Since its inception earlier this May, Design For Good (DFG) has been intensively improvising on its first collection with the Krafters’. An exciting and ambitious venture, the Krafters’ feature a group of 20 Smile Village residents who used to be slum-dwellers who scavenged litter for a living. Coming in as a platform, Design For Good strives to help them develop existing skills into sustainable businesses of their own. Here are 3 key insights we’ve learnt in our journey of ideating, designing, sourcing and experimenting to develop the extensive product range that we have today. Listen to your community-in-need DFG exists to transform the receivers into givers. As our focus is set on helping these individuals to grow their skills into sustainable businesses, it is natural for us to prioritise their needs, skills and context into the process of product development. Throughout these 7 months, our team went to understand the Krafters’ story, talents, skills and lifestyle. The machines that they use, the marketplaces where they bought the raw materials and their typical day at work matter in the process of developing products that they are able and willing to make. A few of our products were first ideated by the Krafters themselves, like the powerhouse weekday totes. While we were at the village, we suggested producing the thick totes together with the thinner versions that have been popular with students in Singapore. Listen to your customer This can never get over-emphasised. The art of listening is arguably the most crucial in understanding how your product will fit into the market. With numerous brands fighting against shortening attention spans, a great product will find its way to be an integral part of people’s lives. For us, the rugs featured in our Christmas collection were weaved thinner and larger after feedback from our loyal supporters. What are some of the existing gaps or sentiments in the market? How is the consumer behaviour like? What are the things that our products can better than everyone else? When does the user experience begin and end? Other than the planning, we also keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to receive feedback from our existing customers. What are some of their concerns after purchasing our products? How can we show our appreciation for their support and make helping the communities a collaborative effort? Listen to your team Other than facilitating communication between the customers and community-in-need, it is also essential for us to take the time and listen to our own team. As what many HR experts opine, it is important to assemble a good mix of team members to create an innovative group of problem-solvers. The diversity of thought helps stem a variety of approaches and chemistry to an issue at hand, fostering a conducive environment that is forward-looking and nimble. The other consideration is third party-integration: how can we become the platform that our partners can benefit from? What’s in it for them, and how can we make collaboration easy? Great listeners produce great products All in all, the marketplace calls for more listeners than speakers today. Contrary to first impressions, product development is a precious journey that requires soft skills to make the right changes at the right time. The facilitation of deep, meaningful and consistent engagement between the teams will help create convenience and trust for existing and future customers.

Now that we are reaching the edge of 2017, the very last page is just about to be turned over for a brand new year. More often than not, we can only see how much we have grown when we take the time to breathe, rest and look back. The past 11 months have been bustling for us at Make The Change (MTC) as community development took on a major role in driving the change that we do. On top of providing creative services and corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, MTC has been focusing on the chemistry forged through projects, events and programmes held in the community to share, grow and journey with our partners. What has 2017 been like for the MTC family? 2017 looked a lot like collaboration and a rhythmic exchange of ideas as we built on genuine, existing relationships and reached out to establish new, exciting ones. Here are some of the noteworthy highlights, in no particular order, within the MTC community in 2017: 1. Our signature programme is the main course This year, we facilitated social entrepreneurship programmes to students from Yuying Secondary School and Pioneer Junior College. With the opportunity to test out their business ideas and contribute tangibly to social causes, the students became social entrepreneurs in their own right. Beyond schools, we also crafted special introductory workshops, Social Entrepreneurship 101, for the public to join us. 2. DFG’s more-than-a-poster youth competition Because its whole purpose is more than the poster itself. This year, we collaborated with Disabled People’s Association (DPA) to encourage young minds to design and speak up for persons with disabilities. It was awesome to have received entries that addressed a spectrum of different special needs from physical (eg. lift access for wheelchair-bound) to societal (eg. employing persons with disabilities) aspects. 3. Our interestingly lovable interns How can we forget our interns? 