FOREWORD Lian Loke

We live in unprecedented times, where a global pandemic has disrupted the world as we knew it. The university is no exception. Our students have made the journey through university, not as expected, but like a true odyssey abounding in challenges and obstacles to be overcome. With many months of studying online disrupting the usual rhythms of campus life, we all got used to a life online, operating out of our homes and bedrooms. We missed the spark and energy of being in the same room together, yet got savvy with online digital collaboration tools. Our students and staff found ways to connect, to network, and to create opportunities.

Our students produced creative, thoughtful and inspiring design work and research despite the difficulties, transforming an obstacle into an opportunity. I extend my gratitude to my colleagues, for their dedicated and passionate commitment to teaching and mentoring our students through this incredibly challenging period, often going way beyond normal duties to create positive learning environments for our students. A special thank you to our industry guests and partners, who bring a much valued professional practice perspective to the classroom.

‘It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.’ The words of the 14th Dalai Lama are a call to action for our graduating students. Our students are equipped with a great capacity for invention, to imagine alternatives, to materialise and bring forth new ways of living. To collaborate, to advocate, to challenge the status quo. To test, to question, to fail, to get back up again. These are the skills cultivated in our design degrees. It gives me great hope that a new generation of designers will be making a difference, helping us to imagine not just what might be, but making the leap to a brave new world.