Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Reset Summit 2021

2021

Following two successful gatherings in Singapore (2016) and Kuala Lumpur (2018), we were commissioned by Team Sweden in Singapore to design the 3rd edition of the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit (2021) in the form of a hybrid event where top opinion leaders from all around the world were invited to both the the live venue as well as online to engage in a series of panel discussions which focuses on the Reset that is needed post-covid.

Attended by both live and online audiences, topics were discussed in regards to sustainability, digitalisation, and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead to make this happen; helping companies in Southeast Asia and Sweden to be prepared for this new business landscape as global markets begin their recovery.

Engagement is what distinguishes a hybrid event from a live event with tech elements. We designed beautiful homely stages, with physical ‘living rooms’ set against various backdrops of digital ‘homes’; in response to how people from all over the world could be invited into each other's metaphorical homes during a time where air travel is extremely difficult in order to partake in deep conversations.

ADM Alumni Show 2021

2021

The ADM Alumni Show is part of the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University’s efforts to showcase alumni who have made waves in the creative industry, as well as to create an aspirational connection between the generations of graduates with the current students. Doubling up as curators for this year's show, we presented the theme, titled 'Creativity in the time of COVID-19', exploring how six alumni from Design Art & Media Art disciplines have responded to this unprecedented year through their creativity, and the works displayed at this showcase are a testament to that.

Participating alumni are Bao Songyu, Goh Wei Choon, Annette Lee, Pek Shun Ping, Marvin Tang and Denise Nicole Yap.

ADM Show 2020: Live

Drawing reference from the exhibition identity based on the concept of 'Unseen to Seen', our design for the various spaces features a distinctive, eye-catching and scalable super-graphic in the form of a neon orange square. This dynamic super-graphic extends from walls and stairways, punctuating and activating the various spaces within this exhibition, nestled across two floors in the old colonial building of Gillman Barracks, turning them from naked spaces into the embodiment of creativity.

FACTORY was also tasked with designing the ADM Alumni Collective Showcase that was held in conjunction with the ADM Show 2020: Live. This exhibition celebrates the post graduate lives of ADM students through a showcase of an eclectic selection of works, serving as an opportunity to inspire and share with the graduating cohort the possibilities beyond school. The identity builds upon the main branding of the show in the form of large-scale rainbow foils. Mirrored and elegant, it balances the excitement and portrays the gravitas associated with the alumnus.

ADM Travelling Show 2020

2020

Each year, the NTU School of Art, Design and Media in Singapore organises the ADM Show, an exhibition that showcases the works of the graduating artist and designers from the BFA Media Art and Design Art programmes.

In a year where COVID-19 has rendered most physical experiences impossible, the show was inevitable cancelled in the midst of a nationwide lockdown. The challenge for us, was how do we design a solution to organise and showcase the wide-ranging work of 160 multi-disciplinary students whose practices span Digital Animation, Filmmaking, Photography, Visual Communication, Product Design, and Interactive Media? On top of that, how do we present their works to an important group of audience (leading creative industry experts and possible future employers) in an engaging way that has traditionally been showcased via a physical exhibition?

We conceived the notion of a travelling show; a package that contains all of the student works presented in various fashions according to what best-allowed viewers a unique experience regardless of the medium of choice.

Accolades
Red Dot Design Awards 2021 (Brands & Communication Design) – Best of the Best
2021 Art Director's Club Awards (Brand/Communication Design) – Bronze
DNA Paris Design Awards 2021 (Graphic Design/Communication Design)– Winner

In an age whereby print continues its decline, it was imperative for us to design a piece that breathed emotional tactility whilst exemplifying the beauty and power of print; one that would emotionally connect with viewers and buck the trend whereby every event and social engagement has literally gone digital. The travelling show employs the concept of 'Unseen to Seen', as the graduating cohort seek to bring to light multiple perspectives and hidden entities through their creative works. The concept ties into the broad spectrum of how creativity acts as a beacon in such difficult times to offers new insight and renewed ambition.

The notion of bringing creativity to people was also a guiding principle for our design approach. The travelling show cover was designed to have a strong graphic and textural impact in response to a year that felt unrelenting in its intensity. Using the flocking technique, we intentionally obscured the manifesto of the graduating cohort against a backdrop of a bold, neon orange cover, further emphasising on the concept of bringing to light the 'Unseen to Seen'. Upon opening of the package, one would encounter a full black on black interior, marked by an eye-catching vacuumed formed interior, which spells out the show title. Juxtaposing this are six individual packages, which are crafted with a multitude of print techniques that best showcased the nature of the disciplines.

