Creating an identity system for DesignSingapore Council's Prototype Island

The Project
Practice Theory developed a fluid visual identity system and environmental application for Prototype Island, DesignSingapore Council’s showcase at Milan Design Week 2026.

The Brief
Bringing together established and emerging designers, the showcase needed to frame Singapore not as a static, finished entity, but as a living nation continually reshaped through design experimentation. The key challenge was translating complex design narratives across technology, materials, care, and infrastructure into a unified visual experience for a global audience.

The Approach
Working closely with Lanzavecchia + Wai, we centred the identity on the transitional phase of the creative journey—the moment of experimentation before final clarity emerges. This space between uncertainty and resolution became a visual expression of the curatorial vision, presenting experimentation as an ongoing condition.

The Execution
We visualised this concept using a dynamic, evolving island graphic that continuously shifted between blur and definition. Layered forms and plotted data points were incorporated to mirror the iterative cycles of testing, observing, and refining. Applied across exhibition graphics and digital platforms, the identity extends into the physical environment, giving the showcase a visual language that remains deliberately in process.

What did we deliver?

• Creative direction and visual identity: Translated the curatorial premise into an evolving island motif centred on experimentation.
• Exhibition graphics and environmental applications: Extended the identity into the exhibition setting to connect the works within a shared visual framework.
• Digital design and brand application: Adapted the visual system for digital platforms, maintaining continuity with the physical showcase.

The Impact
Prototype Island received the Special Mention – Essere Progetto at the Fuorisalone Award 2026, recognising the showcase that best embodied the festival’s theme. The identity supported its presentation of Singapore’s design excellence through a visual language rooted in the process behind the work.