IDEO designed a programme to enable change to be deposited automatically into saving accounts.

Designing for the Less Fortunate

While the above examples are testament to the commercial viability of IDEO’s methodology, IDEO CEO Tim Brown, who was in Singapore last November to speak on design thinking, says his firm’s “real aspiration is to work on problems that have an impact on the world”.

The “Ripple Effect” project, IDEO’s collaboration with non-profit organisa-

tion Acumen Fund, made clean water more accessible to the poor in Africa and India. Water companies in these countries faced problems ensuring that water distributed to households remains clean, accessible and affordable.

As part of a US$2.6 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, IDEO and Acumen held brainstorming workshops for water entrepreneurs and launched pilot projects in Hyderabad and Kenya in 2009. Their work led to new water distribution models and automated water vending machines.

Other IDEO community projects include improving eye care for children in India and battling childhood obesity in the USA. To Mr Brown, design is more than enhancing a product’s aesthetics or function, or improving a service. Designers have a higher calling. “As designers, we have to be able to understand the world’s complexity and we have to participate…

We have the responsibility to attempt to solve those problems.”

Improving patients’ experiences at clinics or hospitals is another important part of IDEO’s work. “Healthcare is an experience that most people do not like and it’s possible to improve the quality of people’s lives and the effectiveness of the medical treatment they get by taking the design approach.”

IDEO worked with US healthcare organisation Kaiser Permanente to improve knowledge exchange between nurses when changing shifts, for better quality patient care.

Venturing into Design Thinking

At IDEO, innovation is spurred by being empathetic to users, rather than being profit- or technologically-driven.

This is something the Singapore government is trying to learn, such as at the Manpower Ministry, a client of IDEO for two years.

Mr Brown is heartened that the government wants to explore design thinking as a methodology in policy-making and improving frontline service. He likens the journey of understanding to a “great venture”, where risks need to be taken and commitment needed to overcome these risks over the long term, just as in Silicon Valley, where startups keep evolving until they find success.

“I hope what Singapore does is to treat [design thinking] as an investment in the future and in innovation and have that similar commitment to adaptation and learning as the journey unfolds.”

FLIGHTS of

FANCY

Instead of the usual Merlion keychain or batik-print item, try these souvenirs by our local designers the next time you need a uniquely Singapore gift.

Created for two local museums and curated by design practice FARM, these products aren’t just pretty; they’re also functional and smart.

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Feature17 01. Mirrors by Kenneth Chee, AntFarm Design, $20 Set of five cards to (literally) “show” you care 02. Super Sincere Sentiments by H O K O, $15 Set of five cards with quirkily “insincere” greetings 03. Hungry < Pig > Happy by Bassam Jabry, Chemistry, $88 This piggy tips forward in contentment when filled 04. 71 Square Centimetre Ruler by Han Kiang Siew, $22 Measures exactly 1/100000000000 of Singapore 05. Trophy Hunter by Justin Long & Jerry Goh, HJGHER, $30 Set of two badges with interchangeable features

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06. Paper Weight: Mooncake inspired by the National Museum of Singapore, $18 This Mid-Autumn “pastry” is definitely a heavyweight 07. Kueh Tutu Eraser Gift Set by Yong Jieyu & Winston Chai, $10 Set of four erasers that look as tasty as the confectionery 08. Nosejob by Jackson Tan & Tanny Wong, Black Design, $15 Shape the nose you’ve always wanted with this set of two erasers 09. A Badge is a Medal by TriggerHappy, $15 Use it to emphasise brand logos on your shirt to stand out 10. Adapter by Felix Ng, SILNT, $30 A wooden pen organiser plug-in for cylinders 11. Traditional Games: Five Stones inspired by the National Museum of Singapore, $12 An old childhood fave in a new bottle 12. 变脸 – The Face Changing by Sebastian Chun, Super Bear, $18 Badges with Sichuan opera-like ability to switch faces 13. Precious Rubs by Casey Chen, $12 Set of two diamond erasers to remind us to keep errors rare

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All items can be purchased at the FARM Online Store at www.farm.sg/store/

18 Thinking Aloud

Towards a

If everyone, no matter who they are or what they earn, can afford good design, the world would be a better place, says Kelley Cheng.

DESIGN DEMOCRACY I aspire to beCOME a design democrat. Perhaps it’s genetic.

When my Dad asked my 6-year-old nephew: “ What do you want to be when you grow up?” He exclaimed: “A doctor!” My Dad told him: “Then you have to be a good doctor, remember never to charge any sick person who has no money.”

A doctor can save the world. An architect, too, can save the world. Idealistic as it sounds, we should thank God that, in this practical world where most people are probably more concerned with splurging on themselves, some selfless people still believe in saving the world. Organisations such as Doctors without Borders and Architecture for Humanity are ready platforms where professionals can plug in to make less fortunate lives better.

So, can a designer as an individual save the world?

I think if each of us does something in our own small ways, the world will be a better place. If I apply the good doctor theory prescribed by my Dad – of giving to those who can’t afford – I suppose that is one way to save the world. If ever I could design something, free for all, to make lives better that would be one step up.

If every designer designs something like a pair of chopsticks, recorded to be invented 3000 years ago – so simple, cheap and yet one of the most effective ways to make lives easier – with no copyrights, then everyone could reproduce it, everyone could have it.

This is design democracy at its simplest and best: design is within reach of ev-

eryone regardless of who they are and what they do, and not reserved only for the elite.

