Lecturer, Design Communication

Vikas Kailankaje

  • Master of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (Honours), National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • Diploma in Interior Architecture and Design, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore

A Master of Architecture graduate, Vikas' professional experience spans visual communication and editorial direction for institutional clients and publishers. His past research covered the history of urban graphics in Singapore, combining his interests in commercial signage with local urban history. 

As an educator, Vikas is keenly aware of the need to produce reflexive practitioners who are critical while working with raw materials vital to production in communication design: image, type, data and form. His teaching foci covers typography, information design and design research.

Read More

  • De Winne, Mark, and Vikas Kailankaje. Singapore Gothic [set of four booklets covering non-traditional categories: [1] An Engineer’s Vision, [2] With Brushes, Hearts & Curls, [3] In Three Dimensions, [4] Like a Box of Chocolates]. Temporary Press (2022)
  • Budhyarto, Mitha and Vikas Kailankaje. ‘‘The School Question’: Race and Colonial Attitude towards Craft Education in British Malaya and Dutch East Indies, 1900-30s’, Lessons to Learn? Past Design Experiences and Contemporary Design Practices: Proceedings of the ICDHS 12th International Conference on Design History and Design Studies, pp. 591–600 (2020)
  • Kailankaje, Vikas. ’A Vernacular Sign Language’, By Design: Singapore, edited by Justin Zhuang, DesignSingapore Council, pp. 20–35 (2019)
  • Budhyarto, Mitha and Vikas Kailankaje. ‘‘Dignifying Labour’: The History of Early Vocational Education in Indonesia and Singapore’, ICDHS 10th+1. BARCELONA 2018, edited by Oriol Moret, Universitat de Barcelona (2018)
  • Chong, Keng Hua and Kang Fong Ing. Second Beginnings: Senior Living Redefined. Edited by Vikas Kailankaje, Lien Foundation and COLOURS: Collectively Ours (2018)
  • Lai, Chee Kien, Koh Hong Teng, and Chuan Yeo. Building Memories: People, Architecture, Independence. Edited by Vikas Kailankaje, Achates 360 (2016)
  • Kailankaje, Vikas. Lee Kuan Yew’s Legacy in Singapore’s Physical Transformation, FuturArc Nov. 2013: 101–102, print (2013)

Conferences

  • ‘Revisiting the “signature pedagogy” of design education (project, studio, crit) through my designer-educator networks and conversations with students at LASALLE College of the Arts (2015 to present)’, talk and panel discussion at Singapore Art Museum, organised by Candice Ng, Justin Zhuang, and Vanessa Ban (2025) 
  • ‘Brand Voice and Custom Fonts: Three Snapshots’, public talk and panel discussion at Meta (Facebook) APAC, organised by Singapore Product Design and Death of Typography (2024)
  • ‘Designing Ways of Teaching and Learning Typography as a System’, online presentation with Gideon Kong, organised Typelab Asia, Typographics (2023)
  • ‘Singapore Gothic: Discovering Singapore’s Typographic Vernacular in the Archives’, online presentation with Mark de Winne, organised by ATypI (2021)
  • ‘Craft and livelihood: developments in formal education in the Federated Malay States, Singapore, and Java, during the boom and depression of the 1900s–1940s’, presentation with Mitha Budhyarto at Northumbria University at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, organised by Design History Society (2019)
  • ‘Sign of the Times: A Talk & Workshop to Reimagine Singapore’s Design Vernacular’, talk and workshop at Library@Orchard in conjunction with President*s Design Award (P*DA) with support from URA, organised by Singapore Design Week (2019)
  • ‘The Pleasure of Typography in Reading’, panel discussion at The Arts House, organised by Singapore Writers Festival (2018)
  • ‘The Singapore Gothic: A Study into Singapore Vernacular Signage’ public talk at Library@Orchard, organised by ArchiFest (2018)
  • ‘Early Vocational Education in Indonesia and Singapore’, public talk with Mitha Budhyarto at Malaysia Design Archive (2018)

 

Creative practice

  • Designed for various local art, architecture and design organisations and events (Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore; Word Forward; Lit Up Festival 2013 and 2014; Musicity 2014; Studio Lapis and CSYA; Participate in Design (P!D), COLOURS: Collectively Ours and Lien Foundation) 
  • Conducted guided walks covering local issues and historical intrigue in collaboration with local writers and organisations for more than a decade (ArchiFest; National Library Board; Yale-NUS College; Marc Nair and Word Forward; Tse Hao Guang and Sing Lit Station)

  • Political economy of design
  • History of design education
  • Urban graphics in Singapore