During the Singapore Discovery Centre’s (SDC) revamp of its Lower Gallery into a “sandbox” experience, HOL developed the content and interpretive design strategies that made for an engaging and emotionally driven edutainment experience at the theme park.
The Singapore Story had always been dominated by the feats of a strong and efficient government. Larger nation-building messages often drowned out the voices of ordinary Singaporeans, whose contributions were mostly sidelined.
SDC’s objective was to get Singaporeans to imagine and create the country’s future together in its Sandbox Experience. How could we get Singaporeans, who had been used to a problem-solving and forward-looking government doing all that, to join the conversation?
If we could convince Singaporeans that their voices matter, and if our experience could evoke their emotions and memories of home, they could then see themselves playing a part in shaping Singapore’s future.
Our strategy was simply to tell stories. Because stories help people remember. Move their hearts. And change their minds.
Inspiring stories
We told the stories of ordinary citizens who were like most of SDC’s visitors. In their own unique ways, they had contributed to the nation’s security, economy and social harmony. We wanted the guests to think: If they could do it, so can I – I can make a difference to Singapore’s future in my own special way too.
Shared experiences
Common spaces let Singaporeans share experiences, memories, values and a collective identity. That’s why we featured shared spaces like playgrounds and public libraries and iconic places like the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the neighbourhood coffee shop. These stories evoked the guests’ memories, tugged at their heartstrings and reminded them that Singapore’s future was theirs to create together.
Beyond stories
We wrote the panel text throughout the gallery to explain complex concepts surrounding nation-building and Singapore’s future challenges in simple but meaningful ways. Working closely with the design and development team, we presented the stories through augmented reality, video interviews, bite-size interactives and life-sized artefacts.
Collectively, the 90 stories gave voice to ordinary Singaporeans. Their stories underlined the idea that every Singaporean can contribute to co-creating the country’s future, whatever their role in life.
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