The spirit of designing something to solve a problem and not just to be famous or to make money is, unfortunately, somewhat lost. It seems the other way around today – designers design for money, fame and vanity.

It is worrying when famous designers advocate, as Karim Rashid puts it in his book I Want To Change The World: “Now design is not about solving problems, but about a rigorous beautification of our built environments.”

Suddenly design becomes superficial when designers become superstars and

clients try to dictate the creative process which is a killjoy for designers, leading them to think “I might as well charge a lot so that the pain is worth it.” So if clients can respect the design process, it would encourage more designers to design whether it is high-pay, low-pay or no-pay.

At our studio, we have big clients, and also “clients” with no money, mostly non-profit organisations.

We have never turned down a pro bono job no matter how busy we are, as we believe in giving back to society, playing the good doctor in ways we enjoy, using skills we know.

The spirit of designing something to solve a problem... is lost. preach self-prescribed theories like charlatans. Rashid’s whimsical, flamboyant designs in shocking pink, lime green, baby blue, bright orange are more like products of creative freedom – where budget is no issue – than designs to solve problems.

Beautifying our built environment is important, but it should not be only when clients pay big money.

It is easy for designers to criticise that things around us aren’t well-designed.

This happens as most good designers refuse jobs they think do not pay well, so design becomes an elitist engagement. That said, I have seen how many

If every designer can contribute a little to people who need design but with no money, utopian as it may sound, we could build a design democracy in Singapore, regardless of race, language or religion.

Kelley Cheng is creative director of design and publishing consultancy The Press Room. She regularly serves on the judging panels of local and Asian design awards. She won the Society of Publishers Asia award three times when she was editor of design magazine iSh and is now editor-in-chief of Singapore Architects magazine.

Letters to aYoung Public Officer 27 DEAR YOUNG OFFICER, I am now 83 and retired. The better part of my life was spent as a civil servant, and if there are any words of advice I can bequeath to young officers, they would be “to be a willing learner”.

This attitude helped me rise through the ranks from a customs officer to Director-General of the Trade Development Board (TDB).

From the start, I was ready to take on any job given to me, and to do it well.

As a junior customs officer, I did all sorts of things, from arguing with senior lawyers like David Marshall in court as we were the prosecutors, to bashing into the jungles to flush out those who were illegally distilling samsu, or Chinese wine, to pursuing smugglers in Singapore’s waters in dangerously fast speedboats.

I was very willing to take on any job as they made for interesting experiences.

Of course, apart from my attitude, luck played a role in my career progression.

I consider it a turning point when the Government decided to promote me into the elite Administrative Service in 1961, as an official of the Trade Division, of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

I did not have the required second upper class honours degree, but I benefited from a policy decision to absorb some senior Malay civil servants who had performed well in their roles, into the Admin Service.

Still, to get in, I had to be willing to learn to speak Hokkien! I was assigned the language, as I would have to work with the Chinese community on business matters.

I had a private tutor who coached me twice a week, and passed the test within three years.

Then, I had to work with the mostly Chinese business community, which I felt some degree of ner vousness about. That I knew Hokkien gave me an advantage and in the end I earned their respect.

by Ridzwan Dzafir Ambassador-At-Large (2005-2008), Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Even after I became Director-General of TDB, I was always willing to listen to other experts. Whenever I went overseas for negotiations, I made it a point to always have a team of expert advisors with me because I do not know everything.

The same attitude prevailed when I was asked to be the president of MUIS (the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) while I was CEO of MENDAKI, the Malay self-help organisation. I was hesitant. I followed the basics of being a Muslim but I was not an expert in religious issues.

Then I was told that my job was to restructure the organisations into a corporate entity.

I took on the task, I am a civil servant, after all. But being willing does not mean being a “yes” man!

Take the opportunity to express your point of view, but if things do not go your way, accept it graciously and be civil about it.

And because the civil service is huge with numerous departments, while it is good to gain breadth in learning, it is also important to build up depth of expertise in one area.

I was fortunate that, from the first day of my appointment to the Admin Service, I remained in trade and became an expert in this area, from negotiating with Chinese businessmen to conducting trade talks with ASEAN countries, Europe and the Americas.

I helped establish the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, then the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta. Later, I was roving ambassador to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Panama.

I was lucky. In my lifetime, I was given a job, I enjoyed it and did well at it.

Ridzwan Dfazir: From Pondok Boy to Singapore’s ‘Mr ASEAN’ (S$42.05 excl GST) is sold at all leading bookstores.

28 A Cuppa With...

New Head of Civil Service, Peter Ong, says his priority is to focus on building the capabilities of every public off icer. This, coupled with closer inter-agency collaboration, will build a high capability Public Service that can navigate effectively in a fast-changing, increasingly complex, and competitive world. by

Wong Sher Maine

“Focus on

people... & you won't go wrong”

At the Botanic Gardens on Saturday mornings, you might bump into Mr Peter Ong, 49, strolling around the swan lake with his wife.

This treasured weekend routine survived his work upheaval last September, when he became Singapore’s highest-ranking public officer.

W hen Challenge meets him three months on, the new Head of Civil Service is relaxed even though his typical day is packed with meetings back to back. Once home, he has dinner with his family, then checks his email.

His predecessor, Mr Peter Ho, sent him a note before vacating the hot seat. “He

advised me on particular areas I should watch out for, and said, Good luck!

