I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Thursday August 20th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Thursday August 20th — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Thursday August 20th — —

Brand Guide: Singapore Edition

This week we were introduced to a beautiful new printed project from Singapore conceived by think-tank and studio Foreign Policy Design Group. The super diverse ‘Brand Guide: Singapore Edition’ rounds up the iconic homegrown brands that attest to the current golden age of design in Singapore. It goes in-depth, featuring the brains behind some of Singapore’s most well-known and well-loved brands, such as Unlisted Collection:, The Lo & Behold Group, Papa Palheta, Ong Shunmugam, GOODSTUPH, DrGL, Supermama, BooksActually, Plain Vanilla and a favorite of ours: Wanderlust Hotel. Doubling as an alternative travel guide for the modern design traveller, ‘Brand Guide: Singapore Edition’ hopes to share their appreciation for local brands and to inspire that in their readers. The elegant designed work balances visuals and storytelling, making the publication a rich experience giving wonderful insight into the creative culture of Singapore.

This meticulous documentation of the creative inspiration and design processes, filled with takeaways and anecdotes capturing successes and failures, is presented in an accessible manner, easily understood by the everyday man or anyone with a fledging interest in design.

Each brand and design report in’Brand Guide: Singapore Edition’ about the respective businesses are crafted from first-hand accounts, chatting with the respective head honchos and their designers who are responsible for the brands to ensure both style and substance are duly delivered. Incorporating words of wisdom straight from the horse’s mouth, the reports are personable and relatable, surmising the handwork and pointers the brand owners have chosen to share with the readers.

Foreign Policy Design Group’s co-founder Yah-Leng Yu on contemporary Singapore:

The last few years has seen a proliferation of interesting shops, restaurants, hotels. We feel that our current generation now appreciates and understands the importance of design and branding. This has also given rise to a new breed of entrepreneurs who are changing the local landscape — designers are given more freedom to create better work; work that is different. It’s a two-way street: both designs and brands are elevated.

‘Brand Guide: Singapore Edition’ is the first guide of its kind by Foreign Policy Design Group, putting Singapore on the global design road map. The group hopes to take this endeavours overseas and produce future editions that will document and feature leading brands and designers in other cities around the globe.

For more information and to order the inspirational publication online see here.