14 November–6 December 2026: Discover how design shapes everyday life through New Everyday Life, By Design, a free public design journey spanning 17 North East Line MRT stations in Singapore.

What if your daily MRT commute became an opportunity to discover something new about the world around you?

That’s the idea behind New Everyday Life, By Design, a public design initiative taking place from 14 November to 6 December 2026 across Singapore’s North East Line (NEL).

Presented by DesignSingapore Council in collaboration with creative studio FARM, the initiative brings design into familiar public spaces through installations, interactive experiences and activities that encourage people to look at everyday life differently.

Rather than asking visitors to enter a conventional gallery or museum, New Everyday Life, By Design transforms the MRT network itself into a journey of discovery, connecting neighbourhoods, commuters and creative ideas.

The main public experiences are free to explore, although selected workshops or special activities may have separate registration requirements or charges.

Image credit: DesignSingapore Council / New Everyday Life, By Design.

Highlights of New Everyday Life, By Design 2026

A design journey across 17 MRT stations: Explore creative interventions along the North East Line and discover how design can change the way we experience familiar places.

Free public installations: Encounter design ideas and interactive experiences integrated into everyday commuting environments.

Dhoby Ghaut Impact Hub: Discover one of the initiative’s principal activity hubs, bringing together ideas about design and its relationship with daily life.

Punggol Coast Innovation Hub: Explore a second hub that highlights the possibilities of design, creativity and innovation.

NELBD Quest on 14 November: Take part in a special opening-day design journey, with advance registration required.

Workshops and activities: Look out for additional opportunities to engage with design through hands-on experiences and related programmes.

What Is New Everyday Life, By Design?

New Everyday Life, By Design explores the role of design in shaping the spaces, objects, services and experiences that Singaporeans encounter every day.

Design is often associated with architecture, fashion, furniture or visual aesthetics. But it also influences the way we navigate public transport, interact with information, use shared spaces and move through our neighbourhoods.

By placing design experiences along the North East Line, the initiative encourages visitors to recognise these less obvious connections.

The MRT network provides a particularly interesting setting because it is already part of so many people’s daily routines. Stations serve as meeting points, transport interchanges and gateways to different communities.

Through this project, familiar journeys become opportunities to encounter creative ideas, ask questions and reconsider the spaces that people often pass through without a second thought.

Explore Design Across 17 North East Line MRT Stations

One of the most distinctive aspects of New Everyday Life, By Design is its geographical reach.

Instead of concentrating all its activities in a single exhibition venue, the initiative extends across 17 stations along the North East Line, inviting visitors to experience design as part of an actual journey through Singapore.

The line connects established neighbourhoods, busy commercial districts and newer residential areas, providing a varied backdrop for the programme’s creative interventions.

For regular commuters, the installations may offer a fresh perspective on places they already know. For visitors making a dedicated trip, the experience can become a self-guided exploration of different stations and neighbourhoods.

As individual installations and activities may vary by location, check the official programme map before planning a multi-station visit.

EP Tip: Consider exploring several nearby stations in one outing rather than trying to cover the entire line at once. This leaves more time to engage with the installations and discover the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Discover the Dhoby Ghaut Impact Hub

The Dhoby Ghaut Impact Hub is one of the two principal hubs associated with New Everyday Life, By Design.

Located at a major interchange connecting the North East, North South and Circle Lines, Dhoby Ghaut is a natural meeting point for visitors arriving from different parts of Singapore.

The hub provides a focal point for exploring the initiative’s ideas about the impact of design on everyday experiences.

Its central location also makes it a convenient starting point for visitors who want to combine the design journey with other activities in the city.

Check the organiser’s programme for the hub’s exact location, activity schedule and any special participation requirements.

Explore the Punggol Coast Innovation Hub

At the other end of the North East Line, the Punggol Coast Innovation Hub offers another focal point for the initiative.

Punggol Coast is associated with Singapore’s developing digital and innovation ecosystem, making it a fitting setting for conversations about the relationship between design and the future of everyday life.

For visitors who have yet to explore the newer parts of Punggol, the hub also provides a reason to venture beyond their usual commuting routes.

Together, the Dhoby Ghaut and Punggol Coast hubs give the design journey two distinct geographical anchors, connecting the city centre with Singapore’s north-eastern growth areas.

NELBD Quest: A Special Design Journey on 14 November

Visitors looking for a more structured way to experience the initiative can consider the NELBD Quest, taking place on Saturday, 14 November 2026.

The special activity encourages participants to explore the design journey through an organised programme rather than discovering the installations entirely on their own.

Advance registration is required, with the stated registration deadline falling on Friday, 13 November 2026 at 12pm.

Interested participants can visit the NELBD Quest registration page for availability, participation instructions and the latest event details.

As places and registration arrangements may be limited, check the booking page before making plans.

Why Bring Design Into MRT Stations?

Public transport is one of the clearest examples of design influencing everyday life.

From directional signs and station layouts to accessibility features and passenger information, countless design decisions shape the experience of taking a train.

Most commuters interact with these decisions almost automatically. Good wayfinding, for example, may only become noticeable when it is missing or confusing.

By bringing creative experiences into MRT stations, New Everyday Life, By Design invites people to pay closer attention to the relationship between thoughtful design and the way public spaces function.

It also makes design more accessible. Visitors do not necessarily need specialist knowledge, a museum ticket or a formal introduction to participate in a conversation about the spaces around them.

That accessibility is part of what makes the North East Line an interesting canvas for the initiative.

About DesignSingapore Council and FARM

DesignSingapore Council is Singapore’s national agency for design, working to strengthen the country’s design sector and promote the value of design in business, society and everyday life.

The initiative is developed in collaboration with FARM, a Singapore-based creative practice known for multidisciplinary work spanning design, architecture, art and public experiences.

Bringing these perspectives together allows New Everyday Life, By Design to explore design beyond traditional exhibition formats and place creative ideas directly within the urban environment.

Our Take

There is something appealing about an event that asks us to look at the places we already visit rather than travel somewhere completely unfamiliar.

Singapore’s MRT stations are among the most recognisable spaces in our daily lives, yet most of us move through them with a single objective: getting from one place to another.

New Everyday Life, By Design offers a different perspective. It encourages commuters to slow down, observe their surroundings and recognise that design is not limited to beautiful objects or impressive buildings.

We particularly like the idea of using the North East Line as a connected exhibition space. By distributing the experience across multiple stations, the programme gives people the freedom to explore it gradually and on their own terms.

Its free public-access format also makes it an approachable cultural outing for curious commuters, families, students and anyone interested in discovering a different side of Singapore.

Perhaps the most meaningful takeaway is also the simplest: the everyday world around us has been shaped by countless design decisions, and noticing them can change how we experience familiar places.

Service Information

  • Event: New Everyday Life, By Design
  • Dates: 14 November–6 December 2026
  • Location: 17 MRT stations along the North East Line, Singapore
  • Key hubs: Dhoby Ghaut Impact Hub and Punggol Coast Innovation Hub
  • Admission: Free for main public installations; selected workshops or activities may have separate requirements or fees
  • NELBD Quest: Saturday, 14 November 2026
  • NELBD Quest registration deadline: Friday, 13 November 2026, 12pm
  • Organiser: DesignSingapore Council, in collaboration with FARM
  • Recommended for: Design enthusiasts, families, students, commuters and curious explorers
  • Official website: designsingapore.org/nelbd/

EP Tip: Check the official event map before travelling, as different stations may feature different installations or activities. Normal public transport fares apply when travelling between stations.

More Information