The 14th edition of AYDA continues to support and nurture design community in Asia to greater heights

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach^[1] - 19 August 2020 - On the heels of this year's grand finale, Nippon Paint^[2]'s Asia Young Designer Awards^[3] 2020/21 design competition is currently underway with a focus on the theme, "Forward: Human-Centred Design". Like previous years, finalists of the competition will have the special opportunity of engaging with respected industry professionals to gain valuable insight and knowledge. Two finalists will also stand a chance to walk away with the opportunity to embark on a comprehensive, fully-funded 6-week Design Discovery programme at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design in Massachusetts, USA.

The theme for this year's competition, "Forward: Human-Centred Design", focuses on the need for designers to provide practical and socially-conscious design solutions for a globalized world. The latest edition of the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) also aims to encourage these budding designers to broaden their imaginations by consciously designing with dwellers and sustainability in mind, which in turn will expand their design thinking into understanding multi-faceted social and emotional aspects.

The Asia Young Designer Awards 2020/21 (AYDA) will consist of several rounds including a preliminary round where finalists will have the opportunity to progress to the next stages and participate in workshops and mentorships with design professionals. In efforts of enriching the AYDA experience, Nippon Paint will also be organizing a webinar called AYDA International XChange on 26 August, where design veterans and young budding designers will connect to bring their knowledge and talents together. This enforces Nippon Paint's passion to nurture these young talents by equipping them with real-life industry skills and knowledge. Viewers can catch AYDA's insightful International XChange sessions on YouTube Live at AYDA's YouTube Channel: Asia Young Designer Awards - AYDA^[4].

The webinar speakers consist of: Ar. Jabeen Zacharias, Founder of Jabeen Zacharias Architects; Mr Lai Siew Hong, Chief Executive Designer & Founder of Blu Water Studio; Mr Michael Pizarro, Principal Interior Designer of Michael Pizarro Interior Design. The upcoming session will discuss empathy and why this most sought-after skill is of importance for the industry. Through current trying times, AYDA is able to support the design industry in Asia by discussing forward thinking topics for the benefit of the future generation.

One of the grand finale winners of the recent Asia Young Designer Awards 2019/20, Greta Elsa Nurtjahja from Indonesia of the Interior Design Category, recounts her experience of the competition, "Joining the Asia Young Designer Awards not only gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to attend Harvard University's Design Discovery programme, but also connected me to inspiring design heroes of mine who were generous in relaying their knowledge and experience. She added, "The competition strengthened my design thinking and enhanced my capabilities. It is truly an experience I will never forget."

Greta's winning entry, "Rumah Kopi", utilized nature as the space in which her design was based. Inspired by a local house in Indonesia, her project encapsulated both sustainability of materials and collaboration.

Lin Honghan from China, who was the grand finale winner of the Architectural Category, focused on integrating traditional Chinese art forms with modern design concepts in his winning design, "Sweet Dream in the Garden". He looks back fondly on his experience, "I was very happy to have won the grand title of Asia Young Designer, but even more so that I was able to share my work and get productive feedback from great designers from different countries. Their advice and guidance were invaluable to my experience in the competition."

With the 2020/21 competition, Nippon Paint continues its steadfast dedication to nurture young designers while strengthening the design community in the region. Continuing its dedication, Nippon Paint is in the process of signing the UN Global Compact Memorandum in efforts to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. The Coatings Expert has joined the ranks as one of the many giant global corporations that have pledged to further educate AYDA partners and participants across Asia to design in tandem with attainable sustainable goals: affordable and clean energy; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; climate action.

Design students from across the region are encouraged to send in their applications for the Asia Young Designer Awards 2020/21 by visiting asiayoungdesignerawards.com^[5] to find out how. Applicants can expect to undergo a well-rounded design competition experience of several stages with the opportunity to represent their countries on an international level.

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} Nippon Paint (www.nipponpaint.com)
3. ^{^} Asia Young Designer Awards (www.asiayoungdesignerawards.com)
4. ^{^} Asia Young Designer Awards - AYDA (www.youtube.com)
5. ^{^} asiayoungdesignerawards.com (asiayoungdesignerawards.com)