The Challenge
The Singapore Memory Project began with physical postcards: interns scanning each drawn card and typing captions into spreadsheets, far too slow and costly for a target of five million memories.
Our Approach
We built DrawSG, an app-less HTML5 canvas that collected drawings and captions in any native mobile browser: no install, no friction. A Node.js backend with Redis caching and MongoDB stored every doodle and exported to CSV for the national archive. Launched in May 2012, backed by NDP road shows and a Wacom Singapore partnership that put free styluses in visitors' hands.
Results
1.7 million doodle memories created by the public
Zero-install participation via mobile web, shared organically on Facebook
Drawings exported to the National Library Board's national archive
Featured at NDP 2012 road shows, with celebrity contributions on air
