Singapore’s design thinking chief will move to IMDA

Jeffrey Ho, Executive Director of Singapore’s design agency, will take up a new role at the Infocomm Media Development Authority.

His role at the newly formed agency will be to incorporate “the use of design thinking and the adoption of design in key IMDA projects”, the Ministry of Communications and Information said in a statement. Ho has led the DesignSingapore Council since 2009.

He helped lead the Design 2025 masterplan, which recommended changes for greater use of design thinking in the public and private sectors.

The former architect founded the Design Thinking and Innovation Academy to train people from pre-school students to public servants and CEOs to use design thinking.

He was also the founding director of the School of Design at the Singapore Polytechnic, where he helped incorporate design-thinking across its curriculum.

At the DesignSingapore Council, Ho will be succeeded by Agnes Kwek from 1 November. Kwek currently leads design-thinking initiatives at the Land Transport Authority as its Director of Corporate Transformation and Futures.

Kwek wants to bring design, public policy and delivery closer together. At LTA, she has designed the future of MRT stations, redesigned vehicles services and improve wayfinding experiences in Singapore.

She has worked at the PS21 Office in the Public Service Division, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Manpower and Community Development Council.

Now read: Interview with Jeffrey Ho: How is Design-Thinking reshaping Singapore? Image of National Design Centre by YourSingapore