MANILA – For its second anniversary, Works of Heart held ‘Hearts Behind Work’, an event and exhibit where the company gave thanks to its supporters, from family and friends to clients and fellow entrepreneurs.
“We conceptualized Hearts Behind Work because we wanted to celebrate the advocacy behind Works of Heart, which was social design. But we also wanted to show people that social design isn’t just being done now – in fact, it’s already been done before, we just don’t know it,” said Gabby Layugan.
Held at NOVA Gallery in Makati, ‘Hearts Behind Work’ featured four organizations that use art and design as tools for social change.
“Design has a big potential to be used in the development sector. Apart from the design services that Works of Heart provides, we also have that advocacy of using design not just for its aesthetics. Art can be an expression, but design is a solution,” Layugan said.
At the event, MUNI, OpenData PH, JuanPortrait, and Risque Designs showcased their design solutions. MUNI advocates mindful living with projects like their CutTheCrap campaign, which strongly discourages littering of cigarette butts.
OpenData PH, a government-initiated organization, creates visualisations using government data. For instance, data from the Department of Budget and Management was used to create an interactive infographic that shows where our taxes go.
A group of professional photographers, JuanPortrait believes that less-fortunate communities deserve an identity and image. By giving the communities photos of themselves, the group seeks to give them a sense of who they are, and to capture the Filipino spirit.
Meanwhile, Risqué Designs sells shoes that showcase Filipino elements such as tamaraw horns and tarsiers.
Works of Heart also exhibited their work, such as inspirational posters that are shared on social media.
The company also invited guest speakers Prim Paypon from The Dream Project PH, an non-profit, volunteer-based community initiative based in Bacolod City, and Dan Matutina, co-founder of Plus63 Design Co.
Paypon discussed the role of design in The Dream Project’s creative education, social design innovation, and youth voluntraining. Meanwhile, Matutina discussed how design is being used for social good, using his company’s Design Co. Mission, a challenge to three design organizations (Team Manila, InkSurge, and Plus 63 Design) to solve specific community concerns through design.
The event was co-presented by NOVA Gallery and Bo’s Coffee, while minor sponsors were Bayani Brew and DONG-A.
