Chemistry Team firmly believes that the design agency in Singapore does not exist merely for the aesthetics of the end-product. From the beginning of humankind, it was always intuitive to design and create in order to solve problems. Our fundamental need for organisation and survival has fostered a tendency to innovate. Whether it is the early invention of weaponry or Da Vinci’s sketches of the steam engine, design has been central to the human experience. However, at some point of history, design has somehow become known as a purely aesthetic tool.
Presently, Singapore’s booming design scene adopts a similar aesthetic-oriented approach to design. If you would ask any marketing person their idea of design, they would most probably use verbs like “beautify” or “photoshop”. Thus, firms and agencies have adapted their businesses to fit this idea. This is especially pertinent in the field of graphic design. Designers take the backseat in the innovation process and are tasked with tidying up the end-product. This is pertinent in the design of logos, branding, decks, websites and collaterals among others.
The growing popularity of social media gave rise to countless new opportunities for exposure and interaction online. Businesses began to see that this technology allowed them to communicate with their customers like never before. In fact, popular social media sites like Instagram and Facebook even have in-built demographic-targeting features. In addition, the ability to review and analyse data collected via clicks or swipes provided incredibly valuable insights. This has all proved to provide businesses direct, trackable returns.
Social media content creation largely falls on the plate of designers. This has inevitably made them significantly more involved in the innovation process. This has allowed designers to exercise their creativity in crafting narratives and solving problems. As a result, organisations have started seeing the value of designers beyond aesthetics. Meanwhile, designers like Nathan Blescharczky (Airbnb) and Perry Chen (Kickstarter) skyrocketed their startups using design principles.
The aforementioned designers discovered that the principles they use when creating content applied to solving a wide scope of problems as well. In its simplest form, design is human-centered. Whether it is calling them to action or simply raising awareness, the intention of every design centers around the end-user. The ability to easily empathise with a target demographic has consequently turned designers into efficient problem solvers. In addition, designers possess the skills and tools to create and revise testable prototypes. This has placed designers in the position to fill many gaps in the market today.
Businesses and organisations wanted in on this. They quickly realised that these startups rendering them irrelevant. Smarter organisations started trying to figure out the processes that these designers used. It became quite obvious that they were not effectively innovating and creating new products and services that would meet the growing needs of their customers. This was when Tim Brown, the CEO of an international design consulting firm, decided to shift “design” in business from noun to verb. As we’ve explored before, this meant changing this idea of design from a “‘thing-to-be-done” to an ongoing part of the entire process. Quite naturally, he coined this organised framework of how designers think the “Design Thinking Process”.
Since the introduction of this process, it has come to gain popularity as an innovative problem-solving tool or approach. In fact, one of Chemistry Team’s key services is conducting design thinking workshops to introduce the approach to businesses. This includes collaboratively applying the process with our clients to solve their business problems. The goal was always to make logical, organised sense of something designers felt was intuitive and what business people deemed ambiguous. Design agencies in Singapore are filled with talented designers with all the right tools and skills to innovatively solve problems. However, instead of doing just that, many designers still work tirelessly to create aesthetics that would accommodate someone else’s brief.
Our team comprises of designers from all disciplines. From product and industrial designers to content and UI designers, we believe that this provides the means to holistically approach the design thinking process. As previously mentioned, we firmly believe in the involvement of designers throughout the problem solving or product-creation process. The innovation capability of designers allows companies to creatively maneuver the market and adapt to ever changing customer needs. It is our business to help our clients understand how their customers live, work and play. This allows us to design a strategy that focuses on the problem through a human-centered lens.
In 2011, Phoon Huat Pte Ltd, one of Singapore’s largest wholesalers and retailers of baking goods, engaged Chemistry Team to reimagine the customer-facing portion of their brand. With reference to the company’s logo, Phoon Huat’s team decided on the name “Redman”. In order for us to better understand the brand direction, we gathered data on their current and potential customers. We wanted to leverage on the existing ethos while modernising the brand and pushing it into relevancy. This was because we found that this spirit of honesty and reliability made the brand a household name. We did this by expanding on the public’s perception of Phoon Huat as a traditional, neighborhood “mom & pop” store. The aim was for customers to feel that the same honesty and reliability even though Redman was upscaling.
In 2017, Redman was to launch its first flagship store in the recently opened Star Vista mall. Phoon Huat once again engaged us to devise a spatial and digital design for the store…
Read more about Chemistry Team’s work with RedMan here.
