[CTS B] Week 6: Critical Self-Reflectivity
This week, our team collaborated on a field observation project at Simlim Square. Our goal was to identify poorly designed shop signs, figure out why they weren’t working, and redesign them to be clearer and more functional. To make the most of our time, we split into pairs and quickly noticed that many signs didn’t even convey what the shop actually does.
After regrouping, we decided to focus on Hongye Health Clinic. The main challenge we faced was language. None of us spoke Chinese, and like many non-Chinese residents in Singapore, we had to rely on translator just to grasp the shop’s purpose. This highlighted a significant accessibility issue.
Taking inspiration from the original sign’s small clover icons, we revamped the identity with three main goals: 1. clearly showing that it’s a health clinic, 2. using English as a universal language, 3. and creating a simple, intuitive icon for easy understanding.
We merged symbols like a pill, a clover, and a heart into a sleek logo and polished it through several sketches. Even though the final mockup felt a bit rushed due to time constraints, the process taught me a lot about this week’s theme: Critical Self-Reflectivity.
While reflecting, I was reminded of other brands that improved by reassessing their own identity. Some luxury labels revived their vintage logos to highlight heritage, while Sulwhasoo modernized its look to appeal to younger audiences. These cases show that strong design starts with honest self-evaluation, deciding what to keep, what to change, and who the design is really for.
This project helped me better understand how design works in real, messy environments and how clarity, empathy, and reflection shape the experience of everyday users.
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Image References:
쿠키뉴스. “설화수 vs 수려한 로고 디자인 논란…‘비슷해도 너무 비슷해.’” 쿠키뉴스, 10 July 2018,
www.kukinews.com/article/view/kuk201807090225.
“Sulwhasoo.” Namu.wiki, 2025,
https://namu.wiki/w/설화수?uuid=c17c2243-9329-4214-a00a-03138da58ec2
최소원. “[RE브랜딩 스토리] 설화수와 이니스프리, 변한 것과 변하지 않은 것.” The PR 더피알, 12 Apr. 2023,
www.the-pr.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=49916.
References:
최소원. “[RE브랜딩 스토리] 설화수와 이니스프리, 변한 것과 변하지 않은 것.” The PR 더피알, 12 Apr. 2023,
www.the-pr.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=49916.