If you ever have the good fortune of sharing a drink with Hunn Wai, expect to leave with a fresh perspective on design and life and probably an unusual fact about something you never thought to ask about.
As the director and co-founder of Lanzavecchia + Wai, an industrial design studio based in Singapore and Milan, he thrives on reimagining everyday objects, questioning the status quo, and flipping conventions on their heads.
With clients like Cappellini, Herman Miller, Hermès, Lexus, Vacheron Constantin and Zanotta, as well as accolades such as Design of the Year at the 2023 President’s Design Awards and the Red Dot Award, the studio is a veritable design heavyweight.
Wai is a thought leader in contemporary design, a part-time educator, and has spoken at global forums such as the Rhode Island School of Design and Milan Design Week, the latter of which is the world’s largest showcase of design and innovation.
Fittingly, DesignSingapore Council picked Wai to co-curate Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION at Milan Design Week 2025, which runs from April 7 to 13. The exhibition will showcase Singapore’s design talents and spotlight the country as a global hub for design innovation.
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Between preparing for the exhibition and teaching at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Wai is too busy to discuss drinks, so we’re chatting on Google Meets instead.
‘A great honour’
“It’s definitely a great honour to do this for SG60,” he tells Options. It must be noted that he’s the first Singaporean to co-curate the showcase since it began in 2023. Design industry pundits Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero served as co-curators in the past two editions, and they’re reprising their roles this year.
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“Design Week is the world’s biggest stage for design. A lot of important conversations happen not just commercially but also at a thought leadership level and a government innovation leadership level. [Future Impact 3] is not just about showcasing Singapore design; it’s shaping how the world sees us.”
The exhibition, split into three parts, provides visitors with an overview of Singapore’s design milestones over the past 60 years (“Little Island of Brave Ideas”). It also features local designers addressing urgent social issues, such as sustainability (“Future Impact 3”). Finally, it highlights emerging talents tackling next-generation issues, like how to humanise technology (“Virtuoso Visionaries”).
“Singapore has always defied the odds. In just six decades, we’ve become this global model for urban innovation, and this exhibition reflects on this journey,” Wai explains. “It’s showcasing how design thinking has shaped every aspect of Singapore’s growth over 60 years.
“I think we’ve evolved from being solution-driven — efficient urban planning, housing, water security — to being vision-led. I would like visitors to see that Singapore is a design leader, where ingenuity meets innovation, where pragmatism meets soulfulness.”
Put on your (design) thinking caps
In a fast-paced and unpredictable business landscape, leaders must embrace innovation to navigate challenges and drive growth.
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Design thinking provides a powerful framework for organisations to adapt quickly to shifting circumstances. By incorporating design thinking into their strategy, companies can strike a balance between meeting short-term goals and pursuing long-term innovation.
As an adjunct associate professor and senior fellow at SUTD, Wai imparts his design knowledge not only to undergraduates but also to top brass from ST Engineering, SingHealth and other agencies.
But first, he wants business leaders to know that design doesn’t simply refer to aesthetics.
“Design thinking is a methodology for solving complex business challenges,” he explains. “I’ll advise any leader to embed design thinking into decision-making because design at its most fundamental level is decision-making. The more decisions you make, the faster you arrive at failures, learnings, outcomes [and ultimately] success.”
To embed design thinking into decision-making, Wai recommends a three-step process. First, start with empathy: Experience your customer’s journey to understand their pain points. This helps uncover insights to solve real problems.
Then consider rapid prototyping: Test ideas quickly, gather feedback, and iterate. Sometimes, customer workarounds offer better solutions. Finally, iterate constantly. Treat strategy as an evolving process. Adapt based on data and trends to stay ahead of challenges.
Playing the long game
Design thinking allows companies to navigate an uncertain world and adapt quickly. Wai advocates another three-step exercise, starting with reframing the challenge — changing how problems are approached leads to innovation, avoiding “me-too” products.
Second, embrace rapid experimentation. Focus on constant iteration and refining minimum viable products (MVPs) based on feedback. Innovation, he says, is about evolution, not perfection. Lastly, view setbacks as opportunities for growth. Breakthroughs happen when failure is part of the process.
“Short-term goals shouldn’t kill long-term vision,” Wai emphasises. To ensure business competitiveness, companies should consider a three-tier approach, which he splits into quick wins, midterm improvements and long-term breakthroughs.
In the first instance, small, incremental innovations provide immediate value without straying from strategic goals. In the mid-term, enhance operational efficiency and customer experiences. In the long term, focus on bold, visionary innovations that can redefine industries and guide future growth.
When it comes to return on investment, the key metrics of customer retention, time to market and cost efficiency can be used to measure the value of design thinking. “Are your customers staying loyal longer because of a new product, experience or campaign? Are you launching faster? And are you avoiding expensive mistakes?” Wai asks rhetorically.
On the sustainability front, design thinking can be applied to create a practical, profitable and forward-thinking strategy. For example, by designing circular supply chains, materials can be reused or made biodegradable, ensuring sustainability from the start.
Companies can also make sustainable choices that are intuitive and seamless for the consumer and embedded into the customer journey/experience.
Ultimately, Wai says the focus should be on creating lasting value and aligning today’s design with long-term goals that benefit both the business and future generations.