Most issues have to do with where to place our priorities, because there’s just so much happening.”

Mr Ong sees the operating environment for the Public Service getting more complex, where “volatility and hyper-competition is the norm”. Singaporeans’ expectations will also “grow exponentially”.

“Increasingly our issues are not singleagency issues,” he said, “so they’ll require us to work across agencies.

The issues are more multi-faceted, like growing our bilateral relations with big countries like China or planning for

IVE US L C EX i ew I nte r v

land use to balance economic development and liveability.”

Managing the increasingly diverse Public Service workforce will also be challenging, as different generations of public officers will have different perspectives, life experiences, work ethics and ethos. Mr Ong thinks the best way to address these challenges is to be firmly focused on people.

The priority: Help every officer become even more capable. “From the most junior staff to the most senior, we want to see an uplift in capability. My key message to all leaders and managers – focus on building the capabilities of your people and you won’t go wrong.”

To achieve this, Mr Ong expects greater ownership from the over 120,000 public officers here. “It will engender a greater sense of pride and professionalism in the ranks and create a stronger sense of fulfilment in our officers. They’ll feel more enabled to do their job and to do it well. We hope that it’ll also foster a conducive environment that’ll draw strong talent into the Public Service.”

For individual public officers, this means making the best use of training programmes and learning on-the-job.

he is “still learning, even at this stage of his career,” and he urges aspiring public officers to “always develop a deep curiosity to learn in every situation so as to help you in the next challenge”.

What keeps him going is the meaning in his work. Once, as a 25-year-old who had just started work, he had to verify a payment for $270 million, part

Always develop a deep curiosity to learn in every situation so as to help you in the next challenge.

For agencies, it means more inter-agency collaboration and integration of capabilities such as working against white-collar crime. “This is where you need professionals who understand financial markets, tax intricacies, IT forensics and more, working closely.”

He also wants more Communities of Practice, self-organised groups gathering to share experience in areas like Organisational Development and Futures Thinking.

To him, technology will also be a key enabler. A Public Service-wide Intranet, he revealed, will be rolled out in the second half of 2011, for officers to collaborate and work together more than before. “This will hopefully bring the Public Service closer together and bring the barriers down across agencies.”

The Public Service’s highest rung was something Mr Ong never imagined. The former Raffles lnstitution debating team first speaker said: “I’ve always liked to engage in discussion and debate, and thought I could be a lawyer.”

But life took a turn when Mr Ong was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship to study at the University of Adelaide.

“I had no choice. I had to depend on the Government for a scholarship if I wanted to study overseas,” he revealed.

“They told me to study economics, I said OK, I went. I never regretted it though.”

Since graduating, he has worked in six ministries, from Communications, Home Affairs to Defence, Transport and Trade & Industry. Mr Ong feels

of the cost of building Singapore’s first MRT line. “I had to count the number of zeroes from left to right and right to left a few times, to make sure not one zero was missing or too many.

These are the little things that stay with you and impress upon you that what you do has a profound impact on Singaporeans.”

able to operate on the world stage. It was a very proud moment for me as a Singaporean and as a civil servant.”

Day-to-day, what keeps him bright-eyed is, no, not coffee. “I haven’t drunk more than five cups of coffee in my life!”

Instead, every week for the past few years, he does Pilates with his wife to recharge. “We try to stick to our regimen of Pilates so our bodies can be flexible even as we grow old. I used to have a bad back from computer work, but now it’s much better.”

He also steals 15 minutes for himself in the mornings at his office, gazing upon the Singapore River and reading. “I try to have some moments of calm and peace. It helps to de-stress and gives you your bearings for the day.”

When asked if he had ever considered other job options, Mr Ong shares that he often advises younger colleagues: “When you know you have attractive options, and then decide to stay, you know you’re truly convicted about contributing for the long haul.”

Asked to describe his career highs and lows, he dwells instead on Singapore’s high and low points. One anecdote is particularly close to heart. “During the Sars crisis, I was at Changi Airport doing a late-night inspection with my Minister,” said Mr Ong, visibly moved.

“There were so few people that we only switched on half the lights. I had a deep sinking feeling. How will Singapore survive if this went on for a prolonged period of time? Sars had the potential to wipe out all the progress, gains and growth we had made over decades. Thankfully, we fought the scourge and overcame it.”

A high point? The recent Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony. “As I saw the Olympic torch being lit and the fireworks over Marina Bay and the CBD, I asked myself: Wow, what did it take to build all this? We were

What’s usually in your cuppa?

Water. But on the frequent late night flights, it’s warm milk.

What’s your favourite type of tea?

Earl grey in the day, and camomile with honey at night.

Your favourite Challenge section?

I like Letters to a Young Public Officer. It’s always interesting to see how senior officers share their experiences, how they pitch to younger officers. The column does a good job of bridging the gap.

The future of ancient artefacts lies in the delicate hands of textile conservators. How will they succeed? Challenge peers into their world at the Heritage Conservation Centre.

Text by

Chen Jingting Photos by

Norman Ng

Perspectives 31

OPPOSITE PAGE: Precise rescue work is painstakingly carried out, stitch by stitch, on a Parsi sari, or garo. top (CLOCKWISE): Conservator Loh Boon Nee and conservation officer Grace Loke use packets of lead pellets to apply enough pressure on the jahbla to smoothen out creases without damaging it.

