Annual design festival demonstrated the impact of good design and inspired collaboration across diverse communities, paving the way for next year's theme “Nation by Design”.

Singapore, 24 October 2024 – Singapore Design Week (SDW) 2024 drew over 190,000 visitors and more than 700 designers and creatives during its 11-day run from 26 September to 6 October 2024. More than 80 events were held across the city as part of the festival, spanning three Design Districts – Bras Basah.Bugis, Marina, and Orchard – and beyond, including an exhibition in the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum plus talks and open houses in the Changi and Joo Chiat areas.

Organised by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), this year's festival explored the theme "People of Design", bringing together participants from within and beyond the design community to celebrate everyday visionaries with a passion for making lives better through design.

“This edition was truly a festival for the people, exploring a wide range of topics and perspectives – from relatable ideas to in-depth discussions about the role of design in society. Our festival theme not only provided an opportunity for more creatives to come together to present their works collaboratively, but also cultivated a shared understanding of design among people from all walks of life. Key events that were curated with our partners in the three Design Districts presented distinct programming unique to each area, coupled with a human touch to design by featuring familiar rituals, objects, or places.” says Jody Teo, Festival Director of SDW 2024.

A festival for the people
In keeping with this year’s focus on people, the festival brought together partners, creatives, and designers across diverse fields and areas. For the first time, the Marina Design District encompassed not just the Marina Bay but also the Marina Central district.

"Marina Central is honoured to participate in Singapore Design Week 2024, where we presented 17 installations, exhibitions and events under the curatorial theme of Neufolk: ​ Bridging Tradition and Future in Design. The overall reception was heartening, especially when we saw families, friends, and couples gathered in our district to create their own shared memories and be enriched by the impact of good design," says Dawn Lai, Co-chairperson of the Marina Central Business Improvement District and Chief Operating Officer of ESR Trust Management (Suntec) Limited.

It was also the first time since SDW's relaunch in 2022 that a key event was staged in Orchard, Singapore’s famed shopping belt.

Cheryl Sim, one of the creative brains behind Re-Route: Orchard, shares, “Re-Route provided an accessible platform for design-savvy and mainstream audiences to engage with design, using Singapore's favourite shopping belt as a familiar starting point. Activations such as the Charrdo Stamp Rally and Orchard Photo Walk attracted high engagement online and on-site, while the industry talks sparked optimistic conversations about design's potential to create better solutions across a wide range of disciplines, especially in the retail sector. Our stakeholders in Orchard gave positive feedback, noting how the event had successfully helped people understand design's role in creating thoughtful interventions that bring attention to often-overlooked places, objects, and stories around us.”

In addition, this year’s expanded Design Futures Forum saw over 800 attendees across the two-day programme, which focused on design’s role in the future of emerging technology, sustainability, and care. Over 40 international and local thought leaders – nearly tripling last year’s line-up – shared their take on how designers and non-designers alike needed to take charge to design better solutions across these three focus areas. Among them were respected industry heavyweights, including tech futurists Lindsey McInerney and Cathy Hackl, keynote speakers for Day 1.

Lastly, the third edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia drew in a crowd of over 11,000 visitors from across 52 countries, which further established the trade platform as a leading show for the industry in the region. Southeast Asian showcase EMERGE @ FIND also presented works from over 60 established and emerging Southeast Asian designers, including recent graduates – a first for the exhibition.
From people to nation: Unveiling the theme of Singapore Design Week 2025
As Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary of independence next year, SDW 2025 will mark this milestone through the theme "Nation by Design". Set to return in September, next year’s festival will offer a national perspective on Singapore’s design-led development, its recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Design, and the transformative role of design for the country’s future.