The Void Deck Notice Board: A 1960s Innovation

When Singapore's Housing Development Board (HDB) began constructing public housing estates in the 1960s, they included an open space on the ground floor—the "void deck"—designed for community interaction. Early on, simple cork boards and metal frames were installed here to display government announcements, town council bulletins, and occasionally, handwritten resident notices.

These boards served a critical purpose: in an era before smartphones, social media, or email, they were the primary means of disseminating time-sensitive information to neighbors in close-knit kampung-style communities.

The 1980s–2000s: Paper Still Reigns

Throughout this period, paper remained king. Residents would post handwritten notes about lost pets, upcoming events, or renovation works. Town councils used standardized notices for lift maintenance, pest control schedules, and town hall meetings.

However, challenges began to emerge. Paper notices were prone to weather damage, vandalism, and simply being overlooked. By the 1990s, as Singapore's pace of life accelerated, fewer residents stopped to read physical bulletins. Simultaneously, commercial notices and illegal flyers started to clutter these boards, diminishing their effectiveness as community tools.

The 2010s: The Digital Shift Begins

In the 2010s, town councils and HDB began installing digital screens in lift lobbies. These screens displayed automated notices, weather updates, and government announcements. However, they lacked the interactive, resident-driven quality that made traditional bulletin boards special.

Meanwhile, platforms like Facebook groups and WhatsApp chats became informal alternatives. But these had limitations: they were fragmented, unverified, and often overwhelmed by off-topic content. There was no centralized, trusted, postal-code-specific digital board.

The 2020s: The Internet Takes Over

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Singapore's digital transformation. Suddenly, contactless communication became essential. Physical bulletin boards, already in decline, were rarely updated or checked.

This shift highlighted a gap: while government announcements moved online, there was no official, resident-friendly platform for posting community notices—whether about lost pets, renovation works, tuition services, or neighborhood events.

Today's modern solution combines the trustworthiness of traditional bulletin boards with the reach and speed of the internet. Residents can now post, view, and search for postal-code-specific notices instantly, from anywhere, ensuring that the spirit of community communication—born in the void decks of the 1960s—thrives in the digital age.