Fresh from the Degree Show 2017 at the SOTA Gallery, the fourth cohort of honours students to graduate from The Glasgow School of Art (GSofA) received their degrees at a ceremony today.
A total of 114 graduating students received their scrolls at a ceremony held at SIT@Dover and officiated by Professor Tom Inns, Director of GSofA. They are the fourth cohort of recipients of the BA (Hons) Communication Design and BA (Hons) Interior Design degrees awarded by GSofA as part of its collaboration with SIT.
The annual Glasgow School of Art Singapore Degree Show 2017, held from 17 to 23 June, saw a myriad of interesting design work and thought-provoking campaigns that examined cultures both local and foreign, rethinking and questioning the way we live today, and reimagining the future.
We speak to some of these fresh graduates to understand the design concept behind their final-year projects.
Name: Abdul Rahman
Programme: Communication Design
Project Title: Vol.1: What’s Wrong With Black Sheep?
A publication featuring original counterculture artworks, the project by Abdul Rahman aims to encourage one to take courage in one’s ideas and individuality. “Every day, we’re bombarded by ideas of how things should be, how we’re supposed to think. It has come to a point where we’re so desensitised that we simply follow. My two years at GSofA has trained me to focus more on thinking than doing, and to develop ideas that are unique and marketable – which is what matters in this time and age.”
Rahman has been selected to join UPSTARTS – a 12-month graduate placement programme designed by the Institute of Advertising Singapore, in conjunction with Economic Development Board (EDB), to accelerate graduates’ career growth potential. He is currently a copywriter with advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather.
Name: Wong Jun Yi
Programme: Communication Design
Project Title: Making Places
A campaign that aims to engage Singaporeans to share their journeys and impressions of their neighbourhood, to build a sense of belonging among them. “We live in and go to places all over, but sometimes we can be oblivious to the stories of our surroundings. My project aims to bring back the olden day charms and reveal the beauty of mundane corners. I’m grateful for my training at GSofA as it has enabled me to look beyond the surface and explore more in-depth into ideas and concepts,” said Jun Yi, an alumnus of Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma in Visual Communications.
Name: Chua Rui Min
Programme: Interior Design
Project Title: Moving Clouds
Aiming to find joy in the mundane, Rui Min recreates the notion of cloud-gazing indoors with simple modules made of plastic bags in the Moving Clouds installation. It is an attempt to translate the fluidity and dynamism of clouds in the sky, connecting it with an everyday space – the MRT station.
“I enjoy watching clouds and I hope that the installation is able to inject life into mundane environments. I particularly find the Overseas Immersion Programme in Glasgow beneficial as I get to acquire a critical understanding of the global practice of design. It was truly an eye-opening experience for me,” said Rui Min, who holds a Diploma in Space & Interior Design from Nanyang Polytechnic.
Name: Maggie Ng
Programme: Interior Design
Project Title: Fores-ity
Addressing issues of Singapore’s ageing population and food scarcity, the interior design project by Maggie reimagines a defunct school building and converts it into a multi-generational care centre and urban farm. The project, which took three months from conceptualisation to completion, revolves around the themes of nature, and in particular, the forest.
Maggie entered GSofA after graduating from Temasek Polytechnic’s Diploma in Interior Architecture & Design. “It was the best choice I have made in my life. There is the constant push from the GSofA lecturers to help me uncover my potential and gain a deeper understanding of design work.”