Ms Miki Komatsu uses a humidifier which emits a gentle, cooling vapour to reduce creases on another sari.

Mr Chuance Chen applies a cleansing solvent to remove a dirt spot on the sari.

A bright red jahbla is being spread out and caressed gingerly on a laboratory table, as a tender mission is underway – close inspection for creases, stains, holes and other damage.

The jahbla, worn by Parsi children in the early 20th century, is one of three artefacts that textile conservator Loh Boon Nee and her colleagues are conserving for a South Asia exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

Such fragile fragments of history demand the most delicate treatment. Dust and other tiny particles are removed only with a special vacuum machine.

Humidification smoothens out creases, but no heat is used.

Holes are patched up carefully. Stains may be reduced by dissolving the dirty parts in a customised, liquid chemical solution that is as mild as possible, and a suction plate is used to “suck” the stains away gently.

Along the way, tough decisions must be made. For instance, when reducing stains, “a strong chemical solvent may be able to remove the stain completely, but it may also damage the cloth. So we need to know when to stop the treat-

ment process [to protect the fabric]”, says Ms Miki Komatsu, a member of the team.

Whether the conservation effort will succeed is uncertain – the process can range from a day to even months. Boon Nee must attempt to rescue a double ikat piece from another collection that is riddled badly with holes. Any careless damage to the threads of the woven fabric will destroy the patterns.

“Heavy duty glue used to salvage the ikat in the past has distorted the textile.

It is tedious to remove all the glue without harming the threads. After that, we still have to figure out how to patch up these areas without distorting the fabric further… It is really about using strength in a controlled manner.”

Once the conservation process is completed, the artefacts are mounted on mannequins or soft boards for display.

They are slated for exhibition later this year.

Log on to Challenge Online and unravel the intricate nature of textile conservation work. www.challenge.gov.sg

Singapore Biennale 2011: Singapore Biennale 2011 will feature works by Singaporean youth alongside top international artists, to engage the public like never before. by

The idea of an open house is very much part of Singaporean society, such as when people open their homes to guests during festivals like Hari Raya or Chinese New Year.

The upcoming Singapore Biennale will apply this idea to the visual arts, to connect Singaporean artists, young and old, to the world.

Open House is the main theme of Singapore Biennale 2011 (SB2011) to be held from March 13 to May 15, 2011.

This will be the third edition of the country’s largest contemporary visual arts exhibition, held a year later than usual due in part to the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

“Open house” is also a mindset, the organisers say, a forward-looking attitude

Yong Shu Chiang

that welcomes new ideas and people from around the world into the mix. The Biennale will live up to this promise by displaying, for the first time, artworks

by Singapore children alongside those of established international artists.

Young Artists-in-the-making

These artworks exploring the idea of identity are the culmination of a yearlong public outreach programme to engage primary and secondary students.

Entitled Self-Portrait, Our Landscape (SPOL), the drawing and animation programme developed by Mr Matthew Ngui, the Biennale’s artistic director, involved some 3,200 students from 47 schools.

The youth were asked to draw their portraits without depicting their faces

as a subject matter. Instead, with their teachers and friends, they had to explore their own identity in relation to significant people or things around them. They also created “transitional drawings” for their self-portraits to be linked to those of their peers, through simple animation techniques.

Mr Tan Boon Hui, director of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), the appointed organiser of the Biennale, says it is “really a very radical idea” to place the works of non-artists as part of the main exhibition.

“These works are not considered peripheral; we recognise the passion to express. We are building an audience in our young and instilling pride and confidence in them that they have the talent and creativity,” he says.

Feature 33

These works are not considered peripheral; we recognise the passion to express.

WHO AM I? Artworks by students participating in Self Portrait, Our Landscape, a year-long public outreach programme to engage students in exploring the idea of identity.

The aim of the Biennale’s education and outreach programmes is to engage and develop different target audiences and create sustained interest in contemporary art, so that art becomes part of one’s daily life.

Ms Mabel Lui, a programmes manager with the Biennale, adds that older students may be invited to participate in the installation of the SPOL artworks.

“We want young people to know that they need not only be a passive Biennale visitor. They too can be part of a distinguished international event.”

The World to Singapore

Featuring more Singapore artists, including youth, is what Mr Tan means by the event giving back to society and to the Singapore arts scene.

By offering a high-profile platform for these artists to display their works – some 14% of all works will be Singaporean – and for them to interact with international counterparts, the event will “bring the world to Singapore,” he says.

This Biennale will build on the first two editions in 2006 and 2008 to show the world that Singapore is a world-class arts city and has an important international arts event worthy of attention.

The choice of SAM as organiser builds on the museum’s curatorial and visual arts programming expertise and gives the Biennale a more permanent presence, both at the museum proper and at its adjacent SAM at 8Q extension.

The museum undoubtedly has the necessar y resources, networks and manpower to handle an event like this.

According to Mr Tan, who has been involved in past Biennales, his role is as facilitator.

“I run the organising secretariat looking at the organisation of the entire event.

We shape it and make sure it achieves its chief objectives. A lot of it is down to communications.”

More than half of the artists will be commissioned to create new works, in response to Singapore’s culture, history and landscapes. Apart from SAM, historical locations across the island will be used as event venues.

DRAWING INSPIRATION left: Participants from Yuneng Primary; a young artist from Damai Primary and his art work; and students from Cedar Girls Secondary in a SPOL workshop.

