Object size: 5.0 x 5.0 cm,
Image size: Refer to parts
This is a set of hand drawn illustrations showing how Telecoms phone cards were used at public payphone booths when they were introduced in 1985. The magnetic cards were sold in $2, $5 and $10 denominations and two new denominations, $20 and $50, were added on later, which came in useful for international calls. The provision of cashless payphone amenities enhanced the way calls were made by offering greater accessibility and convenience.The drawings were produced by Hengdesign Associates, led by principal designer James Heng, which also designed the phone cards. The design firm first came on board to work on the redesign of Telecoms logo in the late 1970s, a pivotal period when the statutory board was preparing to introduce more advanced and futuristic telecommunications services. The improved logo, unveiled on 5 October 1979, featured a ‘T’ in striking paprika orange resembling a stylised telephone receiver, arching over a globe — a motif retained from the previous emblem. It embodied a sense of modernity, dynamism and progress, mirroring the ambition of Telecoms to position Singapore as a regional and global hub in digital telecommunications.Hengdesign went on to develop a refreshed corporate identity for Telecoms during the late 1970s to mid-1980s, which was systematically applied to its business forms, signs, stationery and corporate vehicles, projecting a unified presence across multiple touchpoints. It also updated the designs of public payphone booths and created designs for prepaid phone cards, which improved the way calls were made with greater accessibility and convenience. The booths and phone cards feature the updated Telecoms logo and its striking corporate colour of paprika orange.