2017 was a year that welcomed young interns from Raffles Girls’ School and ZhengHua Secondary School. We hope their time here has been a great one as they experience and learn something new beyond the classrooms. Spearheading with raiSE for the Young Talent Programme, we also opened our arms to interns from NUS and SMU. It was a highly rewarding experience for us as we went the team over to Cambodia for the first collaboration under Design For Good (see point 7). 4. Paving the designer’s way in disability Disability is more common than we know. Much of the social stigma today can be attributed to societal perceptions. For example, being short-sighted is a disability that has been compensated by the proliferation of trendy glasses. Today, glasses are seen to be more of an accessory than an assistive tool. Following this rhetoric, we believe that what the person with disability needs to carve out his/her future today is a better chisel. We offered courses in Essential Communications, Digital Marketing , Website Design and E-commerce. 5. The potluck party for social good Festival For Good was a great event for us to meet up with our fellow social entrepreneurs and witness how the landscape has been growing and changing. We got to check out many interesting ideas that embedded both goals of social and financial sustainability. Lastly, we also got to see how our students eagerly share on their own products as the last leg of the hands-on experience as a social entrepreneur. 6. Sharing what it means to communicate Social Media For Good was a series of meaningful discussions with youths. Held at various venues, the sessions dug deeper to explore the meaning of communication and how to build up your own voice on social media. Powered by NYC, we had fun seeing how participants took part in the activities and applied the concepts on their own profiles. 7. Our ambitious venture into Cambodia for good Armed with a start-up mentality, we sent our team of interns to begin from ground zero. Using Design For Good as a marketplace to showcase collaboration between artists, designers and communities-in-need, they created numerous visuals, marketing campaigns, product development and handled the logistics from scratch within the short span of three months. Continuing that, DFG worked on storytelling and expanding the capacity of the platform. Our Krafters have also grown alongside us, particularly in skills of product development and marketing. What does 2018 look like for us? We are really thankful for the opportunities given to us this past year. Moving forward, we see ourselves taking on more projects that connects different sectors together to take the chance and make the change. Collaboration still remains as our priority as aligned social goals scale to sustain social value and touch lives. If you or your organisation feels for what we do, we would love to meet up. Just drop us a mail at http://www.makethechange.sg/contact or leave us a text on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MakethechangeSG/ ;)

The DFG team is really happy to announce our partnership with Singapore’s circular events platform, X-hebit! As a platform to help source for eco-friendly venues and other event essentials, X-hebit is an open, responsible and convenient one-stop channel that gathers all these resources into one place. Looking at the bigger picture, event management has always been an area with immense potential to reach deeper into the roots of environmental consciousness. Often, many of these events take up a lot of resources only to be used once or twice. This results in high and sometimes, unnecessary costs on the organisers. So where does Design For Good come in? Sustainability calls for the culture of mainstream door gifting to change, with more environmentally options mushrooming across the landscape as potential alternatives. Here are DFG's top 3 ecogifts: Braided by hand, our assorted rugs are made from excess fabrics sold by huge manufacturing factories. By weaving new life into unwanted fabrics, these lovely rugs are interesting conversation starters that complete the look of any well-lived space. On the other hand, their smaller counterparts take up the spotlight on dining tables, coffee tables and kitchen counters alike. Not only are our assorted coasters up-cycled, they also come in two reversible sides. Washable and child-friendly, they can be reused as well. Lastly, our handphone stands are the newest addition this Christmas. Crafted from quality pine pallets, these handphone stands are up-cycled to hold your gaze through your favourite television series. With these three products launching on X-hebit, we are super hyped to be part of the shift towards a more environmentally-concious culture in event management locally. For more details, check out the platform at http://www.xhebit.com