Below: SAM director Tan Boon Hui; and Singapore Biennale 2011 Artistic Director Matthew Ngui.

It is vital that we use the Biennale as an expression of our people and time.

This engagement with people and space is one of the main priorities and would advance art as something that could be part of our lives.

Mr Tan is excited about working outside the museum, on sites that are unfamiliar as arts spaces, and so, offer learning opportunities in getting these places ready. For instance, Old Kallang Airport, Singapore’s first civil aviation airport in operation from 1937 to 1955, has never been used as an arts venue.

Renowned local visual artist Matthew Ngui, the Biennale’s artistic director, sees this as fulfilling the event’s need to be ‘experimental and brave’, and to push boundaries. Mr Ngui, Trevor Smith from America’s Peabody Essex Museum and Russell Storer of Queensland Art Gallery form the curatorial team.

“A biennale needs to ‘rock’ as it makes its own place within the global framework of contemporary visual arts events,” he says, noting that SAM has been receptive to fresh ideas in selecting works and presentation styles.

Among the artists set to participate are Elmgreen and Dragset, Ceal Floyer, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Tatzu Nishi, Arin Rungjang, Charles Sandison, Shooshie Sulaiman, Goto Design, and

homegrown pair Ming Wong and Tan Pin Pin.

Art as part of our lives

The Biennale further engages Singaporeans on another front: the often unsung heroes, the volunteers.

Mr Tan Chee Sean, Manager (Programmes) for the Biennale, who set up the framework for assessing volunteer needs, says recruitment began in November 2010, with training slated for February 2011.

While volunteers perform a wide variety of roles, including artist liaison, administration and tour guide, one of the most vital is helping to “bring contemporary art to the people by delivering clear, concise explanations of the artworks or attending to enquiries”.

Volunteers come from all walks of life, he says, each with unique skill sets.

Past Biennales have relied on volunteer forces 500- to 600-strong, with ages from 17 to 60. This year’s Biennale requires a similar-sized group.

“It is part of Biennale ethos to encourage learning new skills, developing friendships and ensuring an overall pleasant experience for volunteers. We really want them to have fun with their job!” says Mr Tan Chee Sean.

Mr Ngui agrees, stating that the Biennale must engage local audiences, children and adults alike. “It is vital that we use the Biennale as an expression of our people and time. This engagement with people and space is one of the main priorities and would advance art as something that could be part of our lives.”

If these aims succeed, this third Singapore Biennale, with its focus on new works that resonate with Singapore’s identity, education and outreach, could very well give ample reason to feel ‘house-proud’ about the country’s international standing in the contemporary art arena and its artistic prospects.

The Big Idea35

CLOUDS DOODLE Drawing inspiration from above

Cloud-gazing isn’t just an idle pastime. Each plume, every fluff, can be interpreted into as many things as your brain can make sense of, and this exercise encourages unfettered thinking to cultivate creativity.

Download a page of squiggles from Challenge Online/ The Big Idea and submit your most creative work to psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg before February 13, 2011.

A little closer to ground, though, is a more accessible activity you can try, to flex your creative muscles: Doodle!

Start with a few squiggles on a page and try to create a meaningful picture using all the squiggles. The drawing does not have to be realistic. The point is to make the abstract, tangible.

The three best entries will win this book by Keri Smith that will give you plenty more creative ideas!

This is what we’ve done with the squiggles – now it ’s your turn to breathe some life into them.

Dealing with change can be daunting. And sometimes we feel our worries fall on the deaf ears of bosses. How can we cope better? Jimmy Lee from the Singapore Prison Service shares his experience with change. by

Imagine you are a prison officer dealing with tough inmates for decades. You identify them by numbers, and you learnt from Prison 101 never to trust, much less befriend, them.

Then things change – not overnight, of course. The organisation now wants you to be more than a custodian, but also a rehabilitation officer, counsellor, mentor and leader for the inmates and your peers.

You feel uncertain: Will I be able to cope with so many changes? Now we have to call them by name? Will I lose my moral authority? Will we lose control?

new beginning

ending Denial

Anger

Ambivalence

Enthusiasm Importance

Frustration/ Stress

Transition zones

by William Bridges, Managing Transitions

Then 30, Jimmy had only been with the Prisons for four years and was, in his own words, “more open to change” than the old guard. He observed some officers were not so comfortable or willing to change; those who wanted to change did not know how to go about doing so.

According to Bridges, staff typically experience three “zones” or phases of transition: “Ending”, “Neutral” and “New Beginning”.

Bridges points out a subtle but important difference between change and transition: Change is situational, such as getting new roles or new structure, but transition is the psychological process that employees undergo to relinquish old mindsets and embrace new ones.

Hope

Shock

This mental bridge must be crossed before staff can adapt to a new organisational culture and adopt new ways of thinking. Being aware of this transition helps one cope better.

Such behaviour is what William Bridges, author of Managing Transitions, calls the “foot dragging” that managers face when they introduce change.

Acceptance

neutral zone

This was the anxiety that Jimmy Lee saw in some colleagues when the Singapore Prison Service began its transformation in 1999, launching its “Captains of Lives” concept and tagline.

Cross the Bridge First

Bridgette See

Most staff find themselves in the Ending Zone, where it is difficult to let go of the past, so they experience denial, shock, anger, even frustration and stress.

