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Artwork by Make The Change So, what is Design Thinking? Wiki answers it this way: Design thinking refers to creative strategies designers utilize during the process of designing. Design thinking is also an approach that can be used to consider issues and resolve problems more broadly than within professional design practice, and has been applied in business and to social issues. Perhaps design thinking is another word for empathetic innovation. Perhaps it simply urges for a higher sensitivity towards man and his interaction with the environment to design for others. Perhaps it invites the thinker to fully immerse himself in the end product, to connect intangible relationships, spot unseen gaps and re-imagine possibilities beyond parameters. Perhaps it is the needful perspective that thinkers adopt to break out of the silos. Not only as a design thought process, but also as a way of life.

Disability is more common than we think. The proliferation of technology enabled man to go beyond human limitations in day-to-day life, where the common man’s lack of ability has been drastically compensated by tools and machines. The oversight of overestimating our capabilities and underestimating that of others unwittingly get to us as we forget that we, too, have our own areas of disability as well. A pair of glasses make up for our shortsightedness. A mouse enables us to navigate freely on a computer screen. Cars, chairs, forks, earphones, watches. These things help us to complete tasks which we were previously incapable of. They fill the void of our lack of ability. Likewise. What would it be like if we can supply the right tools for those who require equipment that are a little different? By constant innovation, we can empower and create friendlier environments for everyone to thrive. It has to be a myth - the thought that “disabled” people are unable to carve out their own careers. They just need a better chisel.

Hello 2017! A fresh new year begets a fresh new adventure and excitement to design, to create, to express. That is not to say that history books should be shelved out; context is king in design and in life. The suitability of a product relies heavily on the needs of the users while cultural factors hold weight as well. More often than not, there is still a need for us to look back, not taking the past as burdens on our shoulders but as a suitable template in order to design the future with creations that touch hearts and change lives.

In addition to our hopeful, personal new year resolutions for 2017 (gym membership anyone?), we can also start the year right by taking a step back and tilting our glasses to consider alternative perspectives to life. Perhaps the easiest way to fit in another pair of shoes is to watch the story of another come to life in film. Here is a list of noteworthy films about disability, propelling us with the famous quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mocking Bird: “ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Yes Singapore- it's finally 2017! 🎉 2016 has been a year of good tidings for those of us at Make The Change, and it would definitely not have been the same without your support. We hope that 2017 would be even more fruitful for you and your loved ones! Here's wishing you a great start for the year ahead as we grow, share and impact 2017 as fellow changemakers.

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash Similar to the classic New Year's Resolutions, the end of a year usually sparks off sentiments of contemplation and reflection. To the common man, 2016 may come off as a year of incessant global challenges, political chaos, tension and economic devastation. To the social innovator, 2016 has been a year that calls for a re-imagination of possibilities and change. Here are some of the notable social impact projects in 2016 !

2016’s curtain call underpins a good time to revisit moments that made our year meaningful. Out of these flashbacks, is there one that would compel a librarian to put you on the “New Arrivals” shelf of the Human Library? The Human Library is a global social movement that sparked off in Denmark 16 years ago. With the vision of sharing authentic life journeys and embracing vulnerability, the event is proof that our daily lives are much more than the cube-curated, rosy instagram feed. Archiving 2016, let us etch towards 2017 with open arms and seeing eyes. For us at Make The Change, every year is a step of growth and adventure to take the chance, make the change.

December has always been the glamorous month of festive, once-in-a-blue-moon gatherings, once-in-a-blue-moon scrumptious dinners and generous, once-in-a-blue-moon gift exchanges. This is also the month when we are surprisingly forgiving with our own expenditures, often swiping credit cards for items we might or might not remember paying for. In the midst of these incessant buys, this is an opportunity for us to do good with our credit card purchases! Another example is Design For Good, the marketplace celebrating collaborations between artists, designers and communities-in-need.