Design Sojourn was founded in 2005 by Brian Ling to exist virtually on the confluence of Design and the Internet by publishing forward thinking articles on strategies for good design and creating clever product.

As a result of these online publishing activities, Design Sojourn has become a leading authority on topics such as industrial design, design strategy, design management and design thinking.

At the end of September 2010, Design Sojourn evolved into a design consultancy that focuses on helping organizations leverage on design driven innovation to make people’s lives better through creating next generation business solutions that range from products, services, systems and processes.

Design Sojourn is based in Singapore and is supported by strategic partners from Singapore and around the world.

Our services include:

1) Holistic design strategies that range from best in class service experience models, commercial design languages that fulfil business needs, manufacturing viable and resolved industrial (product) designs, to marketing, communications and new media solutions.

2) Realistic user centred insights underpinned by design research.

3) Delivering highly engaging design thinking programs and workshops created on a passion of building creative and design thinking environments and improving organizations through training and education.

Design Sojourn has collaborated and worked with Singapore Tourism Board,National Population and Talent Division from the Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore Turf Club, Dell Electronics, Fairchild Semiconductor, AIS Thailand, SIPA Thailand, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, SingHealth Academy, NTUC’s e2i, Design Singapore Council, Presidium, 25-Hours, CHG (707 Water Heaters), World Kitchen, The Chili Boutique, Yanko Design, CKIE, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Sumajin, Flagship EcoSystems, and Philips Design.

Design Sojourn is a recognized leader in Design Thinking know-how, and part of the vanguard of its development internationally. We have conducted talks and workshops for organizations such as the Design Thinking and Innovation Academy, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, University of New South Wales, FZD School of Design, the MOE’s Design and Technology Teachers Association, Design for Enterprises workshops, Design Engage Seminars and SingHealth Academy. We have also developed a Design Thinking program that was backed by NTUC’s e2i workforce continual education and development agency.

Design Sojourn is an official facilitator for the Design Engage Program. Design Engage is a National program that aims to use strategic Design Thinking methodologies to help Businesses unlock opportunities for growth.

Some of Design Sojourn’s experimental and entrepreneurial products (iPoor, The Un-p3 Project, and Expandable Sketchbook) have been featured and exhibited in the Sydney Morning Herald, Home and Decor Magazine, NotCot, Mocoloco, IDAsia.org, Yanko Design, Engadget, and the Singapore Design Festival.

Design Sojourn is a Partner with the Design Thinkers Group.

About the Team

Brian Ling

Founder and Design Director | Design Strategy and Industrial Design
[ Linkedin | Personal Portfolio ]

Brian is a multidisciplinary Design Leader with more than 15 years of experience leading strategic design programs that drives successful Brands, Fortune 500 businesses, and Government Institutions such as GE, Philips, Nakamichi, Flextronics, Ericsson, Hannspree, and HP. His passion is in helping organisations leverage on Design Driven Innovation to make people’s lives better.

His designs, or those by the teams he has led, have been recognized with prestigious awards such as: The Singapore Design Award – Silver (2010), 2 Red Dots in Product Design (2010 for HTS8160B, 2005), Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award (2007), 2 CES Innovations Award Honorees (2007), Red Dot Concept Award (2006), and a “Merit” in the Young Professional Designers Award (2002).

These designs have been featured in T3 (Lumos, HTS9520, HTS9140), Wired Magazine, Home and Décor, Engadget China, Yanko Design, and exhibited at Singapore Design Festival (2007) and 20/20 Product Design (2004).

He was formally a Senior Design Manager at Philips Design leading their global portfolio of home cinema/entertainment products and Head of Industrial Design at Nakamichi. He founded and currently runs Design Sojourn, a strategic design consultancy.

Wee Kiat Tan

Design Manager | Design Research and Industrial Design

Graduated from NUS with a Bachelor in Industrial Design, Wee Kiat embarked on his Product Design career shaping a wide category of products and usage experiences ranging from home electronics, computers & IT to medical products, for a diverse clientele including Sennheiser, Nakamichi and WelchAllyn.

Believing that awesome and meaningful innovations start with a deep empathy for people, Wee Kiat ventured into the specialty of Design Research at Singapore’s ASUS Design Center. Leading a team of design researchers, he helped the giant Taiwanese IT hardware manufacturer to gain in-depth understanding of consumers, often delivered in the form of stories and workshops to inspire product managers and multi-disciplinary design teams.

Prior to joining Design Sojourn, Wee Kiat served at the Institute of Technical Education as a lecturer and conducted many Design Thinking courses for students and working adults.

Jackson Tan

Creative Director | Branding and Communications
[ Black Design | Partner ]

Jackson Tan is a Singaporean artist, designer and curator. He is a a co-founder of :phunk studio, a multi-disciplinary art & design collective. He is also the creative director of Black Design, a creative communications agency.

He has worked with clients such as MTV, DesignSingapore Council, Discovery Channel, Peranakan Museum and Nike. His works have won recognition in international award shows such as the British D&AD, American Center of Design 100 Show, Promax Asia, Asia Media Design Awards and The Creative Circle Award.

As a curator, he has curated a number of landmark exhibitions, including “20/20″ (2004; London Design Festival 2006), an ongoing showcase that charts the paradigm shift occurring in Singapore’s creative landscape; “Utterubbish! A collection of UseLess Ideas” (Singapore Design Festival 2007), an exhibition featuring sustainable design by over 30 international design presentations; and “New Wave – Singapore’s Contemporary Design Culture” (Center for Creative Communications, Japan, 2008).

What can I do from Here?

If you would like to work with us please do not hesistate to email brian[at] designsojourn.com. Or hit up the Contact button for a no obligation chat?

Alternatively, if you are just getting started on Design Sojourn or would like to get to know me better, there is a selected list of my best articles in the Resource Articles section.

Finally, if you are interested to keep track of my adventures, do sign up for our free newsletter and get convenient updates sent right to your inbox.

Subscribe to The Design Sojourn Newsletter, for free, and get the latest content delivered right to your inbox with our 110% NO-SPAM Policy!

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook as well.