Tung Ching Yew is the managing director of award-winning Spirit of Design Analogy (SODA) and the current president of the Society of Interior Designers, Singapore (SIDS). With more than two decades of industrial experience in design consultancy and project management, and more than 300 completed projects in 8 countries under his belt, Tung Ching Yew brings a wealth of experience and expertise to SIDS. Asia Designers Directory connects with Tung to learn about his plans and views of Singapore’s interior design industry.
SIDS aims to advance the interior design profession in Singapore. Can you share some of the endeavours during your tenure as SIDS president?
As the president of SIDS, I am building on the strong foundation set up by my predecessors. As with all work carried out at an association level, the emphasis is working collectively rather than unilaterally. I am spearheading collaborative works with industry partners, institutes of higher learning (IHLs), non-profit organisations (NGOs), as well as government agencies to further our ambition.
For instance, SIDS is involved in Forward SG, a national movement launched by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in 2022. Our role is to support one to two of six pillars in this movement to advance the society. We hope to rope in students from IHLs to engage in conceptualising ideas and proposals for this national project. As part of this proposed plan, groups of students will be mentored by industry practitioners and partners be it in design realms such as spatial interior or UI/UX. This will promote vibrant exchanges between academia, industry practitioners, and of course, government agencies.
This is aligned with our aspiration to nurture the next generation of interior designers and support them in their career trajectory. It is also an extension of our accreditation efforts. Right now, we are working very closely with the IHLs to finalise professional practitioner courses.
As both a practitioner and educator for over 15 years, where I am currently an adjunct lecturer with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Nanyang Polytechnic, and also in the midst of obtaining a Master’s degree in Design from Goldsmiths, University of the Arts, under the Lasalle College of the Arts, I recognise the value of a good education. I am always very supportive of higher learning and the need for continued learning to keep abreast with the industry.
Last year, SIDS launched an accreditation scheme to regulate the interior design industry. A new programme to mentor local interior designers was also incepted. What have been the challenges of implementing these changes and how does SIDS address industry shifts?
The accreditation scheme generated a lot of interest and sign-ups at the beginning, but we quickly learned that one of the challenges is convincing industry stakeholders of the long-term value of an accreditation scheme, especially since the industry has worked in the absence of one for so many years. Many practitioners are more pragmatic and feel that embarking on the accreditation scheme implies extra time and money dedicated to attending relevant courses and obtaining necessary certification.
From SIDS’ standpoint, the accreditation scheme can help elevate industry standards. I hope that during my presidency term, I can add more value to this scheme. This could mean engaging the private sector, comprising of developers, building owners and management, to recognise this accreditation and perhaps require interior designers to be accredited to bid for tenders. At the same time, I hope that we can strengthen the accreditation framework with more considerations for professional recognition that can regulate and benefit the wider industry.
The mentorship programme, on the other hand, is designed for interior designers who are not yet qualified to be accredited, to help them obtain relevant experience for accreditation. One of the challenges is a potential conflict of interest between mentors and mentees. Moving forward, we hope to implement a more transparent matchmaking process between mentors and mentees and introduce progressive consultations to grow this mentorship programme.
Adding to our accreditation scheme, we are in the process of setting up an incubator or accelerator programme for accredited interior designers to help them kickstart their entrepreneurial journey. The programme can offer designers guidance on logistics and legal matters when setting up a company, as well as guidelines when formulating contracts.
With the rise of freelance interior designers during the pandemic, SIDS can explore helping these designers find short-term work stints at new startups. Essentially, we want more interior designers to find their footing in the industry and acquire industry best practices.
Apart from elevating the standards of designers, we also note that the public must be educated and make informed decisions when choosing an interior designer. This is when an accreditation framework helps consumers shortlist suitable designers and avoid potential conflict. If we do not address the accreditation from the ground up, I think the value of an accreditation scheme will be quite diluted.
How is the industry picking up post-pandemic and what type of conversations and topics should interior designers of today spotlight?
The local interior design industry has been picking up very quickly since last year and is very much overwhelmed now. The retail and hospitality sectors, which were badly hit during the pandemic, are coming back in full force. Business owners are now returning with grand plans to execute.
However, this pickup is met with an acute manpower shortage. Among local designers, the desire for greater work-life balance after the pandemic proves to be a problem. While we embrace the culture of flexi and remote work, some meetings must be held in person in the course of our work and clients simply do not work around a designer’s flexi hours. Comparatively, foreign designers are more vigorous at work, but not the most financially viable option, especially for micro SMEs, as they need to pay a levy for foreign designers. Essentially, we hope to have a good mix of local and foreign designers to promote cross-pollination of mindsets and create a diverse and inclusive office culture.
So I think designers must rethink their role as more is expected of today’s designers, who unlike before, need to be proficient in a wider scope of work covering detailed drafting, drawing preparation and on-site managing of the project.
This brings us back to the importance of a strong education as a designer’s foundation. It would be good for IHLs to engage in ongoing dialogue with the industry to address prevailing gaps as the industry is always changing. This would ensure that future interior designers are well-equipped to carry out their work well and cope with the challenges of their role.
Do you feel that local interior designers are receiving enough recognition and what can be done to advance local interior designers?
Personally, I feel that local designers are not receiving enough global attention. However, as a member of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI), as well as a member of the Asia Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA), where SIDS’ immediate past president currently serves as the president, SIDS is in good stead to advance the status of good local designers.
Our close partnership with regional and international bodies provides our designers with opportunities to network with overseas interior design associations and their members. In fact, one of SIDS’ upcoming initiatives is a trade mission where we hope to introduce local designers in overseas markets. While this is still at the infancy stage, we are excited to make it happen. For a start, we are working with the association to explore Vietnam’s fast-growing market.
You mentioned that the industry is always evolving. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), what are the impacts on the industry?
I think we are already witnessing some of the impacts. For instance, a simple sketch imported into an AI app can instantly generate impressive visualisations. So I feel that 3D visualisers may want to explore growing their expertise to stay relevant three to five years from now.
Having said that, safety is paramount in the field of interior design and architecture. Human-centric solutions built on the basis of sound technical knowledge and industrial experience cannot be easily replaced by AI.
