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| (From left) Low Guan Hong (5th prize), Clarine
Ho (4th prize), Ler Lian Guey (3rd prize), Foong Kai Tat (2nd prize),
Terence Yap (1st prize), Online poll winners: Toh Xiao Ping &
Leong Jia En |
 inally,
after weeks of waiting, the five winning designers of The Youth
Portal Project website design contest received their prizes during
the Youth.Net Cyberwellness conference held at the Orchard Hotel on
26 July 2005..
 The
prize presentation ceremony was held shortly after the opening address
by Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State, Law
and Home Affairs, and Chairman for the Inter-Ministry Committee on
Youth Crime (IMYC). AP Ho congratulated Youth.sg saying “that’s (youth.sg)
a good start” in helping “youth in Singapore to develop to their
full potential”.
Held from 9 May to 12 June, the website design contest received more
than 130 entries and the top five designs were selected after numerous
rounds shortlisting and judging. Following an online poll where more
than 1,000 votes were received, the top five designs were ranked.
Terence Yap, who received news of the competition through email,
took two weeks to complete his winning design. The 29-year-old designer
got his inspiration for Budding Talents from various youth-oriented
websites on the Internet ranging from online magazines to brochures.
When asked how he would be spending his prize money of $2,000, Terence
said he would “treat friends to dinner” and “pay phone bills”.
Foong Kai Tat, a 27-year-old multimedia designer, plans to
“reinvest the prize money in hardware and software”. Tempted by the
opportunity for gaining exposure and the attractive prize money, Kai
Tat took more than three weeks to conceptualise YO!, but only one
day to construct it.
22-year-old Clarine Ho, who recently graduated from NUS, had
been looking for an opening in the programming industry when she received
an email from NUS informing her of the design contest. With “nothing
(else) to do”, she mustered her creative juices and conjured up an
entry well-worthy of fourth position.
Similarly, Mr Ler Lian Guey, a 23-year-old third year NUS Civil
Engineering undergraduate who also received word about Youth.sg’s
website design contest through an email from NUS, has always had a
passion for design. He mentioned that being in the top five in this
competition has been a small encouragement and has “motivated [him]
to participate in more design competitions”.
To our only ‘under-21’ winner in the contest, Low Guan Hong,
the contest was a “self-challenge”. Though thankful he made it to
the top five, the 18-year-old Temasek Polytechnic Internet multimedia
student believes he could have done better given more time as he had
rushed to complete his entry within the span of four days. And so,
the winners got their just rewards. But those who participated in
the online poll to rank the top five entries were also a critical
part of the contest, since it was their votes that decided the winners.
For that, three lucky voters who correctly picked the winning design
entry received a lime green iPod mini. They are Mr Yeo Choon Hwa,
Ms Toh Xiao Ping and Ms Leong Jia En.
Jia En, a 22-year-old NUS Chinese Language undergraduate, mentioned
that she had stumbled upon Youth.sg and later decided to take part
in the online poll. “It was attractive and the most colourful . .
. makes me feel like wanting to visit [the website]” was the reason
Jia En voted for Budding Talents.
While the prize presentation marked the end of the website design
competition, the way is still open for all youth to come forward to
contribute to this online community of Singaporean youth. After all,
as AP Ho puts it, “it’s your portal, make it alive, make it count
for you.” (Visit Youth.sg/joinus to see how you can contribute!) 
(Adapted from an article by Ernest Ng featured on Youth.SG)
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