ADM Show 2020

2020

We conceived the notion of hybrid exhibition in two major components: the first ever ADM digital graduation show in the form of an interactive website and live streams coupled with the ADM Travelling Show, and a mailer package which contains all of the student works presented in various fashions according to what best-allowed viewers a unique experience regardless of the medium of choice.

Visit website here

The interactive website features an easy-to-access library of the graduating cohort’s final year projects and their CVs, sorted neatly across their area of disciplines. A nifty preview function brings up thumbnails of their works upon hovering over their names. A ‘Seen’ function auto tracks and tells users which works they have already browsed, reinforcing the show concept of ‘Unseen to Seen’. Furthermore, a bookmark function allows for later reference, especially useful for potential employers and collaborators.

Ground Eyes Entertainment

2019

Established in Shenzhen China, Ground Eyes Entertainment has grown to become one of the leading names in the region, specialising in the production and promotion of large-scale live events and concerts by Asian and International artistes.

The bold new brandmark and identity system we've created pays homage to Ground Eyes Entertainment's brand essence, summed up as 'Good Music, To Be Seen' (好音乐，看得见). A ray of stage light is incorporated into the Chinese character for 'Seen' (观) as part of their brandmark, the striking neon yellow acting as a key signifier set against neutral warm grey tones, representing the elements of exuberance and excitement that’s ingrained in the brand’s DNA.

PROCESS

2021

PROCESS is a digital event jointly organised by RJ Paper (Singapore) and Colorplan (UK), which features a gathering of regional artists to discuss how paper is still relevant in their creative process amidst this excessively digital age shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A digital strategy was developed to convey the concept of “Process” to art & design students and practitioners, with original content created by the artists using the new Colorplan series of paper. This was supplemented by talks and conversations from the paper mill as well as an Instagram take-over by risograph printing studio Knuckles & Notch featuring a workshop on the possibilities of risograph printing using the Colorplan papers. Engagement posts were designed to be chirpy and casual in tone, supported by vibrant animations to bring attention to Colorplan's impressive range of coloured paper stock.

CIRCUIT#1

2021

CIRCUIT#1 is an online exhibition curated by Dance Nucleus and supported by the National Arts Council (Singapore), featuring a collection of artefacts by Singaporean independent artists working with contemporary performance. As a response to the 2020 lockdown in Singapore, during which all live artistic events were cancelled, artists had to improvise novel ways of harnessing digital infrastructures to re-negotiate time and space in both quotidian and abstract senses in order to continue with their research, creations and productions.

We developed this digital experience to help bring to life these performance works in an interesting and fresh manner. Eschewing the typical online exhibition model, CIRCUIT#1 is a true reflection of the multi-faceted human experiences that can be brought forth through dance and performance. As a inspired touch, brand extensions for the Dance Nucleus organisation were applied to the platform through nifty animation effects such as trailing thumbnails and moire-esque backgrounds, interpreted as varied ways of inscribing dance via a digital realm.

Experience CIRCUIT#1 here

Accolades
Graphis Design Annual 2023 – Silver
DNA Paris Design Awards 2021 (Graphic Design/Website Design)– Winner
AWWWARDS –Nomination
Macau Design Award 2021 – Finalist

Write a Christmas Card 2020

2020

For the sixth edition of our studio's #WriteaChristmasCard series, we designed a beautifully flocked card featuring a cat being crushed by snowballs, as a reflection of the times we live in. 2020 will be remembered within our generation as a truly messed up year. What a fucking year indeed!

#WriteaChristmasCard is our studio's yearly self-initiated campaign to encourage people to send a handwritten note or a card to someone they care about for Christmas. Through the joy of receiving, we hope it in turn inspires the recipients to do the same.

Days__ & Counting Press Kit

2020

As part of Days__ and Counting preview organised by OH! Open House, members of the local media were invited to a mini physical art experience, where they were brought to a desolate bedroom to navigate the digital experience in private.

The invitation arrived in the form of a paper crafted TV remote control mimicking those people used to access the teletext system back in the 90s. The shortcut buttons are replaced with keywords such as Eat, Sleep, Wake, Work, Netflix, Repeat; daily motions that reflected the monotony of quarantine life which is a unanimous experience felt by the masses during the unprecedented lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unknown at first glance, a newspaper bulletin is hidden within the package which details the curatorial and artists messages from this experience. As a bonus(pun), a bottle of hand sanitiser (packaged as a sanitiser for 'mental fatigue') was housed within it too, creating a highly unique press kit with a touch of the fun and the unexpected.

Explore the Days__ & Counting experience here.