With the circuit breaker measures, those who deliver food to residences have taken on an outsized importance - and Mr Pann Lim and his colleagues have put their design skills to work to make sure this group of essential workers know they are appreciated.
The co-founder of creative agency Kinetic Singapore decided to act on an idea brought up by his co-worker, roping in some 15 others in the agency to create poster templates that thank delivery riders for their hard work.
The idea is simple: People can download the posters from the website, add on to them as they like, and stick them on their doors. They can also leave some snacks outside the door for delivery riders, such that "contactless delivery need not be heartless", Mr Lim, 47, said.
"We tried to diversify the designs as much as possible. One thing we stuck to is to keep the background light-coloured so that people do not have to do heavy printing. We wanted it to be an easy way for people to thank the riders, to encourage them."
Within a week, 24 professionally illustrated posters were ready, bearing tongue-in-cheek sentences like "You make my day bloom even though I'm stuck on Zoom" and "Ride safe. So we can ride this out together!".
Officially launched on April 17, the website has since logged more than 20,000 unique visitors. The number of downloads is not readily available, but Mr Lim says the pro bono project has never been about raising the profile of the agency's designs.
To those who have written to him to say that they do not own a printer, or that their printers are out of ink or malfunctioning, he has invariably responded to say that a good old-fashioned handwritten note works just as well.
"It's not about downloading posters. If you want to leave a note, leave a note. There is no fixed rule."
He added: "In trying these things, you see that people are really kind. I'm not expecting everyone to take part but if people feel like this makes sense, they will do it."
Mr Lim acknowledges that some have said his resources could be better spent on a "more serious industry" amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Healthcare workers, for example, have been at the centre of many public campaigns.
"But I do not believe in kindness that is bigger or smaller. I think it is quite a subjective choice. The riders brave the rain, the hot sun. They need a pat on the back."
Some parents have even found the posters useful as a colouring activity for their children.
"Everyone is tense during this high-strung period. With a little bit of kindness, we can make it feel more positive," Mr Lim said.
