Chris Lee almost did not become a designer.

After his “O” Levels, he studied electronic engineering for two years before realising that he was not cut out to be an engineer. Subsequently, explains Mr Lee, “I was admitted to Temasek Polytechnic with no portfolio, no aptitude test and no art results. Just an interview where I begged the course manager to give me that one chance and I guess he saw my determination.”

Mr Lee has not looked back since. In 1999, he founded Asylum, a highly regarded creative company comprising a design studio and a retail store. Asylum has been featured in more than 30 magazines from around the world. UK magazine ICON (March 2008) called Asylum “probably the best design agency in Singapore today”, while Australian design publication Pol Oxygen described him as “a tall poppy in Singapore’s field of creative flowers” (Issue 26, 2008).

Mr Lee’s portfolio encompasses crossdisciplinary projects that include interactive design, product development, environmental and interior design, packaging, branding, and graphic design. This diverse range of work has won Mr Lee numerous accolades, and he has been recognised with more than 60 international awards, including The One Show and the British Design and Art Direction (D&AD) Awards.

Widely acknowledged as an industry leader, Mr Lee was elected Design Chairman for the Creative Circle Awards in 2005 and Crowbar Design Chairman in 2006. He represented Singapore as a design judge for the prestigious D&AD Awards in London, the Hong Kong Design Awards and red dot awards in 2009.

Apart from his commercial work, Mr Lee is also very active in creative education in Asia, where he lectures and gives talks at universities and conferences. He believes that “mentoring young designers is a natural part of being a design leader”, and conducts numerous workshops for young designers annually. Most recently, he became the Founding President of The Design Society, a non-profit organisation that aims to promote visual culture through exhibitions, workshops and education.

Mr Lee’s various projects and activities all reflect his passion for design. Says Mr Lee, “Design can impact our lives in tangible and intangible ways. On a basic level, it acts as an enhancer, injecting life or clarity to information. On the business front, it can strengthen a brand and help differentiate the brand from its competitors. On a macro scale, it improves our living conditions and adds value to our lives.”

This perspective carries through to Mr Lee’s design philosophy. He declares, “Great design should touch a person emotionally. The idea is everything! Style enhances the idea. Style without ideas is like having great spices but without the beef … Sometimes it’s about creating a style so original that it inspires, at other times it could be a witty idea that puts a smile on your face.”

His creative process, he says, is simple.

“Knowing your target audience and the ability to distill what you want to communicate with a simple message are the keys to great communication. The challenging part is coming up with totally original ideas. I like the fact that I’m uncomfortable with certain projects because truly original work should be groundbreaking. Good is the enemy of Great.”

To meet the demanding standards that he sets for himself, Mr Lee draws inspiration from his frequent travels. He says, “My main source of inspiration and education comes from being able to travel frequently and having the ability to absorb different cultural influences. I’m also inspired by architecture, film, food, art, fashion, music and people. I love mega cities like Tokyo and New York because they never cease to surprise and inspire me.” Among his early influences was the British independent music label 4AD (“I was fascinated with Vaughan Oliver”) and Tomato, but he is now more inspired by Hiroshi Sugimoto, Thomas Heatherwick, Ai Wei Wei, Cai Guo Qiang, Hussein Chalayan and Kenya Hara.

While the design industry can be both demanding and competitive, Mr Lee acknowledges that he has not faced many significant challenges in his chosen career. “I’ve had a blessed career so far so there aren’t many lows. Perhaps losing certain projects is one challenge, not being able to maximise our creative potential when we have a great opportunity is another. The way to overcome this is to take it with a pinch of salt, learn from our failures and move on.” On the other hand, he can name a number of high points: “Winning a big project like Fusionopolis, completing small but very creative projects, winning all the international awards, being invited to judge for the Hong Kong Design Awards, D&AD, red dot, and the Tokyo Type Directors Club, all in one year.”

How does he explain this relatively smooth ride to success? Mr Lee reckons that what sets him apart from other designers is his “ability to understand human psychology and to use those insights to create great design that works”. He attributes his success to his “determination to change our environment, and having a streak of rebellion against the impossible”. He believes in constant innovation, but also holds that “innovation is extremely powerful only when we do not lose track of the original purpose and intention”.

A project that demonstrates this take on design and innovation was the creation of Frolick, a frozen yogurt brand. Says Mr Lee, “Frolick is a perfect example of innovative thinking … Their target audience was youths aged between 13 to 25 years old, so we felt that typical images of health and fruit weren’t that relevant. Our idea was to create a spunky attitude that would hype up the fun of eating yogurt. We gave the brand a naughty tonguein-cheek personality and created a brand that was politically incorrect. The brand became a huge success and it is growing exponentially.”

The same mischievous sense of humour also emerges in other projects on which Mr Lee has worked. As part of the Singapore Design Festival 2007, he participated in Utterubbish, an exhibition held at The City Hall with a recycling theme. Mr Lee says, “We collected junk mails from mailboxes around the island and reused them as notebook covers and stationery, giving these “ugly” mailers a new lease of life.” Another line of cheeky Asylum Notebooks was created with designers in mind. Comments Mr Lee, “Designers are often accused of not reading enough so we thought we could single-handedly salvage our reputations by coming up with fake intellectual notebooks. With titles like Advance Economics for Emerging Markets and Cognitive Psychology, it’ll impress even your ex-high school principal!”

Other projects started under the Asylum brand have proven to be similarly successful. The Asylum Retail Store was started in 2005 as a gallery and space for workshops. Mr Lee explains, “Our aim is to inspire consumers and to present the space as a creative platform for exchanging ideas.” The store showcases an eclectic mix of products ranging from fashion and books to art and experimental music, with a spotlight on local artists and their own creative products. Similarly, Asylum Sounds was started in 2007 as a new music label to promote experimental music in Singapore.

Looking ahead at the design scene in Singapore, Mr Lee is optimistic. “The design scene has come a long way in the last 15 years, and we’ve witnessed a wave of independent local design companies that are confident and gaining international attention. There are a lot of initiatives taken by passionate individuals and unprecedented interaction and collaboration among designers. Having said that, the industry has more to grow, and we need to educate clients to buy into great design instead of opting for cheap and mediocre work. The government can lead by example in good design practice by barring free pitching. Ideas are our main assets in creativity, so to expect them free of charge is a setback to our industry.”

On being conferred the President’s Design Award, Mr Lee is elated. He says, “It’s definitely a great honour! At least my relatives will know that I’ve chosen a great career path that’s outside the mainstream channel. Personally it’s a pat on the shoulder for me and I’ll definitely strive harder so that we can be one of the top few creative companies in the world.”