SINGAPORE – The motif of a lion head takes centre stage in this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) logo, which was designed by Nanyang Polytechnic student Tan Yun Xin.
“I was inspired by how Singapore has come together during the pandemic – from our front-line workers doing their best to battle the pandemic to individual Singaporeans staying home to contain the spread,” said Ms Tan, 19, who chose the lion head to be a part of the logo as it symbolises three national values – courage, excellence and strength.
It also represents the nation’s strength of will and unity. These are traits she feels are much needed to adapt to today’s unprecedented times.
Her design was shortlisted from 45 entries from four schools and eventually chosen by the NDP committee. The third-year visual communications student spent slightly over three months designing the logo, while juggling her other academic commitments.
Ms Tan’s lecturers guided her through the design process, which started off with more than 20 hand-drawn sketches.
They suggested ways to adjust the logo for it to look more proportionate and helped guide her in polishing up the logo.
For Ms Tan, weaving the number 56 into the logo – to mark Singapore’s 56th year of independence – was the most challenging part of the process.
“There were times when the number didn’t seem obvious in the design and the logo didn’t look like a lion. Getting the dimensions right was a challenge,” she said.
Mr Shawn Yeo, Ms Tan’s senior polytechnic lecturer who oversaw her project, advised her on making her logo scalable and adaptable while keeping its key elements.
“Yun Xin really wanted to encourage Singaporeans who are affected yet standing strong during this pandemic. I’m proud of her final outcome,” he said.
Seeing her logo being used for NDP has filled Ms Tan with immense pride and further boosted her confidence as a budding graphic designer.
“I feel really honoured and proud to be able to make such a contribution to Singapore’s National Day celebrations – this experience gave me a strong sense of pride and belonging,” she said.
Ms Tan hopes to have a career in the design industry and improve lives through her designs.
“I plan to pursue graphic design in the future, but anything is possible at this point,” she added.