The last leg of MTC’s Design For Good Youth Competition comprised of a special mentorship week at Make The Change. The finalists of the competition were invited from Pasir Ris Secondary School and Serangoon Garden Secondary School to join the MTC crew for a full, 5-day programme. Crafted for the secondary three students to learn more about design and social entrepreneurship from industry experts, the finalists gained from both sides of the coin last week. On one hand, they went through insightful lessons on how to further develop their artistic abilities while expanding their horizons on social entrepreneurship at the same time. What does it mean to design, for good? Here’s a glimpse of what it’s like to kill two birds with one stone at DFG’s Mentorship Week: To Design: essential tips on visual literacy On one hand, the mentorship week opened a door for the promising talents to further develop their aesthetic sensitivity. MTC invited a seasoned and esteemed lecturer, Mr Kenji Choo, to elaborate on what it really means to be visually literate. One of DFG’s finalists, Sherine, mentioned that the course content was helpful in showing them how they can further improve on their shortlisted works. Mr Kenji touched on varying visual elements such as typefaces, shapes and colours. Interestingly, each and every one of them carry a distinct meaning and evoke specific emotions. An effective visual storyteller will have to understand what these elements stand for and arrange them into melodic pieces of work. These pointers on composition can be translated to help the finalists in their final examination as well, as all of them have taken Art as a school subject. For good: experiential learning with MTC’s partners Besides developing a keener sense of design, the finalists are also invited to pay a visit to two of MTC’s partners. One of them was MDAS (Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore) while the other was St Luke’s Eldercare. Another finalist, Evelyn, recounted that the group activity at St Luke’s Eldercare was the most memorable for her, as the team built a periscope together with the elderly. On the other hand, Ashley felt that conversation she had with an 18-year-old girl from MDAS was her key takeaway. There is a general consensus amongst the finalists that they would love to experience more of such trips in the future. Combining the two to design for good Our last finalist, Hui Qi, also mentioned that the DFG mentorship week was an unique experience for her, citing the social entrepreneurship project ongoing at St Luke’s Eldercare was highly similar to what she wanted to do in the future. We wish her all the best ;) With this, MTC’s mentorship week has ended on a beautiful note for 2017. We hope that this mentorship week has been a meaningful one and we would like to wish our finalists and all the secondary school students a happy holiday!

For all its’ joy and jingle, Christmas can be quite the frustrating occasion; tiring even, with the multitude of chores to do as the occasion nears — yet, nothing is especially vexing as getting the right gift for friends and family. Giving someone a gift for gifting’s sake is something we’re all guilty of, and while it’s a well-intentioned gesture, the hands which made the gift you bought and mother nature might say otherwise. So why not, in the spirit of Christmas, get a gift that spreads love even further? At Design for Good, our gifts are not just simple trinkets courtesy of our industrious Krafters at Cambodia’s SMILE Village — they are aspirations for a better future for families in Cambodia, and a commitment to ensuring a cleaner, greener tomorrow for the generations that come after us. Every product is a gift of love not only to your loved ones, but to those whose hands made these gifts possible, and to mother nature. With DFG, give a gift that gives thrice with these 5 handmade products this Christmas! 1. Merry-Go-Round (SGD 119.90) The highlight of our collection, Merry-Go-Round puts a creative spin on traditional Cambodian weaving and features more complex, spiralling patterns in an unconventional circle shape. Every weave is carefully made to evoke a consistent pattern throughout the generous 80cm-wide rug; the elegance of the patterns is made possible only with the skilled workmanship and dedication of our Krafters. Look no further for a gift of perfection this Christmas. If the colour scheme isn’t to your fancy, check out the calmer hues of Winter Wonderland! 2. Olaf’s Rug (SGD 69.90) Do you want to build a snowman? Drawing inspiration from the well-loved character of Frozen, This rug is arguably the closest physical manifestation of a melted Olaf under the sizzling Singapore sun. A jolly addiction into any space, Olaf’s rug is a great gift idea to convey your gratitude to someone special for the past year because some people are just worth melting for. 3. Polar Express (SGD 69.90) If someone close to you’s moving into a new apartment this Christmas, why not add a finishing touch or two with a nifty Polar Express? Deceptively simple, our handwoven rugs adhere to traditional Cambodian weaving techniques with a minimalist style. Laying out the beauty of timeless art, Polar Express spans a spacious area of 805mm by 710mm, and functions as an inviting conversational starter for every guest. For a sweeter and more festive hue, why not check out Cinnamon Roll as well? 4. Handcrafted Wood Stand (SGD 15.90) Know someone who’s a super fan of lettering or a tad more serious about their writing act? This is one gift you cannot miss. Up-cycled from industrial pallets and sporting a simple finish, our multipurpose wood stand is crafted with quality pine Know someone who’s a super fan of lettering or a tad more serious about their writing act? This is one gift you cannot miss. Up-cycled from industrial pallets and sporting a simple finish, our multipurpose wood stand is crafted with quality pine patterned with unique wood grain. Embodying the wabi-sabi world view of transience and imperfection, it is a all-in-one workstation — slots are carefully carved to fit standard ink bottles and most pens. If a pen doesn’t quite work out, name-cards fit just as nicely too! 5. Handmade Journal (SGD 19.90) With so many distractions today, it’s little surprise that journaling is making a huge comeback. A tried-and-tested productivity booster, having a simple journal constantly on hand provides a convenient space to anchor and organise your thoughts amidst the relentless chaos of everyday life - A perfect companion for just about anyone in today’s fast-paced world. Eco-friendly, the reusable journal cover also comes with two notebook inserts. 