Critical of/for What? Notes on Criticality in Singapore Design Education & Practice

What does it mean to be critical in Singapore design education and practice today? Critical of/for What? Notes on Criticality in Singapore Design Education and Practice asks how Singapore designers and educators engage with criticality in teaching and practice. Through interviews and discussions with designers, educators and students, it explores the tensions between educational aims and professional realities. There are also essays retracing local histories of criticality-engaged design practices and an analysis of how designers negotiate criticality within the Singapore design landscape.

Published by In Plain Words
Edited by Candice Ng, Justin Zhuang and Vanessa Ban
Contributions from Abdul Basit Khan, Darius Ou, Death of Typography, Deric Shen, Gideon Kong, Hans Tan, Izyanti Asa’ari, Martin Chen & Kim Ngyuen, Studio DAM, Melvin Tan, Micca Teo, Pann Lim, Randy Yeo, Sean Kelvin Khoo, Shannon Lim, Vikas Kailankaje, Yasser Suratman and Yeo Ker Siang.
Designed by Studio Vanessa Ban
Printed by Allegro Print

170 x 116 x 26 mm
311pp, 260g
OTA Bind; Soft cover
Published in 2026

ISBN 978-981-94-5376-4