Whether for inspiration or idolatry, business or just to bum, the SRO flock at Graphika Manila 08 (GM08) was bustling with activity and hustling for action. On its third year, the conference showed the design industry spinning its silky web across a variety of industries. The graphic design wave is riding high, and we welcome its crashing onto Philippine shores.
The conference boasted a star-studded lineup: pioneering solo graphic designer Robert Alejandro, working design teams Collision Theory and Acid House. Its foreign speakers were equally impressive: Pixar animator Kristophe Vergne and star designer tokidoki. Sponsors included Samsung, DesignPeople and Bratpack/Jansport.
Though it was a graphic design forum, it was not all lofty art. Many of the speakers touched on practical aspects: Robert Alejandro on the importance of organizing, not just for solidarity but for standardizing rates; AJ Dimarucot on making the best of vague briefs (clue: super-hot 20something emo bands are not the most lucid clients); Acid House on seizing opportunity, ready or not; Kristophe Vergne on the incredible amount of work demanded in the funland known as Pixar; and tokidoki on knockoffs and letting go of successful partnerships. Even Tim Yap, from sponsor Philippine Star, provided an example: when your computer quits and the crowd ignores you, stare them down, soldier on and offer free drinks for all.
Robert Alejandro
The opening speaker, Robert Alejandro is someone many in the audience had grown up with, as the host of a children’s art show and one of the pioneers of afford-able local design in his family’s retail chain Papemelroti.
In a day devoted to specialist designers, Alejandro presented projects that range from an entire mall to bank window displays to a book he had written as well as designed (“In the Philippines, you have to be a lot of things to survive”). Then his talk veered into unexpected territory — with a simple reading of current numbers on poverty, population, corruption, street children. (From the back of the theater, someone pleaded “Stop it!” In front of me, the visiting animator nodded his head.)
Besides providing much-needed social context, the figures grounded Alejandro’s personal story. Already holding a job over-seas, knowing he would face taxes, difficult clients and the realities of doing business in a country with 66.4% poverty, he still chose to come home and “be part of a solution.” For an audience expecting only to bask in star power while dreaming of world domination, it was a bracing yet incredibly inspiring start.
The Acid House
Stuck in the dreaded after-lunch slot, the low-key duo of Ivan Despi and Pauline Vicencio retold how they started. Equal parts balls and bluffing, Despi’s pitches somehow won a high-profile ABS-CBN contract – and the first thing they had to produce was a production studio. But as the Beatles sang, and indie artists everywhere know, “I get by with a little help from my friends.’ Suddenly, The Acid House was in business.
After that uplifting start, Despi and Vicencio shared a few hard facts of indie studio life. 1, You do everything. Number 2: Burnout is just one of the problems of a small independent studio. Not a warning, merely a fact. Number 3 is a direct quote from ABS-CBN’s Gabby Lopez that Despi lives by: Nothing takes the place of hard work.
The Acid House ended by unfurling a a succession of jaw-dropping, very Pinoy work, ending with local band Up Dharma Down’s music video “We Give in Sometimes."
Pixar
Representing THE coolest animation studio in the world, 3-D animator Kristophe Vergne focused on the arduous technical process that brought Ratatouille to life. With sketches, coloring, clay and computer modeling, and even motion tests using human animators, Vergne interspersed finished images with behind-the-scenes insights that had the audience in tears with mirth. His monotonous drone was forgiven. Vergne discussed the challenge of making a strange creature lovable – perhaps not just Remy the rat, but art as a whole. Vergne’s rat with a dream may as well be a metaphor for aspiring artists. “The computer is just a tool,” he stated. “I applied to Pixar with only a 2D reel, but look where I am now. There is no secret at Pixar. It’s about work, work, work,” he stressed.
Collision Theory
AJ Dimarucot’s design talent is a given—but his knack for business is a more recent discovery. Having already helped win a Caples Award at O&M, he has completely switched careers—from art director to international t-shirt designer. While his sophisticated designs wowed the crowd, Dimarucot’s casual presentation generously shared Photoshop effects, before-and-after shots, and websites through which the audience could start their own shirt empires. Co-presenter Arvin Nogueras, a.k.a. Caliph8 of the group Drip, used his collection of stunning retro LP covers to describe how music influenced his design. Paying tribute to both Ikabod Bubwit (“our local Ratatouille”) and ‘70s psychedelia, the clearly nervous musician shared how music was instrumental, pun intended, to inspiring creativity.
tokidoki
Reluctant ‘chick magnet’ Italian Simone Legno branded his artwork as tokidoki, and has since been going by the nickname. His portfolio/diary website has morphed into an empire, creating instantly recognizable merchandise for Galliano, LeSportsac, Renault and Toyota, MTV and even Microsoft. Still quite young, tokidoki is already an artful businessman. Sporting a very Italian accent and American streetwear (while showing Japanese-influenced imagery to a Pinoy audience), he dispensed qualified advice on licensing, knockoffs and finding inspiration just looking out your window.
In sum, Graphika’s guests’ intimate connection to their craft resonated in their work. A gigabyte paints a thousand words. Graphic design is hip and cool—seductive to youth, symbiotic to pop. The biggest proof: once exclusive to rockstars and athletes, nicknames and noms de plume are now common to graphic designers as well. What more proof do you need?
