Viddsee has launched Outside The Box, a VOICES documentary series supported by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg), the national agency for design. Produced by Viddsee Studios together with Singaporean film director and documentarian Gabriel Victor Lin, the five-part documentary profiles Singaporean businesses and the people behind them who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible through Design Thinking.

Each episode intimately reveals the way they are changing mindsets, challenging norms, and shaping the future and culture through the products and services they design. The five episodes are:

1. A Sweet Legacy

John Cheng, Director of Cheng Yew Heng Rock Sugar Manufacturing, reinvented his grandfather’s candy business to appeal to a younger generation of consumers with a new product and transformed a traditional business into one that yields three-digit growth.

2. Woodwork Stories

Ryan Yeo, Operations Director of Roger & Sons, together with his brothers, transformed what was a sunset business into a carpentry service that is now focused on crafting bespoke furniture sustainably.

3. A Tailored Experience

Nelson Yap, CEO of menswear label Benjamin Barker, believes in Design Thinking as he used it to create a tailored onboarding and training programme for its Fashion Advisors, resulting in record sales and growth for his company.

4. The Pocket Zoo

Belina Lee, Head of Group Strategy & Innovation Division of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, adopted Design Thinking to bring the residents of Mandai Zoo to children across Singapore, wherever they may be.

5. Marrying Sustainability

Wendy Chua & Gustavo Maggio are the co-founders of Forest & Whale, a multidisciplinary design practice that leverages design to bring about change in our world through material innovation, sustainability-focused products and systems, social design and education.

Kenny Tan, head of Viddsee Studios said, “Through VOICES, our social documentary pillar, we wanted to raise awareness to key topics and help audiences benefit from learning different perspectives. We hope ‘Outside The Box’ can help more audiences understand design thinking and inspire them to take the next step for their own businesses or career paths, especially in these challenging times.”

Series creator and director Gabriel Victor Lin said, “As an entrepreneur myself, I realise the importance of thinking beyond just selling a good product or service, and really focus on how our business can best fit and resonate with our clients. Through the series, I wanted to present the unlimited possibilities and potential for change among different industries, and to show how a successful business model can simply start from just having empathy for their customers.”

Outside The Box is supported by the DesignSingapore Council, (DSG) Singapore’s national agency that aims to grow businesses, spur innovation, and improve lives through design. DSG collaborated with Viddsee as the subject matter expert for the series and helped to facilitate free design thinking workshops to extend the learning journey for Singaporeans and businesses alike.

To be held on 19 and 22 February, the two 90-minute online workshops aim to help both entrepreneurs and working professionals learn the foundational principles of Design Thinking. They will include discussions and Q&As led by the profiles featured in the documentary series, as well as an online seminar about The Fundamentals of Design Thinking led by design consultancy firms Design Sojourn (19 February) and Ideactio (22 February).

Outside The Box will be available on Viddsee on 10 February.