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

SINGAPORE - MediaOutReach - 19 August 2020 - On the heels of this year's grand finale, Nippon Paint's Asia YoungDesigner Awards 2020/21 design competition is currently underway with a focuson the theme, "Forward: Human-CentredDesign". Like previous years, finalists of the competition will have thespecial opportunity of engaging with respected industry professionals to gainvaluable insight and knowledge. Two finalists will also stand a chance to walkaway with the opportunity to embark on a comprehensive, fully-funded 6-weekDesign Discovery programme at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design inMassachusetts, USA.

The theme for this year'scompetition, "Forward: Human-CentredDesign", focuses on the need for designers to provide practical andsocially-conscious design solutions for a globalized world. The latest editionof the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) also aims to encourage these buddingdesigners to broaden their imaginations by consciously designing with dwellersand sustainability in mind, which in turn will expand their design thinkinginto understanding multi-faceted social and emotional aspects.

The Asia Young Designer Awards2020/21 (AYDA) will consist of several rounds including a preliminary roundwhere finalists will have the opportunity to progress to the next stages andparticipate in workshops and mentorships with design professionals. In effortsof enriching the AYDA experience, Nippon Paint will also be organizing awebinar called AYDA International XChange on 26 August, where design veteransand young budding designers will connect to bring their knowledge and talentstogether. This enforces Nippon Paint's passion to nurture these young talentsby equipping them with real-life industry skills and knowledge. Viewers cancatch AYDA's insightful International XChange sessions on YouTube Live atAYDA's YouTube Channel: 

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 upcomingsession will discuss empathy and why this most sought-after skill is ofimportance for the industry. Through current trying times, AYDA is able tosupport the design industry in Asia by discussing forward thinking topics forthe benefit of the future generation.

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

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

Lin Honghanfrom China, who was the grand finale winner of the Architectural Category, focused on integratingtraditional Chinese art forms with modern design concepts in his winningdesign, "Sweet Dream in the Garden".He looks back fondly on his experience, "Iwas very happy to have won the grand title of Asia Young Designer, but evenmore so that I was able to share my work and get productive feedback from greatdesigners from different countries. Their advice and guidance were invaluableto my experience in the competition."

With the 2020/21 competition, NipponPaint continues its steadfast dedication to nurture young designers whilestrengthening the design community in the region. Continuing its dedication,Nippon Paint is in the process of signing the UN Global Compact Memorandum inefforts to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. The CoatingsExpert has joined the ranks as one of the many giant global corporations thathave pledged to further educate AYDA partners and participants across Asia todesign in tandem with attainable sustainable goals: affordable and cleanenergy; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities andcommunities; climate action.

Design students from across theregion are encouraged to send in their applications for the Asia Young DesignerAwards 2020/21 by visiting asiayoungdesignerawards.com to find out how.Applicants can expect to undergo a well-rounded design competition experienceof several stages with the opportunity to represent their countries on aninternational level.

About the Asia Young Designer Awards

The Asia YoungDesigner Awards ("AYDA") was first launched in 2008 as part of Nippon Paint'svision to nurture the next generation of design talents. The event serves as aplatform to inspire architectural and interior design students to develop theirskills through cross-learning opportunities and networking with key industryplayers as well as fellow architectural and interior design peers in theregion.

AYDA has sincegrown in terms of reach and stature and has now established itself as one ofAsia's premier design award across 15 geographical locations namely Bangladesh,Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan,Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam with further expansionplans in the pipeline.

Over the years,AYDA has impacted thousands of young and talented student designers, presentingthem with various opportunities to engage with renowned speakers and keyfigures in the design industry. Not only has the exposure enabled theparticipants to gain first hand industry knowledge, personalised coaching,mentoring and skill-building through various workshops by experiencedlecturers, they also learn from their fellow peers from across borders.

With that, AYDAhas established a close-knit design community comprising professionalarchitects, interior designers, industry associations, partners, designschools, alumni and design students.

AYDA welcomesall applications and those shortlisted will be notified. For more information,please visit https://www.asiayoungdesignerawards.com/.

About NIPSEA Management Co Pte Ltd (Subsidiary of NipponPaint Holdings Co.)

NIPSEA was foundedby entrepreneur Mr. Goh Cheng Liang in Singapore in 1962. NIPSEA hasestablished its position as one of the largest coating and paint specialist inAsia, known in the marketplace by its brand as "Nippon Paint" and isresponsible for expanding its operation and development of Nippon Paint inAsia. It has become the best coating partner for architectural, automotive,industrial, marine, O&G, specialised clients and millions of familiesacross the world. The brand is recognised for its dedication to quality,dazzling innovation and excellent customer service.

With more than 98 NIPSEA companies spread throughout AsiaNIPSEA understands the local needs of its customers in every community. Thecompany embraces diversity and operates as a multinational corporation. NIPSEAGroup has over 22,000 employees with 82 manufacturing facilities and operationsin 18 geographical locations with its headquarters in Singapore, efficientlyserving all aspects of the business, from production to customer satisfaction.More information about NIPSEA Group https://www.nipponpaint.com/