A Hjgher Meaning

Dossier

15 Mar

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Singaporean creative consultancy Hjgher works across brand strategy, interior design and art direction, with every project emphasising authentic voices and meaningful experiences

Tadao Ando was a professional boxer before he decided to pursue architecture, David Bowie studied graphic design before turning to music. Many a successful creative career is the result of a non-linear trajectory. Such is the case of Justin Long, co-founder of Singaporean creative consultancy Hjgher. Long majored in psychology and worked in the pharmaceutical industry after graduation, but he knew his calling lay elsewhere.

‘I always leaned towards the arts. I loved creative culture but never had the courage to leave my comfortable job, which involved travelling the world selling pharmaceutical drugs,’ Long says. He decided to take a year-long sabbatical, and that period, together with an encouraging conversation with Chris Lee, the founder of design studio Asylum, led him to take a chance in the design world.

Long started Hjgher because no creative consultancy would hire someone without a design degree. Two decades later, the firm has created many memorable projects, garnering a string of accolades along the way (including a President’s Design Award). Notable projects include the branding and interior design for gelato boutique Birds of Paradise, KINN Capsule Hotel and Kith Cafe.

With each project, the studio aims to create something ‘beautiful but meaningful, clean and cryptic, hyper-futuristic yet unintimidating,’ Long says. ‘I think it’s important to design a space that’s obviously signature to a brand yet authentic to us as a studio.’

He gives the example of Birds of Paradise, whose branding is characterised by abstract floral graphics in pastel tones and whose shops are welcoming beige cocoons with bulbous or graphic forms. ‘Birds of Paradise gelato brings delight, that’s the most important feeling and its brand ethos. For all store locations, we find a clue — be it the heritage, its future, its community or other elements. That clue then spawns everything else,’ he explains.

Another of Long’s best-known projects is The U Press newspaper and Underscore magazine, which disrupted the local print scene with artful layouts and features. ‘Underscore was our way of highlighting local creatives alongside the world’s best creatives. I saw it as my duty to Singaporean creatives,’ Long explains.

It’s not easy to be original in a time when ideas can be easily copied, but Long’s holistic and detailed approach is one solution. ‘This is where branding is key. Better design comes about when interior designers understand a brand’s values and principles. And I think it’s important for design to be meaningful, so there’s a reason for every curve, every detail and every colour.’

Text by Luo Jingmei
Images by Jovian Lim