Have you ever picked up something that caught your eye, only to put it back down when you saw the price tag?
It’s a relatable experience for most shoppers—one that Jovi Lim knows all too well. With a passion for interior design and aesthetic home decorations, he often admired unique, designer lighting, but more often than not, these pieces were simply “out of reach” for the 20-year-old.
Determined to take matters into his own hands, he invested in a 3D printer and began experimenting with his own lamp designs at home.
After dedicating countless hours to learning how to bring his designs to life, the Singapore Polytechnic student officially launched his lamp company, Sonogo Design, in September last year—all from his bedroom.
With Sonogo Design, Jovi aims to make “high quality and handcrafted lamps accessible” to Singaporeans.
Designer lamps at affordable prices
When I first visited the brand’s website, I couldn’t help but be impressed—all of their lamps were sold out. A notice on the site mentioned that their last drop had flown off the shelves in just one day.
Still, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the prices—they were steeper than I had anticipated.
However, Jovi believes that he prices his lamps at a “reasonable rate,” taking into account the craftsmanship, time, design, and effort that go into each piece.
Each lamp could take up to five to nine hours to build, excluding the cleaning up and packaging by hand, which takes another 20 to 30 minutes.
“When compared to other designers, especially as a new entrant in this industry, I believe my lamps are fairly and competitively priced for the value they offer,” Jovi explained. He also pointed out that other designer lamps can often cost as much as S$2,000 each.
Every lamp has its story
When asked about the inspiration behind his lamps, Jovi explained, “I design them based on what I see in my life, and I play around with different shapes and patterns to create the shape of the lamp that reflects the overall idea.”
His Luna lamp, for example, was inspired by the crescent moon—a design Jovi takes great pride in.
There’s a card with a QR code that comes with every lamp, and customers can scan it to find out more about their lamps. Each of them has their own unique story to tell—I want to let people know that I don’t just create random shapes and put a base for it to become a lamp.
Jovi Lim, founder of Sonogo Design
To bring these stories to life, Jovi starts by sketching his ideas, which he then turns into 3D models using design software before conducting several test prints to refine the final version. “I need to ensure that the lamp can actually be brought to life through 3D printing,” he added.
Self-taught skills
Since its launch, Sonogo Design has garnered significant attention, which Jovi attributes to the brand’s strong social media presence.
In just four months, Jovi shared that he has managed to sell over 200 lamps, but his entrepreneurial journey was far from easy.
As a marketing student, Jovi had “never once touched” 3D modelling software before starting Sonogo Design. But after watching YouTube videos on 3D printing, he became fascinated with the process and realised that he could “turn his ideas into reality.”
This led him to invest about S$1,400 into his first 3D printer, using the savings he had mainly accumulated from part-time jobs and internships.
With the 3D printer, he experimented with creating different objects, including miniature cities, toothbrush holders, and pegboard clips. Still, his love for home decorations eventually led him to focus on designing lamps.
Juggling a 9-to-6 internship at that time, Jovi spent late nights teaching himself product design from scratch, creating prototype after prototype through trial and error.
He learnt everything the same way he first discovered 3D printing—by watching YouTube tutorials.
Everything I learnt is sourced from YouTube videos. I wouldn’t say I’m the best at it compared to all the other engineers and professional workers out there, as I still can learn a lot more, but I would say being able to turn my sketches into reality and master the arts of 3D printing is a huge achievement for me.
Jovi Lim, founder of Sonogo Design
A relaunch, then a retail store
According to Jovi, Sonogo Design’s growing social media presence has also attracted attention from “big companies, home decor creators, and 3D printing enthusiasts.”
In addition, showcasing his lamps at events like New Bahru’s Christmas Market has helped expand the brand’s reach to a broader audience.
To keep up with the increasing demand, Jovi has now expanded his setup to four 3D printers.
As Jovi will be enlisting for National Service soon, he is currently focused on raising funds with the goal of opening a physical store once he completes his service.
“For the long term, after finishing National Service, I plan to relaunch Sonogo and establish a dedicated studio space—this studio would not only serve as a workspace for my business but also as a place to connect with customers and showcase my lamps in a physical setting.”
- Learn more about Sonogo Design here.
- Read more articles we’ve written about Singaporean Startups here.
Feature Image Credit: Sonogo Design