6. Christmas Coasters (SGD 10) Anddddd we added a sixth cos we didn't want you to miss out. Everyone knows that cups and coasters make best buddies, but DFG’s Christmas coasters will keep even your heart all warm and fuzzy! Upcycled from leftover fabrics and meticulously hand-sewn by our dedicated Krafters, each DFG Christmas coaster showcases our commitment to achieving environmental and social sustainability with creativity. Each and every coaster bears a unique human touch - a story only you are privy to, embedded with every thread. Christmas is all about the spirit of giving, and here at DFG, every gift takes love and hope a stretch further. Whether a rug or coaster catches your fancy, every product is a gift that gives thrice - perfect for making Christmas a little warmer and fuzzier this 2017. ;)

Did you hear the school bell ring? It’s the first day of school for our incoming batch of new students for MTC’s Essential Communications Programme! Make The Change (MTC) Singapore has always been innovating and exploring better ways to facilitate her programmes . With the insights gleaned from our two intakes previously, we have been developing a specialised creative programme that allows students to enter the creative industry with the relevant skills that employers seek. With 22 students trained to date, we are humbled to be part of their growth in gaining new skills and building confidence for themselves. Their excitement have always been evident in the way they look forward to lessons, and their willingness to learn has been a great source of motivation for the MTC crew to keep going. Here are the 3 #learninggoals from MTC’s Essential Communications programme : Photo by Edho Pratama on Unsplash 1. Paving creativity’s way to employment Designed to introduce the fundamentals of design, MTC’s Essential Communications Programme seeks to show and share what communication really means. With an understanding on design for business needs, learners can gradually build up an awareness and sensing for the demands of the marketplace. This also spells a great start of many great portfolios, as passionate individuals can use it as a springboard to venture into the creative industry in Singapore. Bridging opportunities, MTC will also liaise with her partners in the marketplace to source for industrial projects for the learners upon graduation. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash 2. An inclusive space to sharpen social skills The classroom environment is a great space for new friendships to be forged and strengthened. Facing the same journey of learning and trying out the tools and techniques for themselves, it is common ground for learners to know more about each other. For MTC, it has always been about the people. Peer-learning, encouragement and joy come from the social circle formed during class. Trying our best to cater to every special need, MTC strives to make the most ideal arrangement for learning. For instance, there will always be a sign interpreter for classes with deaf students, and ample space for mobility for wheelchair users. By mentoring each learner on his/her individual strengths and weaknesses, MTC seeks to prepare them with necessary interpersonal skills for future employment as well. Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash 3. Be known for who you truly are Undoubtedly, personal growth is one of the key takeaways from the programme. Through the provision of relevant know-hows for self-branding, MTC’s Essential Communications programme provide the platform for learners to build on their profiles. In the disruptive world today where change is imminent and necessary, a key to rise above is arguably the ability to discern and foster an anchored identity. Knowing who you are and what you stand for allow others to know and stand with you in what you believe. With more and more people seeking for a purposeful life, self-branding is important to growth both inwardly and outwardly. The ability to communicate and express these ideals are also one of the key learning points that the programme seeks to bring across. Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash Do you have a project for us? With all 3 #learninggoals in mind, Make The Change (MTC) Singapore is geared for her third run of the Essential Communications Programme in collaboration with SGEnable. For those who are interested in learning more on specialised aspects, MTC also offers two other courses. With website management and e-commerce , learners are given the platform to solve issues and manage entrepreneurial challenges from online to offline portals. On another note, digital marketing is another programme that leverages on day-to-day technology to equip learners with the ability to communicate effectively and develop a career in the digital space. If you are a corporate who sees the gold in what we do, and would like to engage our passionate learners with potential design-related projects , do contact our business development manager at pedro@makethechange.sg . We would love to meet you :)

