National Youth Council recognises 6 ITE students for their designs promoting zero waste practices

In celebration of Youth Month, the National Youth Council (NYC) organised a design contest in collaboration with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to promote zero waste practices at ITE campuses. 

The competition was open to students studying under the Nitec in Visual Communication and Higher Nitec in Interactive Design. They were required to submit an infographic design that would promote zero waste practices among their fellow schoolmates. 

Among the entries submitted, six top designs were selected by NYC and ITE and awarded with a certificate of recognition and $200 worth of Grab vouchers.

The six students behind the selected designs were presented their certificates by Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Social and Family Development Eric Chua, at a prize presentation ceremony on Tuesday (Jul 19).

Among the prize recipients is 20-year-old Cristalle Lam, who is currently in her second year of pursuing a Higher Nitec in Interactive Design. 

Her design placed first out of the six designs. 

It was also chosen as one of the three designs to be printed in dimensions measuring 3.6m wide and 2.4m high, that will be mounted in all three ITEs from mid July to September to promote zero waste practices among students.

Cristalle shared the inspiration behind her designs and the courage that lies behind her achievement. “In Visual Communications (Nitec), I almost gave up due to my grades. I thought designing was not for me.”

It was through her parents’ pep talks and guidance that she gained the motivation to continue designing. That eventually led Cristalle to find her strengths and interests as a designer.

Joining the competition has been an eye-opener for her as she got a chance to dabble in creating an infographic – a type of design she has not done much of in the past. 

In a bid to make her infographic relatable to students, she drew inspiration from food items that were popular among her schoolmates. 

“I included a Mala store in my design, as it was (a canteen stall) that was quite popular in my school, which makes it eye-catching for the students. We also have bubble tea in school, so that’s another thing that students can relate to.” 

Learning that she had won the competition took Cristalle by surprise, as it was the first time her designs clinched an award. 

“I feel honoured. (The win) is like a step for me to move forward and motivates me to continue to take part in such competitions.”

Jenson Chan, 16, came in second in the competition. 

Currently studying as a first year student under the Nitec in Visual Communications, his design was also chosen to be printed. 

While gathering inspiration for his design, Jenson took on a slightly different approach. He researched the various ways that students were reducing food waste worldwide, not limiting his horizons to Singapore. 

He said: “I searched (about zero waste efforts) by students in Canada and the States as well.

“After researching, I thought of a layout that would present the information in way that is interesting and easy to understand.”

Much like Cristalle, this was also the first time Jenson has won in a competition for his designs. Seeing his infographic gain recognition made him feel proud of the work he has produced.

In third place is the design created by 17-year-old Puteri Ellesya Binte Ahmad, a fellow coursemate of Jenson’s.

Her passion for graphic design started in primary school, as she would often design photo collages and fanart for her favourite celebrities. Using fanart as an outlet to practice her skills, she eventually built up a portfolio for herself.

Puteri then decided to pursue Visual Communications at ITE, with the eventual goal of entering a course in Nanyang Polytechnic.

During the design process, Puteri encountered a challenge while trying to design one of the food elements she wanted to include in her infographic.

“I had a hard time while doing the nasi lemak illustration. I was conflicted as to whether I should illustrate each grain from scratch or find an alternative.”

Eventually, she overcame the learning obstacles by referring to online materials. These resources provided her with a more efficient method to illustrate the grains.

Puteri was in disbelief after receiving the news that she had won an award for her design. 

“To be honest, I didn’t really have confidence in my work. When I submitted my work, I just knew that I had done the best I could, but I didn’t think that it was enough (to win).”

The three other award winners, Dylan Lim, Emocling Marc Terrence Enriquez and Lim Shi Kai, received a special mention.

All three awardees are currently first-year students from the Nitec in Visual Communications programme.

Recognising the efforts of these students, Mr Eric Chua said: “The works that I have seen today show that (the students’) design talent is clearly evident. 

“To all ITE students, don’t let others’ perspectives cap who you can become. Define who you can become yourself.” 

Interested youths can also participate in the Youth Corps Leaders Programme – NEA Youth for Environmental Sustainability Edition, to lead ground-up initiatives on sustainability.