WHEN Malaysians talk about talent, the conversation often drifts toward athletes, entrepreneurs, or innovators.
But quietly, in studios and classrooms, a new generation of designers has been shaping how we live, gather and connect.
For many of them, their turning point came from a small but life-changing moment, like stepping into the AYDA Awards as students with big ideas and even bigger dreams.
Founded by Nippon Paint in 2008, AYDA (previously known as Asia Young Designer Awards) was created on the belief that design has the power to improve lives when young creatives are given not just a stage to compete, but the mentorship, exposure and tools to grow responsibly.
What began as a student competition has since evolved into a regional platform spanning 17 countries, supported by Nippon Paint’s wider commitment to education, innovation and long-term industry development.
Today, three Malaysians who once stood nervously in front of judging panels now design for communities across Asia, teach the next wave of creatives and push the boundaries of what Malaysian design can be.
Their stories are very different, but they share a common thread: each found a way to turn personal experience into work that touches people.
Designing by feeling, intention and with confidence
Matthew Lim was the kind of student who paid attention to how a room made him feel, not just how it looked. He believed that design should move people.
AYDA Awards was one of the first places that nudged him to look deeper. It encouraged him to look inward and understand the intention behind his work.
“AYDA Awards taught me to always begin with intention, to ask why before how,” he says. That simple idea would become the foundation of his design language.
When Lim founded Matthew Lim Associates (MLA), he sought to create spaces that feel lived, felt and sincere.
Over time, that philosophy shaped his signature. It can be seen in the understated elegance of the Valcucine at Ciao Cucine showroom, the immersive experience of the SPACE Furniture Showroom Malaysia and the delicate way he interprets renowned Italian brands like Poliform, B&B Italia and Giorgetti.
These projects strengthened his belief that design is not about form first, but about feeling.
His breakthrough came when his interior design work for Kapten Batik Boutique at The Gardens Mall received international attention, affirming that Malaysian design can stand proudly on the global stage.
Today, as MLA prepares for expansion into Europe, Lim remains connected to the AYDA ecosystem, one shaped by Nippon Paint’s continued engagement with alumni through industry dialogues, design collaborations and material innovation.
The same principle still guides him: honest design requires trust, in intention, in craftsmanship, and in the systems that bring spaces to life.
Designing with heart and shaping a conscious future
Miki Ee was still a student when she spent months designing a sustainable elephant sanctuary for the AYDA Awards.
She poured into the project not just research, but heart, because she believed design should protect, not just beautify.
“When I was young, I used to think design was about making things look good,” she says. “Now I realise it’s about making life better.”
That sanctuary project changed the course of her life. It taught her that sustainability isn't a trend but a responsibility.
Years later, Ee’s studio Longface Design Atelier, carries that same moral compass.
Her projects feel deeply personal: gentle homes created for families going through transitions, eco-conscious spaces that prioritise well-being and commercial interiors that use materials with purpose.
Ee’s many accolades across Malaysia to Singapore are not what she strives for, but her mission is: by 2030, she hopes for every project she creates to be fully sustainable.
For Nippon Paint, this evolution reflects the deeper purpose of AYDA: nurturing designers who carry ethical responsibility forward, long after the awards ceremony, into the choices they make on-site, on material selection, and on how spaces support human well-being.
Finding purpose, and helping others find theirs
Long before Qhawarizmi Norhisham lectured at universities, curated festivals, or represented Malaysia on international stages, he was a curious child drawn to how worlds are built.
Some of his earliest encounters with design came not from buildings, but from city-building video games, where he began to see cities as living systems shaped by decisions and human behaviour.
He grew up in a modest terrace house in Shah Alam, surrounded by conversations about land, value and construction.
Following his mother for on-site measurements for civic spaces showed him how drawings and numbers translate into places people depend on, shaping his belief that space is never abstract.
AYDA later became the moment that helped him make sense of these instincts.
“AYDA taught me that design excellence is not only about form or function, but about the clarity of purpose and empathy behind each decision,” he reflects.
Through the mentorship he received, he learnt how to speak about ideas with confidence and how to listen with intention.
Today, as ARCASIA Committee on Young Architects chairman, Qhawarizmi focuses on creating opportunities for young architects across 24 countries.
“Your career becomes meaningful when it becomes a platform for others,” he often says.
His monograph – Observatory – reflects the curiosity and resilience that shaped his early years.
Through it all, one belief remains clear – when you help others rise, you rise too. And for him, that journey began with a spark at AYDA.
Celebrating 19 years of nurturing design excellence
Nineteen years on, AYDA is no longer just an awards programme; it is a living ecosystem, sustained by Nippon Paint’s long-term investment in education, innovation and industry enablement.
As the founder of AYDA Awards, Nippon Paint has long believed that great design is shaped through mentorship, systems thinking and access to solutions that translate ideas into buildable, lasting realities.
Beyond nurturing young talent, Nippon Paint continues to support designers through its Total Coating and Construction Solutions (TCCS) approach, providing integrated systems across walls, floors, roofs, metals and waterproofing.
By offering reliable, compatible solutions behind every surface, Nippon Paint empowers interior designers and architects to focus on creativity, intent, and impact, confident that performance and longevity are built into every space.
For more information on AYDA Awards, visit https://www.asiayoungdesignerawards.com.my/