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. – Albert Einstein Birthed from hope, the Krafters’ rug has come a long way. Braid by braid, each 50cm-wide rug takes a Krafter two whole days to complete. Be it the braiding process or the sewing after that, precision and consistency are keys to creating these unique pieces. An authentic conversation starter, the Krafters' rug is a great accessory to complete the look of every well-lived space. As Einstein puts it, imagination wields the power for breakthroughs and innovation. Starting with #therugmovement, the Design For Good team has been brainstorming for #101waysofusingrugs with our friends. The sky’s the limit. This is what we have gathered so far: 1. Fancy a game of darts? Yes, a dartboard that complements your colour scheme for recreational play. One of our friends suggested having the 2kg rug mounted on the wall with a sturdy hook. Probably with a template sticker marking the scores, this might spark off as a new hobby or as an affordable de-stress alternative on stressful, draggy days. 2. Cushioned by comfort The Krafters purchase excess fabrics from factories and weave them together to give it a new life. Not only does upcycling promote environmental sustainability, these quality fabrics are also super comfortable seat cushions on your chairs, stools and floors. 3. A treat for your special one Sometimes we all need a tough cookie to last through the seasons. As much as our pets have been there for us, the Krafters' rug will be there for them. Made of either fleece or cotton, these giant frisbees are also pet-friendly and safe for biting. If one of your dearest friends is a pet-lover, the Krafters' rug can be a meaningful gift idea as well. 4. Frame your life the right way Adding a personal touch to any room, a pin board helps to frame precious moments to remember and be grateful for. A simple collage of handmade cards, photos or even movie ticket stubs on the Krafters' rug can be hung or laid against a wall. 5. Self-care is good care The world has never moved this fast, and it will never move this slowly again. Going through the incessant big and small in life calls for the need for some time alone. Meditation or quiet time journalling can be done on the Krafters' rug. Each representing a housewife's hope to learn new skills and move on from their past as slum-dwellers, the rug is a constant encouragement to remind us that we are not alone in the pursuit for a purposeful life. Thank you for your support, Together with all the #101waysofusingrugs that we have gathered, we are deeply grateful for the support given to us since the beginning of the Krafters'. Moving forward, we are now providing varying sizes for our pieces to suit varying spaces and purposes. The Krafters' rugs are available now at https://www.designforgood.sg/round-rugs. The possibilities are now endless: you can order and specify sizes ranging from 50cm to 80cm. Not only can the rug can be a worthy addition to your room, it is also a great housewarming gift for your soon-to-BTO friends and a token of appreciation for your corporate associates. At the end of the day, the Krafters' rug is more than a rug in itself. It stands for a housewife, a family and a community fighting to be uplifted from poverty. Poverty is often the disturbing chain weighing down painful problems such as poor sanitation, inadequate housing, lacking healthcare and unequal opportunities in education. "I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act." – Bill Gates

Adding on to how Seth Godin would launch a new business with $1000 and 90 days, a well-written article on medium, What can a social enterprise learn from Seth Godin- the marketing guru of the digital age? The social enterprise is born to be double crowned in sustainability- socially and financially. What can we learn from the business marketplace today that will help us in this two-fold storytelling? Empathy is fast becoming the key way in which a business approaches its consumer, as the seemingly flippant world increasingly craves for authenticity, deeper connections and a sense of belonging. As an American author, entrepreneur and blogger, Seth Godin has been constantly reviewing and sharing on the marketing of ideas in the digital age. Here are some of our thoughts on how his thinking resonate with ours: He says: "Market WITH people, not AT them. Your customers are human beings, just like you." We say: True, the outdated way of shoving products and services in your customer’s face doesn’t quite work anymore. Talking to your consumer like he or she is your intelligent friend will definitely be much more effective. At MTC, we believe in the power of the first follower. Building genuine, lasting relationships helps us to make friends who believe in what we do. They stand with us and share our impact with their friends. Until today, we are thankful that many of our clients engaged us in marketing and branding projects because of referrals and the word of mouth. He says: "Focus on the smallest audience possible. You can always expand later." We say: Agree. A natural process, believing and investing in your first follower will help you to focus and be sensitive to his or her consumer journey. If you are able to tune into the smallest details and address the individual's pain points accurately, chances are that you would be able to do the same for others. He says: "Create