They then progress slowly to the Neutral Zone, when they have accepted that the old reality is gone but are reluctant to accept a new one. There is ambivalence and scepticism, before acceptance sets in.

They enter the New Beginning Zone when they are ready to accept a new reality, and there is a sense of importance, hope and enthusiasm.

Skepticism

Which zone are you in?

“Once you know the ‘why’, the ‘how’ becomes easier,” Jimmy Lee Being Roped In

Jimmy, now Senior Assistant Director of the Public Affairs Branch, experienced little of the Ending Zone. He progressed quickly through the Neutral, into the New Beginning Zone. He thinks it was because he – then a trainer at the Prison Staff Training School – was roped in to give secretariat support for those rolling out change.

Having more access to information led to a sense of ownership, he adds: “I felt in the loop [and was part of the] whole change process.”

Jimmy saw that the leaders gave room for officers to suggest ideas, experiment and speak up. Resources were given to make those ideas real, and small successes celebrated.

Level Up37 Have a Clear Purpose

The purpose was also explained clearly: The Prisons had to transform to give inmates an all-rounded support system so they will have a second chance in life.

In fact, the visioning process helped Jimmy realise that he really wanted to be a Captain of Lives. “I’m still with Prisons now (after 15 years) because my calling was discovered during that time,” he says. “The purpose [of my work] became clear… I saw the possibility of changing lives, one at a time.”

Be like Elephants

Communication helped us to cope with change, says Jimmy, who saw how the top management did not just talk about their plans, they listened too.

When the management heard that a group of older officers lacked confidence to take on new roles, they told them a story about elephants: When one is ill, the entire elephant herd stays back to nurse it back to health. This sent out a reassuring message: “Don’t worry, we will wait for you.”

So change happened – albeit slowly and painfully for some – especially after “the momentum kicked in, and they realised that it was not a fad anymore”, says Jimmy.

Jimmy and his colleagues saw that the management had the stamina to sustain a long-term transformation – this helped them let go of the old reality and overcome scepticism. When early adopters made positive inroads, their small wins convinced others that change was truly happening. It spurred others to join in, forming a community and creating an organisational culture that truly embraces change.

Take Control

Jimmy’s personal experience shows that being involved and informed helps one to adopt change. For him, “once you know ‘why’ [change is needed], the ‘how’ becomes easier.”

Instead of being paralysed by fear (which leads to inaction), Jimmy recommends others to also take small, first steps to gain confidence.

So, are you ready for that first step?

Read more about the Singapore Prison Ser vice transformation stor y here: http://www.prisons.gov.sg/our_transformation.html

Cheat Sheet for

Employees

How to cope with change Accept that fear and uncertainty is normal Be proactive: seek information, get involved Take small steps to gain confidence Mix with colleagues who are positive about change

Cheat Sheet for

Bosses

How to introduce change Clarify and communicate purpose Show long-term commitment, lead by example Inform and involve staff Listen to understand why staff fear change Acknowledge that change is tough Celebrate small wins

Custodian

Mentor

Counsellor

Leader

Rehabilitation Officer

This is the first of a three-part series on Managing Change. It was developed in collaboration with the Civil Service College Centre for Organisation Development.

From custodian to Captain of Lives Prison Service officer with a new purpose in life

Jo Soh, of homegrown brand Hansel, says Singaporeans should be less prejudiced against local designers who really can do good fashion. by

Yip Min-ting

I caught Jo Soh at a VERY exciting time in her career – she had just opened her new flagship Hansel store at Mandarin Gallery, and will be debuting hello hansel, her ladies’ casual wear line. Comparing her new shop’s interior design with that of her year-old former shop at Stamford House, she says proudly: “It’s more polished.”

The same can be said of her business sense, which she honed over seven years at the helm of Hansel. The road

creative vision. She has stuck resolutely to creating quirky and wearable clothes she would wear herself.

Aspiring designers would be glad to note that the local fashion landscape has become more conducive in the last few years – a fact Ms Soh acknowledges blithely. “There are now more local fashion brands, such as Raoul and alldressedup, to work for; more fashion degrees offered and initiatives like Asia Fashion Exchange and Parco next Next help to promote the local fashion industry and retain local talents.”

Despite crucial support by the government and private sectors, there are still obstacles for emerging designers. has not been easy. W hen Ms Soh first launched her label in Singapore in November 2003, the local fashion industry was still in its infancy. She had trouble sourcing for manufacturers and materials, and support for local fashion brands was feeble. Relocating to Australia crossed her mind but she saw the huge potential here and stepped up boldly to the challenge.

“There is more room to develop my brand here, while it’s more competitive in the fashion capitals,” she says.

Her efforts have paid off: Today, Hansel is also sold in Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States. Apart from her sharp design skills, it helps that she is media-savvy: when Katy Perry was in Singapore in August 2010, Ms Soh sent a few outfits to the American singer. Perry ended up crashing a Melbourne high school formal wearing the Sequin Bustier Dress from the Paper Dolly collection, dragging the dress into the headlines.

Bottomline, not just Hemlines

One of Ms Soh’s nagging regrets is not setting up her own shop earlier.

“I need to focus more on the business aspects of my brand,” she laments. In a fashion arena where money typically means more than art, she shows what the next generation of fashion designers needs to be: competent business managers who pay heed to the bottomline as much as to hemlines. This does not mean compromising on the

These have helped to breed up-andcoming designers.

