Hungry Design: Free Exhibition At National Design Centre For People Who Love Food & Aesthetics

Hungry Design – free exhibition at the National Design Centre

Those who love food as well as museum visits are in for a treat. There’s a new exhibition at the National Design Centre called Hungry Design which showcases award-winning F&B packaging throughout Asia – and it’s free to enter.

Happening 9AM-9PM from now till 31st March 2021, you can add this to your list of squad outing activities, date ideas or even solo adventures. And for parents, this will make for an eye-opening family expedition to take the kids on this March school hols.

Besides aesthetic packaging to ooh and ahh over, there are also plenty of photo opportunities within the minimalist yet uber pretty gallery. Here’s a sneak peek:

Award-winning food & beverage packaging designs from Asia

Tea blends – imagine bestowing such exquisitely-packaged products as a gift. No extra wrapping required!

As someone who lives to eat and is also a tad paiseh to admit that I’m not cultured enough to appreciate fine arts, the Hungry Design exhibition is right up my alley. You don’t need to be particularly well-versed in the world of art and design to take one gander at these showcased items and think, “Wow, that looks great”.

Gelato ice cream

Few things spice up my grocery runs quite like spotting food packaging – be it cute, stylish or out of the ordinary in general – and this exhibition has compiled over a hundred exceptional designs for one-stop perusal.

Fruit & vegetable crisps

Each of the items on display are winners of Topawards Asia – think of it as the Oscars in the world of packaging design.

So what you’re seeing is actually the best of the best in terms of F&B product packaging throughout Asia, spanning coffee and tea to ice cream and chips. Bet you never expected everyday grocery staples to boast such next-level aesthetics!

Pickled vegetables – spot the cute little deer.

1◦C, a local handcrafted coffee wholesaler. Singapore represent!

Unlike other awards institutions where nominees are chosen exclusively by a panel, Topawards Asia opens the nomination system up to everyone from past winners to everyday consumers. This lifts the limits and allows big name brands and humble independent businesses alike to clinch the accolade, rightfully gaining recognition for outstanding instances of creativity.

Barley tea in beautifully decorated bottles. I’d be tempted to collect them all, and I don’t even like barley!

No longer just a vessel to contain your food or drink, these levelled-up packaging design ideas explore innovative expressions of form, function, material usage and even ecological benefit.

Take for example these bags of rice which are made out of recycled rice straw material and come with a zip-lock seal to maximise shelf life, as well as a built-in handle so you don’t need an extra plastic bag to lug it home.

Besides stellar design and packaging, there are also intriguing F&B-related creations like these vegetable crayons.

Made from 100% real vegetable powder and natural rice wax with added safe-to-consume pigments, they can be used to draw just like regular crayons, but were made with parents and young children in mind so that curious kids can actually have a nutritious, non-toxic nibble.

Each colour is made of a different veggie, including carrot, purple sweet potato, corn, yam and cabbage.

Keeping to the “hungry design” theme down to the very last detail, the exhibition’s pamphlet is an adorable cube which unfolds into an info-packed breakdown of all the showcased products.

Boring run-of-the-mill brochures? Sorry, we don’t know her.

Besides admiring the F&B items on display, the National Design Centre’s setting is a work of art in itself. Sky-high ceilings, minimalist interiors and a general atmosphere of serenity make it an ideal getaway amidst the hectic town crowd.

We recommend heading down in the daytime to take full advantage of the floods of sunlight. Not only will it bathe the exhibits in natural lighting for maximum browsing pleasure, you’ll also get quality illumination should you want to snap some shots for the ‘Gram.

Free exhibition & activities from the National Design Centre

The Hungry Design exhibition is part of the National Design Centre’s “Emotive Design” programme line-up happening all throughout March 2021.

There’ll be other highlights to look forward to, including Zoom webinars where established local and regional designers will be sharing their insights on a wide range of subjects. All of the showcases and talks are free to join!

The National Design Centre is conveniently located a mere 5-minute walk from Bugis MRT station. What better way to work up an appetite before you head to the nearby Haji Lane to cafe-hop, or as a post-dinner activity instead of mindlessly window-shopping at Bugis Junction for the 100th time.

Make sure to swing by from now till 31st March 2021 to catch these fabulous food and drink designs on display. There’s never been a better exhibit for foodies and non-artsy fartsy types to enjoy.