a remarkable product. If your first 10 customers spread the word about it, you have a winner. If not, collect feedback and start again." We say: Having two goals doesn’t mean you should ever compromise on quality. For us, we have projects with both corporates and social service organisations alike. A common myth, social enterprises are sometimes thought to be sub-standard because of their “charity” or social cause for good. Contrary to that, social entrepreneurship often begins from a heart to resolve existing issues and answer the brief directly. Trust is arguably the lifeblood of any organisation today, and Rome was definitely not built in a day. He says: "Create an abundance of confidence. Give away a huge amount of value for free so people trust you in return." We say: MTC’s give back programme is aligned with this thought. Every quarter of the year, we offer a social enterprise, VWO or NGO free creative services to cheer them on while bringing them closer to their social goals. These creative services can be event collaterals, development of corporate collaterals, videography, photography and brand Identity. Social service organisations are welcome to apply at: http://www.makethechange.sg/mtc-give-back He says: "Make a spinner and spin the wheel. There will never be a perfect time to do anything: do something and stick to it." We say: Yeap. Our fourth year running this year, MTC has been sticking to our goal of bridging the gap and helping the social service sector tell their stories in an impactful, authentic and memorable way. Be it content creation, marketing plans, website development or print design, we see ourselves doing a part for the better world. The pessimist can stay and sulk and argue that nothing is possible, but we choose to see the glass half full. After all, we rise by lifting others. Useful links and references https://medium.com/the-mission/seth-godin-new-business-5-step-fdb354988c23

A study prepared by the World Bank team in 2017 unveiled the present, bare-faced landscape of East Asia's urban poor. Seemingly paradoxical at first glance, much more can be said about these individuals who fell into the mess of uneven, consequential development overtime. The largest slum population in the world With an estimated 250 million people in East Asia Pacific living in slums, the region has the largest slum population globally. The World Bank study has also revealed an approximate 75 million people living below the poverty line of US$3.10/day. Coupled with the devastatingly high risks of disasters, lacking living conditions in slums bring about several health and environmental risks for the urban poor. Is Community Mapping the key? Many will probably want to ask us this: why SMILE Village? Out of so many countless poor, elderly, children and people in pain calling for help, why answer this one? SMILE Village is a project intricately established by community mapping. The Design For Good team believes that the heart of SMILE Village is worth investing in because of its backbone of sustainability to uplift communities-in-need. Instead of a seasonal, one-time charity project, community mapping is a tool that fosters an ecosystem with lifelong impact for people. The SMILE Village model is one of the more sustainable solution for the urban poor. It is more than just the dollar sign itself- it is about how and where you spend the money. It is about how it value-adds with a lasting social impact. Within the community, facilities and infrastructure were built based on the lifestyles and needs of the residents. For instance, a childcare centre was built in the central area, for parents to leave for work with a peace of mind. In collaboration with PSE, a school bus fetches their older children to and from school everyday. Education is arguably the strongest antidote to alleviate poverty, and this framework helps to open the door for the next generation to rise. Other facet of education is reflected in the parents themselves as they work at the workshops built just beside the village. They learn skills in sewing, rug-braiding and woodcraft, all armed with a dream to buy their own land and home with their own hands. Community mapping also includes relationships between people as well. Initially unfamiliar with the concept of communal living, the management team stepped in to organise gatherings and sometimes even mediate arguments. The study by World Bank further advocates spatial and economic inclusion for the urban poor in East Asia, and this is exactly what SMILE Village has been doing. It goes on to say that “Other countries, such as Cambodia, Mongolia, and the Philippines, have a substantial need for slum upgrading, which requires urgent attention”. It is time for us to lift and bridge the gap for the urban poor by going back to the most fundamental unit of society- family. Every dollar from every purchase will counts to the big picture: the stay-home mother learning new sewing skills, the teenage daughter going to school in peace, the children going for classes at the childcare center to learn about shapes and colours. Not only does every purchase help to bring the families closer to financial independence, it significantly contributes to the entire eco-system. Earnings from Design For Good run on to benefit the current and future families living in slums, big and small. References Baker, J., & Gadgil, G. (2017). East Asia and Pacific cities. Washington, DC: World Bank Group. Population living in slums (% of urban population) | Data. (2017). Data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 10 October 2017 from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.SLUM.UR.ZS?end=2014&start=1990&view=chart&year=2014&year_high_desc=false

