Message From Executive Director | Our Response to Covid-19, Community Survey and Findings

26. 6. 2020

Hello, how are you? Design Trust is committed to grow with our community’s needs. 2020 has been a critical time to reflect, review, and respond. In view of the latest development of the COVID-19 pandemic, my board of directors, colleagues and I have set up a survey to reach out and check in with our community and asked for feedback to help us develop strategy moving forward.

The results showed a significant immediate economic impact the pandemic has brought about on the design community, with 68% reporting financial loss, mostly small-scale operations or self-employed individuals, with some facing over 80% reduction in income.

Over 95% of cultural and design practitioners had to cancel or postpone events and programmes including research, public exhibitions and educational initiatives, which inevitably leads to the hindering of creative efficiency and the chance to connect with other creatives to innovate. Many from our extended networks have also pointed out a lack of support from current infrastructure.

More importantly, respondents have come back with constructive suggestions for Design Trust on how we can drive our foundation forward to rebuild our community’s positive momentum. Some suggested to focus more on collaborative, interdisciplinary exchanges, encouraging the developments of new projects and innovation to drive creativity. 

This led to the conception of “Design Trust: Critically Homemade”, a micro-initiative that calls for creative homemade solutions that responds to current social and environmental impact. With difficulties in fundraising development activities, our registered Charity is also taking measures to continue our work in hosting smaller events instead. We are grateful to organize a small micro-fundraising event starting with a partnership with Phillips, where fourteen designers, architects and creatives have generously donated unique works to benefit us at the upcoming July 9th 2020 charity auction. All proceeds will support our core mission and ongoing grants and programmes.

More than ever, we hope our platform can do more and critically reflect on the past few months and begin to rebuild the steps towards recovering the creative industry. We will continue to prioritize our grants and programmes that support emerging designers and research on urgent topics, and continue advocating for the positive role of design.

Thank you for your support and generosity and we look forward to being in touch again.

Best,
Marisa Yiu
Co-Founder/Executive Director