Local fashion blogs have also helped to raise visibility for local labels. Test Shoot Gallery, a fashion blog founded by local stylist Ashburn Eng, for example, often features local designers and their collections. “I think Singaporeans have become more accepting of local labels, though there’s still a prejudice.

This needs to change, Singaporeans need to be aware that local designers are capable of creating good quality clothes and designs,” Ms Soh says.

No More Haji Lane

Despite crucial support by the government and private sectors, there are still obstacles for emerging designers. Rent is a major issue. “In cities like London, they have affordable quarters where designers can set up shop to sell their creations,” Ms Soh says. “Haji Lane used to be that kind of enclave but the rents have shot up and out of reach of many designers.”

There is also the lack of an active wholesale market for local brands. “Local stores usually stock local labels on consignment, while wholesale markets in many overseas cities are alive and kicking,” she says. The benefit of selling collections wholesale is that designers get paid upfront for their work, and their designs can reach more people.

Expanding overseas is another way to get a label noticed. Ms Soh advises getting an agent as they give better insight into the foreign market and locate the

right distribution channels. “Each market is different. For example, the Japanese prefer clothing that is loose and has several layers, so within a collection, I make sure there’re different designs to cater to different markets. Having a brand presence in a fashion capital like Tokyo can also raise the cachet of your brand.”

Sustaining a fashion business sounds like a lot of work, and Ms Soh couldn’t agree more. “Having passion is very essential. It’s also a good idea to work for others before starting out on your own, so that you can learn the ropes and make connections.” When you are plucking pins off the workroom floor at 2am, only passion can keep you going.

challenge asks Singaporeans what they think of the local fashion industry.

Local labels are struggling as there is little recognition and no platform to sell. They don’t take out big standalone boutiques and don’t advertise [so] they end up with a very niche group of clientele, or making made-to-measure.

There’s hope, though, with more fashion courses offered and stores like Parco and Tangs offering dedicated enclaves.

Esther Phua, 36, fashion magazine editor Most Singaporeans aren’t adventurous in their dressing. They tend to stick to familiar designers and high street brands.

So unless you produce great flip-flops, it’s hard for local brands to catch on.

Yvonne Chee, 29, marketing executive You need to be famous overseas before locals take note of you. There are designers creating cutting-edge stuff like Kwodrent, and Woods and Woods, so there’s hope in terms of creative output.

YH Low, 36, copywriter There are too many designers for womens’ wear! It’s probably a good idea for local designers to venture into mens’ wear or kids’ wear as these are growing markets too.

Cheryl Tan, 32, finance executive

40 Feature

ge llen C h ao e s t o g ce

Fran

Baba Bling in Paris

Ta ng

Singapore’s f irst major exhibition in a European museum wows visitors with its rich servings of Peranakan culture.

b

For them, Singapore was the gleaming, über-modern Switzerland of the East, where grey skyscrapers loom and cold, hard cash rules. What they weren’t expecting were the vibrant hues of pink, green, yellow, red and blue.

Or that they would be gawking at centuries-old artefacts of the most exquisite designs and craftsmanship born of a hybrid of Chinese, Malay and European traditions; and welcomed by chaleureux (warm) Singaporeans eager to share with them a slice of Peranakan, and of Singapore.

In that sense, the Baba Bling exhibition now showing in Paris “confounded expectations”, said Ms Barbara Fras, Assistant Director of Programmes at Singapore’s Peranakan Museum.

“The French might initially have a certain view of Singapore, as a financial hub or perhaps a more staid culture,” she said.

“But when they come to the exhibition, there is wonderment and delight. It’s ‘Wow, there is colour. I wasn’t expecting this and now I want to bring my grandchildren here!’ ”

ice n r Be y

“We loved it,” Adeline Lacote, a supply chain manager, told Challenge. “We didn’t know anything about Peranakans, and now we know it ’s a kind of a mixture between Eastern and Western cultures. Plus, the atmosphere is very gay and vibrant. That’s a nice change for a museum.”

Jointly organised by the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) and the Museum Quai Branly of Paris, Baba Bling showcases nearly 500 artefacts of the refined culture of the Peranakan Chinese in Singapore dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

PLAYING Dress up Visitors try out traditional Peranakan costumes, quite unlike theirs.

42 Feature Walk through a Peranakan home The Baba Bling exhibition at Museum Quai Branly spans 2,000 sq m – four times the size of the Special Exhibitions space at the ACM in Singapore – with nearly 500 artefacts on display, double what ACM normally handles in its exhibitions. “The coordination was the challenge,” said Ms Regine Aw, Assistant Director, Exhibition and Project Management, ACM. “We must make sure the pieces are stable for display.

We were extremely careful about how they were packed, and whether there were pieces that needed conservation work, which is very time-consuming. All this had to be done way in advance, so that the objects will be in time for sending (to Paris).”

“What visitors should look out for, aside from the beautiful objects, are the contextual settings. The exhibition design idea was to enable visitors to go through it, as if one was walking through a Peranakan home. For me, one of the most beautifully setup contextual settings is the wedding chamber,” said Ms Tan Huism, Deputy Director, Curation and Collections, ACM.

Clockwise from left: A children's beading workshop; an ancestral tablet; ACM staff Raaj Kannu and Barbara Fras who planned Baba Bling's outreach programmes; Peranakan household exhibits; a traditional Peranakan wedding staged by The Main Wayang Company; and a cooking workshop introducing spicy Peranakan flavours.

