The Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS), originally founded in 1994, is re-launching and bringing with it the inaugural Singapore Interior Design Award, the country’s first international design award. 

Keat Ong, managing director of Nota Design Group, is the president of SIDS and spearheaded the re-launch of the organization as well as the new award. He explains, “As the region develops, the demand for construction, interior design, fit-out and architectural services will also grow. And Singapore, as an established knowledge economy, is well poised to promote a shift to a high-tech creative economy in sectors such as lifestyle, creative agencies, including design: industrial, fashion, technology, architecture and interior design. Entrepreneurs with a passion for design will have an opportunity to become pioneers in this growing sector. We also aim to attract the most creative people locally and regionally to enter the profession in Singapore. This helps Singapore become more competitive in an increasingly design-conscious world.”

Among the revamped organization’s 140 members is a contingent, 10 percent strong, of designers from abroad, including China, India and Australia. Most hail from the interior design realm, but others come from fields including architecture, furniture, lighting and academics.

“While we want to attract and nurture design talent here, SIDS, under the current society leadership, also intends to create an external wing for Singapore’s interior design industry,” said Ong. “We want to carve out a forward-thinking, outward-looking strategy to allow our organization to act as a bridge for our local design talent to expand beyond our local shores. We have a lot to share with the world. We will also work with other professional bodies in different foreign cities to share and exchange knowledge to better our profession. In line with our strategy, the council has also revised our traditional membership structure to allow foreign (but non-voting) memberships to add to the diversity of the society.”