Singaporean Designer Advocates for User-Centered Design
Published on 7.29.25
Dawn Lim, a Singaporean designer, emphasizes the importance of good design in everyday life, citing her personal experiences navigating hospital bureaucracy and encountering inaccessible facilities like locked wheelchair-accessible toilets. She believes that good design should prioritize user experience, removing "cognitive load" and making daily interactions seamless. In contrast, bad design can be easily spotted, such as the exclusionary practice of locking wheelchair-accessible toilets in shopping malls. Lim highlights examples of Singapore's good design, including the efficient Parking.sg app and Changi Airport's streamlined processes. She also showcases innovative projects like the "digital twin" of Changi General Hospital's emergency department, which enables real-time operations simulations to improve patient experience. Lim stresses that creativity is not limited to grand ideas but can be found in everyday initiatives, such as Repair Kopitiam's repair culture program and Singapore's NEWater process. She advocates for a mindset shift, encouraging courage and confidence in creative thinking from an early age, and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging caregivers' emotional journeys during healthcare experiences.