PDF - Challenge Online

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
05EXCELLENT 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
16FLIGHTS 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
04NEWS 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
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Tuber Productions Pte Ltd
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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
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Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office.
Copyright of the materials contained in this
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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.
07
04
08
05
06
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
13
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
09
10
11
12
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
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STRATEGIC
Need We Say More?
Here’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
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Fax
6333 4010
Please include your name,
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