Design is about solving problems, with a concise element of intentionality to it. In a solid, 45 minute-long video interview with Airbnb's Director of Experience, Katie Dill, the two hosts from High Resolution sought to explore the ways in which the giant online marketplace and hospitality service disrupted the status quo through "stories". How does Airbnb remain relevant and make the change in the world, and what can we learn from them? Similar to many groundbreaking social entrepreneurs, Katie believes that "good design contains a humanistic approach", and went further to elaborate on how the team behind Airbnb has intricately gone through the journey of the end-user to improve on the experience. In Airbnb, experience is more like a system encompassing both the digital and physical space. In fact, much thought have been invested into facilitating the ease and transition of the user from online to offline interactions, and vice versa. One of Airbnb's core values is to be a host. How can social entrepreneurs facilitate the transition of their end-user from the online to the offline space? How can this transition help them to build relationships that matter? Putting the end-user in mind will help them to make decisions and think of solutions in a sharper and more focused manner. Just like what social enterprises are first set up to do: they are purposed to be problem-solvers. Airbnb also uses storyboards and comic strips in the designing process. For example, how can they help a tourist doing a late night check-in as a first-timer in the neighbourhood? Another noteworthy point raised in the interview has an association with the internal operations. At Airbnb, the team has a good mix of designers with different proficiencies work in pairs to sharpen ideas. For example, someone strong in visuals can be paired with another who is strong in interactions. Find out how the interview went about creating experiences here, we definitely feel that it's worth your time:

"I know that it can feel incredibly depressing to learn that helping vulnerable children and overcoming poverty is not as simple as we've all been led to believe it should be. But thankfully, there is a solution. These problems are reversible and preventable, and when we know better, we can do better." Consider your 13 minutes well spent as Tara Winkler illustrated how and why "disruption" is more than just a fancy trendy word on our news feed today. Sharing her own experience at TEDxSyndey last year, she expressed how entrenched problems in society urge us to search deeper and look beyond the surface, textbook answers. In her case, she fought to end of the era for orphanages by standing for family-based care instead of traditional forms of institutionalisation for children. Disrupting original ideas of foreign aid and goodwill, she pushed for her audience to reach deeper and think about the actual impact that their communities have. International research has highlighted that children who grow up in institutions run a serious risk of "developing mental illnesses, attachment disorders, growth and speech delays". As if this was not alarming enough, we still have to think about the likelihood of poor management practices like corruption, abuse and exploitation. This is where old answers need to be flipped over; disruption needs to happen. Rather than the solutions we already know, we are tasked with a higher purpose to come up with new ones. New solutions because hey, old problems would not have stayed if the old solutions work. Of course, that does not mean that we should abandon the whole course of history altogether. Tara's story only developed after having took the lengthy journey of setting up an orphanage and understanding local communities. We have so much gold to glean from the amazing people who have gone before us. Similar to SMILE Village, she shifted her focus to family-based care, where the most basic unit of society returns to its rightful place. More than ever, there is space for a massive earthquake of disruption everywhere. Innovative ideas from social enterprises can question existing alternatives and let us stretch way beyond our comfort zones. Be it in communication, technology or culture, disruption should be called to stay and slain. Make The Change believes in disruption. This is why we sow seeds into our younger generation through secondary and post-secondary social entrepreneurship workshops and annual design competitions in Singapore. We see ability > disability and offer design courses to persons with disabilities, and craft out the user experience for our corporate clients to eventually run CSR events for themselves. Often, to make the change is empathetic innovation. Useful links and references https://www.ted.com/talks/tara_winkler_why_we_need_to_end_the_era_of_orphanages?utm_campaign=tedspread--a&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

