The pandemic has cast a spotlight on hygiene, especially in shared spaces with high volumes of human traffic, such as public transportation. Studies have shown that the survival of human coronaviruses on surfaces can range from two hours to nine days. Yet, design for hygiene in such spaces, has been overlooked. To tackle this issue, a Product & Industrial Design student has developed a smart material proposed for poles, handles and leaning panels on buses and trains, that serve as visual indicators of surface hygiene. Not only does the external self-sanitising layer on the surface help to kill bacteria and viruses continuously, the colour changing material also reacts when touched, and indicates a surface has been potentially contaminated. When left untouched, the surface colour returns within 10 seconds, to its original sanitised state. Truly, a first for Visual Hygiene!

Singapore's recycling rate has reached an all-time low, despite ongoing efforts to encourage the community to do so. This situation has been further aggravated by COVID-19, where food packaging and other general waste has increased, while people are still unfamiliar with what can and cannot be recycled. An estimated 40% of items found in blue recycling bins are unrecyclable or contaminated with food waste. To help educate the community and raise awareness about recycling, this Communication Design student came up with a recycling system and campaign that represents trash as ‘food’ for bins and makes use of popular food dishes to guide the correct methods of recycling. By displaying what ‘food' each bin can ‘consume’, people can learn about the dos and don’ts of recycling  through a fun and unconventional way.