[Saturday Spotlight] Planting the Grovve: Talk Series

Moderated by Yann Follain, Managing Director/Head of Design, WY-TO

Yann Follain is the Managing Director and Head of Design of WY-TO, a built environment research and design studio he founded in 2010. Recognised for his systemic design expertise across diverse typologies, Yann integrates heritage and culture into scalable urban planning strategies, community programming, and cultural curation. In pursuit of empowering better well-being in tropical cities, his team, with the Good Design Research grant support, published Well-being for All – a multidisciplinary well-being framework addressing urban challenges with empathy and resilience.

Speakers:

Hong Khai Seng, Founder/Director, STUDIO DOJO

Khai Seng has nearly two decades of experience in UX design and research, working with MNCs, local organisations, and the public sector. He now focuses on advancing design learning for educators, leaders, and teams. Other than serving as President of the Design Business Chamber Singapore, he is also on advisory committees for design education. Inspired by Benjamin Zander’s TED talk, he believes design, whether in products, services, or music, can create deep connections with its audience when developed purposefully.

Seri Tasripin, Founder, Innovation Catalyst, AFFINITY

Seri grew up in the trenches of global brand consultancy. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with a wide range of clients in brand, strategic design, culture change and innovation programmes.

For Seri, design is about thinking, communicating, creating and leading in intentional ways to make things better.

She is the anchor woman at Affinity, a human-centric design practice she founded in 2010. She is a facilitator and coach dedicated to harnessing the power of design to foster creative leadership, participatory engagement and empowering innovation for positive impact.

Lai Si Yu and Toh Kian Beng, Co-Founders, THE UBUNTU SPACE

Si Yu, Social Impact & Play Practitioner, Organisational Development Facilitator

What if the fastest way to solve serious problems… was to play?

Si Yu is the co-founder of The Ubuntu Space, an organisational development practice blending play, dialogue, and systems thinking to spark change. Based in Singapore, she’s designed and facilitated programmes across Southeast Asia for leaders, educators, and communities, using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, applied drama, and embodied learning. Social impact has been in her blood since her teens, and she creates spaces where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to re-imagine what’s possible.

Kian Beng, Youth Development & Mentor, Experiential and Serious Play Facilitator

Kian Beng, a multi-potentialite and former public officer, is driven by a vision for an equitable society and socially-conscious businesses. He is a serial entrepreneur, founding ventures like M2 Cafe, and The Ubuntu Space. A lifelong learner with a growth mindset, he is pursuing an International Coaching Federation accreditation. Currently, he focuses on designing playful experiences for working professionals and organisations to drive personal and organisational growth. He also actively contributes to the community as a volunteer and board member for several organisations.

Tan Qian Rou, Associate Architect, FARM

Qian Rou is a registered Architect and researcher specialising in multidisciplinary approaches and spatial narratives. With experience in a wide range of typologies and subjects—including exhibitions, museum and heritage spaces, public parks, mental wellness and healthcare—QR views each space, topic and scale as a new opportunity for innovation. Qian Rou is also part of FARMACY, FARM’s research and experience design lab, with a particular interest in holistic frameworks.

Moderated by Tan Qian Rou, Associate at FARM & Registered Architect

Qian Rou is a registered Architect and researcher specialising in multidisciplinary approaches and spatial narratives. With experience in a wide range of typologies and subjects—including exhibitions, museum and heritage spaces, public parks, mental wellness and healthcare—QR views each space, topic and scale as a new opportunity for innovation. Qian Rou is also part of FARMACY, FARM’s research and experience design lab, with a particular interest in holistic frameworks.

Speakers: 

Charmaine Tan, Head of Special Projects (grovve), Registered Social Worker, Youth Programme Developer

Charmaine is the Head of Special Project (grovve) from ResiL!ence@SHINE. grovve is Singapore’s first integrated wellness centre that provides professional support and a suite of holistic activities to support youth’s mental well-being. On a daily basis, Charmaine leads and supports the SHINE team at grovve, and works with grovve’s steering committee, action groups and onsite partners to ensure the centre is youth-friendly, integrated and empowering for youths and their caregivers.

Ar. Trecia Lim, Principal at WeCreate Studio, Community Designer and Planner, Social Impact Advocate

Ar. Trecia Lim is the founder and principal of WeCreate Studio, a Singapore-based social enterprise that utilises architecture and design for social impact. Her work focuses on community empowerment and resilience across Southeast Asia and India. As a social impact advocate, she designs innovative frameworks to uplift underserved communities. ‘Hello Empathy’, a conversational card game co-developed with the autism community for her Good Design Research 2020 initiative, was recognised at the Singapore Good Design 2025 for fostering empathy and ethical design awareness in design dialogues.

Yann Follain, Managing Director/Head of Design, WY-TO

Yann Follain is the Managing Director and Head of Design of WY-TO, a built environment research and design studio he founded in 2010. Recognised for his systemic design expertise across diverse typologies, Yann integrates heritage and culture into scalable urban planning strategies, community programming, and cultural curation. In pursuit of empowering better well-being in tropical cities, his team, with the Good Design Research grant support, published Well-being for All – a multidisciplinary well-being framework addressing urban challenges with empathy and resilience.

Organiser: FARM

FARM is many things at once: a cross disciplinary design practice, an architecture atelier, a curatorial team, a community-centred arts organisation and even a design lab. FARM is named as such because it would like to cultivate a culture of imagination. Underpinning all that it does is a belief that joyful creativity is essential in all our lives. FARM endeavours to share that delight in each of its projects.

Website: https://farm.sg/

Co-organiser: WY-TO

Headquartered in Singapore, WY-TO leads experiential projects with a Planetary well-being approach in the design of cities, places, and spatial narratives for People. Founded in 2010, their work focuses on implementing visionary strategies through human-centric experiences. WY-TO’s presence across Singapore, Paris and Bali reflects the diversity of project typologies in Place Visioning, Masterplanning, Experiential Design, Culture Curation, Exhibition Design and Visual Communication, — enabling them to shape an international spectrum of interventions.

Website: https://www.wy-to.com/

In collaboration with: grovve