Arrowing a winner: Total Defence gets new logo
Samantha Alexa Teng had only one design in mind when she entered the Total Defence logo redesign contest.
And it was good enough to win, beating 600 others entries in the process.
The 31-year-old received her prize on Saturday at the Total Defence Commemoration Event at The Float at Marina Bay, with Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing as the guest-of-honour.
The revamped logo, most notably, adds a new arrow, representing the sixth pillar of Total Defence - digital defence, which was introduced last year.
Ms Teng said: "Digital defence is the pillar that speaks to me the most. I'm quite a tech person myself and for me, it's important to keep technology updated.
"Getting viruses can create a lot of inconvenience. With many people who fall prey to scams and phishing, this is the message I would like to convey."
Ms Teng, an allied educator at Queensway Secondary School, said her design started off as a rough sketch on a post-it note.
She said: "The concept behind the design is to show we should keep moving forward, similar to life. We cannot stay in the same spot just because something is working well. Improvements will always be needed."
TRIBUTE
She said her design pays tribute and bears a resemblance to the old logo, used since 1985.
The six arrows represent the six pillars of Total Defence - military, civil, economic, social, psychological and digital defence.
Ms Teng, a lover of books and fan of Korean dramas, was surprised by her win. Members of the public voted last December, and her design emerged as their favourite.
Despite having no experience in graphic design until six years ago when she picked it up as a hobby, she entered the contest after being encouraged by her colleagues.
"I struggled with the software when I started," she said. "Now, the process is smoother."
Ms Teng won $5,000 in prize money, while the remaining nine finalists were awarded $500 each.
Mr Chan said Total Defence keeps Singapore strong amid the challenges faced today, including the coronavirus outbreak.
"Our strongest defence as a nation is collective defence, when every one of us plays our part. This is the essence of Total Defence," Mr Chan said.
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