Design Power Index Debuts as Singapore’s DBCS Marks 40th Anniversary, Taking Design Leadership Worldwide

Singapore’s design landscape reached a significant milestone as the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) celebrated its 40th anniversary with a major global initiative. At a gala dinner held at Gardens by the Bay on 25 November 2025, graced by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, DBCS launched the World Design Business Organisation (WDBO), a new international platform created in partnership with the global creative change firm Consulus.

The launch signals a strategic shift from celebrating design excellence to quantifying its economic and social value worldwide.

Central to the WDBO’s mission is the Design Power Index (DPI), described as the world’s first framework to measure how design contributes to economic growth, market creation and social advancement. Chee Su Eing, Chairperson of WDBO and former President of DBCS, explained that the goal is to give design a measurable language that investors, policymakers and corporations can understand, making its value a tangible part of global progress.

The evening also honoured the winners of the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards 2025. The Platinum Award went to Castomize’s TessaCast, a breathable 4D printed orthopaedic cast that adapts to a patient’s contours, reduces medical waste by 30% and represents sustainable healthcare innovation.

Gold Awards were presented to three projects: ReBalance by Ability Robotics, a wearable balance assist device recognised in the special Silver Futures category focusing on active ageing; Accessible Sights by Trigger Design and Beyond Vision International, an inclusive tourism experience using visually impaired docents; and the SCDF myResponder App by EY Digital, which enhances community led emergency response.

Special Mention awards were given to projects including MonoLab Studio’s The Reserve, a converted industrial vault facility; Gallery G(ai)le + Musebox by NCS and National Gallery Singapore, which uses AI to make art accessible; CPF’s Life Supermart by PLUS Collaboratives for retirement planning design; and The Afternaut Group’s EDL Showcase Gallery for spatial innovation.

In conjunction with its 40th anniversary, DBCS introduced the ReMarkables, a new recognition for organisations that have won SG Mark awards for five to nine consecutive years since 2013. The 2025 list of 21 ReMarkables includes OCBC, DBS, Keppel Land, Philips, ONG&ONG, Dell Technologies and Playpoint Singapore, celebrated for sustained design excellence.

The Design Power Index 2025 awards were also presented during the gala, with nine organisations recognised, including RSP, A*STAR, Kingsmen Creative, Mandai Wildlife Group and V3 Group.

The event also featured the Seed Award for emerging design talent, the People’s Choice Award won by Coliwoo Bukit Timah Fire Station, and announcements for the 2026 SG Mark open call and the Future Leaders Fellowship Programme starting in early 2026.

President of DBCS, Hong Khai Seng, reflected that the SG Mark has always mirrored Singapore’s design evolution, valuing empathy, purpose and progress. With the launch of WDBO and the introduction of the ReMarkables, DBCS reinforces its belief that design excellence, viewed as an economic driver, can sustain local impact and gain global recognition.