Heya, It’s been a while! Let’s talk about little red dots.
Some ideas hit you like a lightning bolt. Others? They creep in when you least expect them. And that’s exactly how The (In)Significance of the Little Red Dot(s) came to be—an idea that popped into my head during National Day season and somehow turned into an actual project.
Let’s rewind a little.
It All Started with… Dots?!
So, I was at work one weekend, setting up dotted lines for a child to trace a drawing, and suddenly, my brain went:
“Wait… what if I made these dots BIGGER?"
And just like that, the seed of an idea was planted.
With National Day around the corner, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Singapore is often called “the little red dot”. What if I turned this simple tracing exercise into something bigger—a way to reimagine our national symbols through dots?
What Should the Dots Form?
This was the tricky part. I needed something instantly recognisable for any Singaporean.
The flag?
The Merlion?
The skyline?
An orchid?
The map?
While digging around, I found these two pieces of information:
National Heritage Board (NHB) allows modifications to the Lion Head as long as it’s done respectfully:
Collective voices of Singaporeans in a report by Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth (MCCY) highlights that it is less recommended for altering the shape, highlighting the concern that it affects its recognisability.
So that was the challenge:
“How do I transform it while keeping its essence intact?"
I landed on the idea of building the Lion Head out of dots—almost like a visual metaphor for how every small part contributes to the bigger picture.
Okay, But How Many Dots?
I wanted the numbers to mean something.
65 was the first number that came to mind—Singapore’s independence year (1965) and our country code (+65). But 65 dots weren’t enough to create a clear image.
1,965 dots? A cool historical reference, but… let’s be real, who’s going to paste 1,965 dots?
I settled for 98 and that worked. Why? 09/08 = National Day!!! 🇸🇬
But but... bunt?
Now that I had my dot-ified Lion Head, I had to figure out how to present it.
Should I keep it in a square frame? A poster? A sticker?
Then, as I walked around during National Day season, I begun seeing buntings everywhere—hanging outside homes, offices, supermarkets.
I went with a red-and-white bunting and it just felt right.
Bring it to life
With everything settled, it was time to print:
Material: 280gsm silk paper—to keep the texture slightly flag-like
Format: A bunting, featuring both red and white triangular flags
Availability: Open-source and free to download here
Where It Ended Up
Back in September, I submitted this project to The Pocket-Sized Design Fest Open Call—just to give it a shot and... I got in! I may or may not have done a little happy dance. (Okay, I definitely did.)
What's even better? I later found out that my senior, Sim Hao Jie, and my colleague, Melvin Ong were also featured in the same publication!
If you wanna kaypoh, grab a copy here: outershop.outeredit.com
Final Thoughts
The (In)Significance of the Little Red Dot(s) is about the significance and insignificance of the little red dot (read: Singapore) or the little red dots (read: individuals).
And maybe, just maybe, it’s a also reminder that even a little red dot can leave a mark.
Till next time.