Furthering the ongoing initiative to engage with Asia’s burgeoning design community, Eight Inc. collaborated with Singapore’s Design Incubation Center to lead a 12 week design studio at the renowned National University of Singapore.  A diverse group of industrial design students, including exchange students from the US, Korea, and the Netherlands, were charged with the task of exploiting current and emerging advanced technologies to envision the future of the office environment, while simultaneously developing a strategy for bringing their products to market. Teaching the students about the business of design was of equal importance as guiding them through Eight Inc.’s design process. 

With the view of the design process as a collaborative discourse, or dialogue, Eight Inc. brought a different approach to the typical sponsored studio. Eight Inc. put together a dynamic and mix of their Singapore team, which included CEO & Founder Tim Kobe, Director of Business Development Richa Menke, and Industrial Designer Ini Archibong, to dedicate their time and work directly with the students each week.  The 12 week studio, included technology workshops, role playing, case studies, and a cast of guest speakers ranging from advertising veterans to INSEAD Business School professors. The studio culminated in a business pitch to a panel of investors and industry leaders.  

Being a leader in design and innovation has allowed Eight Inc. to collaborate with industry leaders worldwide.  Approaching the sponsored studio as another such collaboration has given Eight Inc. the opportunity to teach and learn from the next generation of thought and design leaders in the emerging Asian market. 

About NUS

The National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore's flagship university, is widely respected as a leading institution of higher learning. Its community of top-rate faculty, researchers, staff and students plays an important role in shaping the University's reputation at home and abroad. In doing this, a unified voice and look is essential in strengthening institutional recognition, and in highlighting the distinctive values that distinguish NUS from the rest.

About DIC

The Design Incubation Centre is a design research laboratory, which investigates and develops new tools of design, in order to find new possibilities for the practice of design.

As a design probe, the centre addresses and explores three spheres of research into human needs, emerging technology and social trends. It seeks to create new ideas and products that are intuitive and enriching without losing sight of the experience and encounter

Through projects that are self-initiated or developed in collaboration with industry, the centre aims to experiment with and develop new design methods. The centre also regularly conducts workshops as a platform for multidisciplinary collaboration and to allow for cross-pollination of ideas among participants from different disciplines. The Centre is part of the Division of Industrial Design at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore.

About Eight Inc.

Eight Inc. makes extraordinary things that change the way people think, feel and do. 

Eight Inc. designs for some of the most successful and best loved brands and experiences in the world. The company works with global brand giants defining strategies, innovating and designing branded experiences that engage the consumer in relevant, dynamic and meaningful ways. Eight Inc. work crosses traditional disciplines and includes environments, products and communications. This work consistently results in award-winning projects and long-term client relationships such as Apple, Nokia, Citibank and Virgin Atlantic Airways. 

Eight Inc. has offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Honolulu, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing.

More information on Eight Inc. is available on the company website: www.eightinc.com.