The idea of a social business has been around for ages, but the concept only received a proper title in the recent decades. In essence, social entrepreneurship relates to doing good, smart. Groundbreakers like Professor Muhammad Yunus and Bill Drayton have already laid credible foundations for impact to be sustainable financially and socially. By challenging the status quo, they were able to bridge entrenched gaps and encourage communities-in-need to be part of something more. To quote the godfather of social enterprises, Bill Drayton, social entrepreneurs are "not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionised the fishing industry." Following efforts to anchor the landscape, Singapore has been witnessing numerous newborn social enterprises within a short span of time. Our team at Make The Change has been actively holding the doors open so that more can stand together with us in the quest for sustainable social good. Through workshops and introductory programmes such as Social Entrepreneurship 101, we strive to reduce and destroy any barrier to entry by providing relevant information and insights from our 4-year journey thus far. The more the merrier; for many hands make light work :) If you have been sitting on the fence and wondering if social entrepreneurship is for you, here are 3 reasons why it is time for you to stop tearing yourself apart and follow your heart to take the plunge. 1. The Singaporean web of social good is getting stronger than ever According to the Singapore Centre For Social Enterprises (raiSE) in 2017, Singapore is home to 401 social enterprises to date. The mushrooming growth can be attributed to the support hearteningly bolstered by the public and private sector. Other than government grants and funding opportunities, the private sector has also been giving tight bear hugs to promising social entrepreneurs by providing mentorship and incubation programmes. Asia For Good by the DBS Foundation is one such example. On top of this, educational institutions such as the Asia Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy (ACSEP) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Lien Centre for Social innovation at Singapore Management University (SMU) contributed to the research needful to anticipate growth and future direction. With such a collaborative ecosystem, there is little wonder how Singapore carries the potential to become a regional hub for social entrepreneurship. In 2016, Deutsche Bank and its partners supported the Thomson Reuters Foundation to uncover the best countries to be a social entrepreneur. The research polled more than 900 experts in 44 countries, and our little red dot came in fourth after US, Canada and the UK. 2. Collaboration makes more sense than competition When you align yourself with social goals like alleviating poverty and providing quality education (take the UN sustainable development goals for example), there is a constant need to remind and refresh organisational perspectives to collaborate and not compete. Having said that, the social enterprise model is so versatile that everyone can have their own take on the methods and ways to strive for social impact. For example, a social enterprise can choose to focus on advocacy and raising awareness across public domains while others strategise to impact and change lives for good, one at a time. Be it in-breath or in-depth, there are a myriad of ways in which social impact can be attained. Given the relatively petite sizes of social enterprises, it also makes a lot of sense for us to see how we can complement one another for the sustainable, long haul. A lot of social enterprises have been looking at collaborations locally, and many are more than happy to welcome volunteers and interns to join their crew. Who knows, we might even scale out to Southeast Asia or the Asian region in the coming days. 3. Our generation is looking for a higher purpose People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. – Simon Sinek Be it in a career or as a consumer mindset, there is a significant increase in people looking for purpose. As Mark Zuckerberg puts it in his recent Harvard speech, he shared on three ways to create a world where everyone has a sense of purpose. The first one is by taking on big meaningful projects together, second by redefining equality so everyone has the freedom to pursue purpose. Lastly, through the building of community across the world". What do you know, a social entrepreneur would have hit all three. If you have been looking for a reason or place in the world today, why not try starting in a place with purpose? People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Conclusion To conclude, there are many variations of social businesses out there right now, and there is no one perfect solution to the world's intertwining complex issues. Often, you get to hit multiple pins with a single bowl. Providing training opportunities to a disadvantaged mother gifts her with a higher purpose in life, returns her dignity to earn her open keep and pay for her daughter's tuition fees in elementary school. We have so much to share on social entrepreneurship, and we envision to come to a day where the category of "social enterprises" cease to exist. When every business has a social angle, the world will truly become a better place. Useful links and references http://www.makethechange.sg/learn http://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/surge-in-social-entrepreneurship http://www.straitstimes.com/business/spore-has-potential-to-be-regional-hub-for-social-enterprise https://www.db.com/newsroom_news/2016/ghp/10-best-places-to-be-a-social-entrepreneur-en-11689.htm https://www.techinasia.com/facebook-zuckerberg-to-harvard-students-eureka-moment-is-a-lie-go-find-a-purpose