Unique kids' bike wins big for Temasek Poly design student

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TP's Industrial design student gets top honours at Crowbar Awards 2017

Nov 20, 2017 06:00 am

What if a bicycle could "grow" with a child?

Mr Evan Tan was struck by this question during his internship at Playeum, Children's Centre for Creativity, which advocates open-ended play.

Now 21 and a graduate from Temasek Polytechnic's (TP) Product & Industrial Design diploma course, Mr Tan has won big with his bicycle.

Called Kinetics & Gear, the bicycle, aimed at children from the ages of three to six, has two modes - a "balance bike" mode for younger ones, and a "pedal mode" for when they get older.

The design was named Best of Show and Best of Design at the prestigious Crowbar Awards 2017.

It is one of the most prestigious competitions for young creatives across Asia-Pacific, attracting more than 1,000 entries from local, regional and international tertiary institutions. It is organised by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Singapore and is a hunting ground for local creative talent.

Children from low-income families receiving free lessons from volunteers.

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Mr Tan, who is serving his national service, said: "I was speechless because I thought I was only receiving a consolation prize. There were so many other incredible talents at the competition."

This year, TP took home its biggest haul at the Crowbar Awards, with a total of eight Golds, 12 Silvers, 10 Bronze medals and 33 finalists. It was also crowned Institution of the Year for the first time.

TP students won awards across disciplines including branding, film and product design.

Mr Tan's bicycle is made from wood, acrylic, and other materials. The gearbox is detachable and can be used as an educational toy with a series of pulleys, gears and more.

EXCITING FUTURE

Mr Elvis Tay, course manager of the diploma in Product & Industrial Design at TP, said Mr Tan's win points to an exciting future for the Singaporean product design scene.

"The inclusion of product design in the Crowbars, what was traditionally the domain of graphic design and film, and Evan's work honoured as the Best of Show, sends a strong signal on the convergence of design disciplines today," said Mr Tay.

'Dysfunctional' short film wins two awards

Audrey Leong

For some time, Mr Yap Jia Wei, 20, couldn't bear to watch his own final year project.

He had written and directed the 20-minute film, titled Sunshine, but his team had gone through many challenges like actors dropping out during filming.

The Temasek Polytechnic (TP) Digital, Film & Television graduate, who started his national service in October, said: "I could only see the things I could have done better."

His lecturer, Mr Andrew Ngin, thought otherwise, entering the team's final-year project into the prestigious Crowbar Awards.

Sunshine follows two teenagers after one of them discovers his mother is having an affair with the father of his best friend.

Mr Ngin, 53, had reservations about whether the film would win because it dealt with a sensitive subject matter and it was very edgy, with dysfunctional characters.

The team won two awards - Best of Film & Photography and Gold.

Mr Ngin, a former scriptwriter who had written for TV shows like Fighting Spiders, said: "All good and original art happens when it derives from a certain amount of discomfort."

The film took a year to produce, with a team of nine forking out close to $1,500 each to fund it. The Media Development Authority awarded a $5,000 grant to the team, and equipment was provided by TP.

Mr Yap credits the film's success to both Mr Ngin and the school, who gave him the opportunity to go off the beaten path and explore the unconventional.

Mr Yap said: "The film doesn't have a typical message or direct call to action. So, if I was in a different cohort, my idea might not have been accepted."

Mr Yap had also previously won Best Direction in 2015 for his film Treasure in local film competition, Cine65.

He added: "Our current generation of film-makers have a lot of opportunities now - good cameras and easy access to the Internet, so we should make use of that." - AUDREY LEONG