Designing the Future: Key Takeaways from the APSDA at FIND Design Fair Asia 2024

Singapore – The Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) made a remarkable impact at FIND Design Fair Asia 2024, held at Marina Bay Sands from September 26-28, 2024. The event marked a significant moment for the interior design industry across the Asia-Pacific, showcasing key initiatives such as the launch of the Asia Pacific Interior Design Accreditation Program (AP-ID-AP), the Preview of APSDA Awards 2025, and the unveiling of the CARA Initiative Exhibition.

The launch of the Asia Pacific Interior Design Accreditation Program (AP-ID-AP) marked a major milestone in the region’s design industry. Prof. Keat Ong, Head of the AP-ID Accreditation Council, also the President of APSDA, delivered a compelling speech outlining the mechanism of the program, including its prerequisites and the detailed application process, emphasizing the initiative’s potential to elevate professional standards for interior designers across Asia Pacific.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting marked the promotional launch of the AP-ID-AP, signifying a new era for aspiring interior designers looking to achieve recognized professional standards. This initiative is poised to enhance the quality of design practices across Asia Pacific, offering valuable opportunities for professionals to gain accreditation.

Then, the preview of the APSDA Awards 2025 took centre stage, with Ms Tanya Suvannapong, the committee of the APSDA Awards & Competition, highlighted the introduction of innovative categories designed to recognize a broader spectrum of talent and creativity in interior design. She expressed excitement about how these changes will not only celebrate established designers but also provide emerging talents with greater visibility and opportunities to showcase their exceptional work. This forward-thinking approach aims to inspire a new generation of designers and elevate the standards of excellence

within the industry. This was followed by the ceremonial launch of the APSDA Awards, symbolizing the commencement of the award registration process in January 2025.

We were also honoured to have representatives from Daikin and Tucson, our esteemed platinum sponsors for the APSDA Awards 2025, who shared their support for the event and the importance of recognizing outstanding achievements in the industry.

Daikin is the global leader in the HVAC&R (heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating) industry with sales over 29 billion dollars in markets extending from residential to commercial and industrial with nearly 350 subsidiaries around the globe. Utilizing its eco-friendly technologies, Daikin manufactures and sells cutting-edge air conditioning products and services to customers in more than 170 countries. From its global headquarters in Osaka, Daikin leads the industry through its pioneering business strategies & technological breakthroughs for realization of sustainable air comfort solutions.

Zhejiang Tucson Custom Home Furnishing Inc. established in 2008, it is a high-tech enterprise focusing on high quality, personalized custom-made wooden home decoration and home space creation. Under the brand "Tucson," the company has been deeply involved in the high-end custom home furnishing field for over a decade, possessing a team with strong capabilities in product structure research and development, colour aesthetics, technical deepening, fine production, and engineering services.

A highlight of the Preview of APSDA Awards 2025 in Singapore was a talk given by Ms Jessica Leong from SPARK, who represented the Silver Winner in the Retail Category at the APSDA Awards 2023 for the winning project, GriD. She shared insights, experiences, and the creative journey that contributed to their success.

Apart from the launching events, one of the key highlights of APSDA at FIND Design Fair Asia 2024 was the CARA (Critical Adaptive Regionalism for the Asia Pacific) Initiative Exhibition, a movement aims to mediate between global and local design languages and encourage an in-depth understanding and integration of Asia Pacific culture into design works. This initiative encourages designers to embrace cultural nuances and local contexts, fostering projects that resonate with both global challenges and regional identities. By fostering projects that resonate with both global challenges and regional identities, CARA highlights the importance of context in design. The exhibition showcased groundbreaking projects and insights from 42 designers representing 14 countries across the Asia Pacific, celebrating the rich diversity of design practices in the region. The CARA Initiative was proudly supported by Marano Furniture, enhancing the exhibition's exploration of cultural integration in design

“For a long time, Asian design and designers have been severely underrated and underrepresented at the global stage. There are many crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the region and Asia Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) has been bound by a sense of duty and enthusiasm at the same time to uncover these world-class talents to the rest of the world!” said Prof. Keat Ong, the curator of CARA Initiative.

APSDA's participation in FIND Design Fair Asia 2024 underscored a pivotal moment in the evolution of interior design across the Asia Pacific region. By fostering collaboration, celebrating creativity, and recognizing a wide array of talent, the event not only showcased innovative design but also laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and dynamic future in the industry. As we move forward, the initiatives and connections made during this event promise to inspire and elevate the standards of interior design for years to come.

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Discover the opportunities with AP-ID-AP and begin your journey toward accreditation by applying through our website. Click HERE to apply!

For more information on the APSDA Awards 2025, please visit our APSDA Awards webpage HERE.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Wong Min Yuk

Marketing & Design Executive

Asia Pacific Space Designers Association

Email: marketing@apsda.org Website: https://apsda.org/

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About Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA):

The Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association (APSDA) is a gathering of national level design associations from the Asia and Oceania region. The Association inspires to nurture a better understanding of the different Asia Pacific regional cultures and encourage the exchange of Interior Design information and knowledge between its members for the advancement of this field to benefit regional societies at large.

Initially named the “Asia-Pacific Space Designers Alliance”, APSDA has been at the forefront of promoting the interior design profession and improving design standards throughout the region since its inception in 1987. It has existed as an informal gathering from then until 2017, when it was formalised. Our members include Design Institute of Australia (DIA), Interior Designers Association of Bangladesh (IDAB), Hong Kong Interior Design Association (HKIDA), Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID), Himpunan Desainer Interior Indonesia (HDII), Japan Commercial Environmental Design Association (JCD), Japan Interior Architects/Designers’ Association (JID), Korean Society of Interior Architects Designers (KOSID), Union for International Design of Macao (UIDM), Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID), Interior Designers Association of Nepal (IDEA Nepal), Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS), Chinese Society of Interior Designers (Taiwan) (CSID), Thailand Interior Designers Association (TIDA), Foshan Environmental Design Association (FEDA),Vietnam Interiors Association (VNIA), and Yunnan Interior Design Industry Association (YNID).