Surprising Singapore Baba Bling surprises visitors with the vibrant, rich hues of the Peranakans.

This is the first time Singapore is sending out such a major exhibition to a European museum.

“We enjoyed all the jewellery and textile exhibits. The furniture was very ornate.

It was fabulous,” said Bridgette Blanchet, a bank employee.

“We’re trying to move away from the impression that museums are stuffy. Everybody can appreciate dance, music, drama and children’s crafts connected to the exhibits, so we make it fun and educational. The most important thing is for visitors to understand and

Apart from viewing the objects on display, visitors to the show also got to experience Peranakan culture during nine days of activities in late October.

Children revelled in face painting, batik painting and beading, and, through the process, learned about the meanings behind Peranakan motifs such as the dragon and the phoenix.

value systems. We do have a social role to

Adults had their share of fun, too, at cooking demonstrations – every session was “sold out” – where they picked up recipes for dishes such as chendol custard and curry ayam, and got a chance to savour the spicy, earthly flavours of Peranakan cooking. There was even a traditional Peranakan wedding procession staged at the museum, by The Main Wayang Company of Singapore.

“Also, what we don’t want is for visitors to leave the exhibition thinking that the culture of the Peranakans is something of the past, because the majority of what they see, i.e. the artefacts, are of the past,” she stressed.

And at the end of the day, visitors got to take home a goody bag each containing Singapore souvenirs, plus the batik painted designs or clay handicrafts they had made during the crafts sessions. “ We want to leave a piece of Singapore with them,” said Mr Raaj Kannu, ACM’s Deputy Director of Programmes and Audience Development, who was jointly in charge of the programming with Ms Fras.

“The French visitors are very happy to be involved. During the wedding procession, you have huge crowds waiting, and when the performers invite them to dance, they all join in and have fun.”

Fun it certainly was, but that did not distract visitors from the weightier themes that the exhibition explores.

“It shows how a fusion community was able to straddle different worlds – Malay, Chinese, European. In a sense, that’s a reflection of Singapore – the way we are also plugged in to the region and able to straddle between East and West, and at the same time create our own identity,” said Ms Tan Huism, the curator behind Baba Bling, and Deputy Director, Curation and Collections, of ACM.

appreciate the cultural elements of the exhibitions. When you understand each other’s cultures, you’ll have a better appreciation of the person’s beliefs and play,” says Mr Raaj Kannu, ACM’s Deputy Director of Programmes and Audience Development.

“The point is, there are Peranakans today, and the meanings of these objects and the culture has changed over time.

These are issues explored in Chris Yap’s photography (exhibited in Baba Bling), so we thought Chris’s work was a fitting end to the exhibition. The exhibition itself, then, is not just about the Peranakans, but also about cultural identity, and how it is constructed.”

Thanks to Baba Bling, other statutory boards have grabbed the opportunity to promote other aspects of Singapore to the French public, too. The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, for instance, came up with Festivarts, a festival showcasing the best of Singapore music, dance and theatre.

“It’s about how we maximise exposure – to let people think not just about Peranakans, but also about other aspects of multicultural Singapore,” observed Ms Tan.

Baba Bling which runs till January 30 is the result of the MOU between ACM and the Museum Quai Branly to intensify cultural exchange. Their second joint exhibition “Congo River: Arts of Central Africa” at the ACM ends on April 10, 2011.

44 The Irreverent Last Page

BINGO Tired of listening to work jargon that tries to convey much but really, says very little? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turn that into something fun with our very own Public Service Office Bingo. Tune out office-speak no more; keep your ears peeled to catch those offending words for your bingo grid. Sharpest ears win!

STRATEGIC

Need We Say More?

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where we let the humour loose, and learn to laugh at ourselves a little more.

Have ideas or jokes about the Public Service? Email us: psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

P/s: This is just a sample grid.

For the real McCoy, visit our website at www.challenge. gov.sg to download grids to play Office Bingo. Instructions are online too. You can also tell us what other buzzwords we can use for future grids.

1. The _______________ is the national agency for design and is a part of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

A. B. C. D.

National Design Council National Design Agency Singapore Council of Design DesignSingapore Council

2. The President’s Design Award celebrates the achievements of Singapore’s

design industry and outstanding designers and designs that have raised

the bar for design excellence in Singapore. The award is now into

its__________ year.

A. B. C. D.

1st 5th 10th 20th

There are f ive pairs of

3. The ongoing President’s Design Award 2010 Exhibition at the

__________ will end on February 10, 2011.

A. B. C. D.

URA Centre SUNTEC Convention Centre MICA Building Singapore Discovery Centre

4.

“MADE FOR ____: Museum art you can bring home”, was launched by the Singapore Art Museum in October 2010; and features a series of everyday items, reinvented and given a unique, artistic twist by 40 local artists and designers.

A. B. C. D.

You Me Singapore SAM

5. The former St Anthony’s Convent along Middle Road will be

the site of the new National Design Centre. It will house the

___________, which will run programmes for professionals

to build design thinking capabilities.

A. B. C. D.

Design Design Design Design

Thinking and Innovation Academy Thinking and Productivity Academy Thinking Academy College

Movie Vouchers to be won

Submit your answers by

February 13, 2011 at: Website

www.challenge.gov.sg

Email

psd_challenge@psd.gov.sg

Fax

6333 4010 Please include your name, email address, agency and contact number.

All winners will be notified by email.