The Design Center of the Philippines magnifies the resplendence of Philippine design and creativity as Design Week Philippines empowers design communities and hubs to fully embrace creativity and diversity.
“Design Week Philippines is Design Center’s community sandbox, inviting stakeholders across sectors to celebrate design through playful experimentation and free-form exploration,” Design Center Executive Director Rhea Matute said. “With Intramuros as our starting point in earlier editions, Design Week Philippines has flourished and is now commemorated in 11 cities, with 35 partners, and through 42 events.”
Matute added that this edition of Design Week Philippines carries the theme Design Kaleidoscope: Seeing the World Differently Thru Design. “The theme embodies Design Center’s vision for the country’s design and creative sectors – bursting with color and fully embracing their diversity to empower the next driver of the Philippine economy,” she explained.
Beyond Intramuros and the metro, the multi-platform celebration of Philippine design and creativity will also warm up designers and creatives looking to break into the country’s burgeoning creative industries.
“Design Week invites individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to explore areas for collaboration,” Matute explained. “In our talks and workshops, different business-support organizations and industry experts will guide participants as they make their way as sustainable enterprises in the creative industries.”
From 22-28 April, Design Week Philippines will also help activate creative spaces in NCR – Makati (Designing for Impact in Communities); Manila (Fashion Revolution Week, Laro, Laro, Likha, Deutscher Werkbund Exhibit, Wim Wenders Retrospective, Meeting of Styles); Mandaluyong (Animator’s Couch and Film Screening, Paper Engineering for Kids, Leather Craft Workshop); Marikina (Philippine Footwear Design Competition); Muntinlupa (Architectural Rendering and Visualization, Talks on Art Collection and Interior Design, and Collections Interior Design Exhibit); Pasay (Manila FAME); Pasig (Creative Nation Academy Workshop Series, The Good Trade PH); Quezon City (Creative Roundtable and Makers Mixer, A Different View, Paper Quilling); Taguig (Pluma, Young Writers Hangout) – Cebu (Bamboo Workshop), and Davao (Unstitch: A Fashion and Sustainability Fair).
Design Week April 2019 embraces gamification for innovation, problem-solving
The 11th edition of Design Week will culminate on 28 April in Plaza Moriones with talks, workshops, and activities centered on Filipino culture, particularly traditional Philippine games, Filipino-designed tabletop games, and Philippine arts.
“Every edition of Design Week Philippines introduces fresh approaches to design and creativity, and this edition is no different,” Matute noted. “Through our collaborations with different designers, creatives, and hubs, we will unleash your inner child as you enter a state of play. Through the exciting lineup of activities we have in store for April, we will help you unlock unique views and applications of creativity and innovation,” she added.
The Design Talks of Design Week Philippines April 2019, which will be moderated by the Game Development Association of the Philippines (GDAP) President Alvin Juban, will feature Patricia Ramos (Illustrator and Game Designer, Talinghaga and Tala), Thomas Regala (Game Designer, The Epic Gaming Regiment), Tobie Abad (Senior Game Designer, Taktyl Studios), Nico Valdez (Publisher and Game Designer, Balangay Entertainment), Nathan Briones (Lead Writer and Game Designer, Project Tadhana), and Yves Suiza (CEO, Promeworks Pte. Ltd).
These designers will share their insights on the current state of tabletop games including the story behind the work, their design process, the movement being built, the challenges, the role of design in achieving its goals, and the future of the tabletop game industry.
Meanwhile, Makerspace Manila will facilitate a workshop on making your own board game. “It is fast-paced, hands-on, and team-based. Participants will leave the workshop armed with a methodology that can apply not just to board games but to any design-related endeavor. This will be fun,” Makerspace Manila Co-Founder and CEO Gino Carino said of the workshop, adding that participants will be playtesting their creations to complete the experience.
Design Week attendees in Intramuros will also have plenty of Creative Workshops to choose from – Watercolor and Painting Session with Alessa Lanot, Color Spinning Tops and Craft Sipa with Yana Ofrasio, Moss Art with Studio Habil, Plush Toy Making with Takaw Toys, 3D Art Making with Klaypel, Air Dry Clay Making with Craft Bunny, Crochet Workshop with Crochet Lovers in the Philippines, and Basic Wire Jewelry Making with Tesseract Manila.
Outdoor games will amp up the nostalgia factor in the walled city as, on the culmination of Design Week Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will host games in Plaza Moriones such as kadang-kadang, sipa, and holen. The NCCA will also facilitate workshops under its Arts in Public Spaces program, including silkscreen printing and baybayin henna tattoo workshops.
“The NCCA, through its Arts in Public Spaces program supports the Design Week Philippines to promote the integration of arts in the community and also underscore the significant role of arts, artists and other stakeholders in uplifting the nation’s spirit,” NCCA Special Projects Officer Ronn Fernando explained.
