Launched by Jack Sim, Founder of BoP HUB, the competition challenged Raffles Designers to give Phenolic Compact Board off-cuts a second life. BESCO supplies and installs these boards for construction projects across Singapore.

Every project leaves behind off-cuts that are still strong, waterproof, and in excellent condition, but too small or oddly shaped to be reused, so they usually end up as construction waste. Participants were asked to turn these off-cuts into functional, commercially viable products. We’re proud to announce that the winning design comes from Lin Aung and Jia Chang for their herb planter.

The judges recognised the design for:

• Ease of production: it works with the off-cuts as they are, keeping manufacturing simple and costs low.
• Strong sales potential: it is a practical product with clear market appeal.
• Few substitutes for outdoor use: it takes full advantage of the board’s waterproof durability, a quality few alternative materials can match outdoors.

Thank you to Jack Sim, BESCO, and every participant who helped show how creative design can cut construction waste.

Learn about BESCO here.

Raffles Singapore is delighted to announce that Raffles Product Designer Ivan ONG Ming Yao has won the iF Design Student Award 2026 in the Goodhealth + Well-Being category for “Trio – Cook with confidence, not guesses”. The Goodhealth + Well-Being category is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. It is a proud moment for Ivan and for everyone at Raffles Singapore who has been part of his journey.

Trio is safe kitchenware that helps prevent injuries while empowering people with visual impairments to cook with confidence and joy. Ivan’s win was in the university design category, under the Goodhealth + Well-Being theme.

The iF jury called Trio “truly heartwarming” and said it beautifully embodies the values and ambitions of SDG 3. It described the design as “thoughtful, loving, and inclusive”, keeping people safe in the kitchen while giving people with visual impairments the confidence to cook with joy.

Congratulations, Ivan, on this well-deserved win. Your work shows how thoughtful design can make everyday life safer and more inclusive, and we are proud to celebrate it with you. We look forward to seeing what you design next.

Raffles Singapore is proud to celebrate Raffles Product Designer Ivan ONG Ming Yao, whose project “Trio – Cook with confidence, not guesses” has won a Red Dot in the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2026. It is a proud moment for Ivan and for everyone at Raffles Singapore who has been part of his journey.

The Red Dot Award: Design Concept recognises ideas at the concept stage, often projects that may not yet be available to the public. With no finished product to assess, the jury spends considerable effort understanding the idea behind each project, in addition to judging its design quality.

The jury awarded Ivan’s project the “Red Dot” for high design quality. It noted a high level of innovation and thoughtful use of technology in this year’s competition, and Trio stands among the projects the jury chose to recognise.

Red Dot presents its award as a seal of design quality and a source of pride in the talent and hard work behind a winning concept. Congratulations, Ivan, on this achievement. We are proud of you and of the Raffles journey that brought you here, and we look forward to seeing where your ideas take you next.

Congratulations, Ivan, on this achievement. We are proud of you and of the Raffles journey that brought you here.