MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Design Center of the Philippines went all-out as it celebrated the Philippine Creative Industries Month, Design Consciousness Week, and its 50th year anniversary with the seventh edition of the International Design Conference.
The 7th International Design Conference was a two-day event held last September 14 and 15 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, CCP Black Box Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City. The conference held several discussions on design innovation, and how the Philippines can grow to become globally competitive through its various creative industries.
Understanding design
The conference began with opening remarks from World Design Organization Board Member Pradyumna Vyas and DTI Undersecretary Ana Carolina Sanchez, both elaborating on this year’s theme, ‘Design-Led Renaissance’—exploring how design can reshape economies and societies all around the world.
Design as an Attitude
The conference kicked off with a session on “Design as an Attitude,” which aimed to reframe traditional perceptions of design and explore how it can be applied to solve global and societal issues.
The two keynote speakers were award-winning design critic and author Alice Rawsthorn, and independent curator, institutional critic, and founder of TAO INC., Marian Pastor-Roces.
Alice began her keynote by sharing the origins and inspirations that helped her pen ‘Design as an Attitude,’ and encouraged audiences to rethink their general perceptions on design. She argued that design should not be seen as a purely aesthetic endeavor, but rather as an ‘attitude,’ and a powerful tool for creating positive impact.
“Because design is a complex and elusive phenomenon, it has taken on different meanings and contexts. As a result, it’s been prone to cliches and misunderstandings,” Alice shared. “But in all its many guises, I believe that design has always had one elemental role, and that is this: design is an agent of change, which interprets change as any type—political, social, scientific, ecological, cultural, whatever—that can help us make sense of what is happening to ensure that they will affect us positively and not negatively.”
Further in her talk, Alice featured design examples, projects, symbols, and global phenomena that through the help of design and design-oriented thinking, created a significant impact not just across countries but also across generations and global history. “Empathy will be important for design in the future,” she said.
Marian Pastor-Roces followed Alice’s keynote with a talk on the importance of preserving design systems. She highlighted that we need to learn from the past and address the mistakes that resulted in the wipeout of certain design systems, showing woven textile designs created by various indigenous tribes from Mindanao as an example.
“We need to address what happened; we need to look to the past, not to appropriate (designs and cultures), but to pinpoint what went wrong,” Marian said.
Marian’s talk addresses the notion that design can be heavily impacted by political, environmental, and social changes—and it is part of a designer’s responsibility to recognize the importance of preserving art, design, and cultures as it is integral to sustaining identities.
The first session concluded with a fireside chat moderated by the co-founder of Curiosity Design Research, Pamela Cajilig. Vogue Philippines’ editor-in-chief Bea Valdes, Chairmom and The Misfits Camp founder Merlee Jayme, and TAYO co-founders Natasha and Isabella Tanjutco engaged in a conversation on igniting paths to a more inclusive and sustainable future led by design.
Looking into the archipelago of design-led nations
The second session delved into the concept of an “Archipelago of Design-Led Nations,” exploring the pivotal role that design plays in propelling a nation’s development towards inclusive and sustainable growth.
Christina Melander, the President of the Bureau of European Design Associations and Program Director at the Danish Design Centre, led her talk with the question: “Just because we can, should we?” — addressing the innovations in technology and the digital world and considering its impact and consequences.
Christina also shared some of her favorite initiatives from the Danish Design Centre; one that focuses on designing an ‘irresistible circular society,’ and one that addresses the moral imperatives of digital innovation.
Christina ended with a key message on envisioning a future that is design-led and human-centered. “We must make sure that the digital transition is both responsible, human-centered, and ethical,” she stressed.
Hon. Christopher “Toff” De Venecia, Representative of the Fourth District of Pangasinan and Chairperson of the House Special Committee on Creative Industries, shared the milestones achieved since the Republic Act No. 11904, known as the “Philippine Creative Industries Development Act,” was enacted.
House Special Committee on Creative Industries
Congressman Toff emphasized the importance of design in fostering creative industries as a means to drive economic progress in the Philippines. This session ignited a robust discussion on how various government sectors, with the help of its communities and design leaders, can harness the power of design to chart a course towards economic and community prosperity.
“For us to be truly competitive on the world stage, we must be inward-looking; we must be hyperlocal to be truly global,” Cong. Toff concluded.
To conclude this session, UK Design Council’s Chief Executive Minnie Moll, Design Singapore Council’s Deputy Executive Director Jacks Yeo, Cebu UNESCO City of Design’s Focal Point Butch Carungay, and British Council’s Head of Arts Mich Dulce engaged in a fireside chat moderated by Glorife Soberano-Samodio, the culture and arts director at De La Salle University.
The fusion of design-driven leadership and purpose revolution
The day’s next session looked into the significance of design leadership in instigating substantial societal and environmental transformations.
Expounding on the topic of design-driven leadership and purpose revolution, sustainability pioneer and professor at Umea Institute of Design Daniela Bohlinger shared her commitment to creating evolutionary change that is led by design. Dedicated to creating design that benefits biodiversity and empowering humans and nature altogether, Daniela believes that approaching nature through senses is more effective in fostering more sustainable, liveable environments.
A trailblazer in sustainable manufacturing, Managing Director & Senior Designer of Hacienda Crafts Company Inc. Christina “Ina” Gaston put a spotlight on enviro-social design in her talk. Her work in Hacienda Crafts emphasizes the importance of designing with purpose and fostering relationships with local craftspeople.
“It really takes small steps to make big things happen,” Ina shared. “To be in the business of manufacturing, we have to be the driver of (sustainable) change.”
The International Design Conference wrapped up its first day of the conference with a fireside chat featuring Dan Matutina, co-founder of Plus63 and Hydra Design Group; Aaron Palileo, co-founder of CIA Bootleg Manila; Dr. Ani Rosa Almario, vice president of Adarna House; and Monica Llamas-Garcia, co-founder and Head of Brand & Communications and Bleeding Heart Rum & Co., with moderator Niña Terol, founder & CEO of Imaginable Impact.
Igniting the design-led renaissance
On the second day of the conference, Senator Sonny Angara, together with DTI Undersecretary Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba, led the conversation on design being woven together with data and other digital aspects.
Navigating the age of human-machine collaboration
The fourth session of the International Design Conference 2023 tackled the possibilities and opportunities to explore in cultivating a harmonious relationship between humanity and technology. The session challenged the conventional discourse that often pits humans against AI, advocating for a paradigm shift towards a more symbiotic relationship with artificial intelligence.
Hyper Island’s Managing Director Peachy Pacquing’s keynote focused on future skills in the age of human-AI collaboration. To evolve in today’s age, Peachy argued that we need a better theory and practice for merging and building human and computer teams. “We will have to embrace humility and know that we don’t know everything, but we will figure it out together. That is how we humans will add value in a world of smart technology,” she said.
Through developing a mindset that embraces both ego and fear, Peachy believes that the way forward is to adapt and develop a transdisciplinary sense of self, where we must find ourselves constantly open to learning new skills and experiences. She ended her talk with a reminder: “We are designers—every single one of us—not victims, of our future.”
Wil Sarmiento, Director and Head of CRM for Consumer Business at Globe Telecom, shared his insights on the evolving landscape of tech, shedding light on the essential strategies needed to thrive in the age of synergy between human creativity and technology.
“AI is a good reminder that we have an opportunity to be better,” Wil said. “It’s on us to change for the better.”
Beth Macdonald, the Chief People Officer of Biocellon SPC, then moderated a fireside discussion with Angela Chen-Delantar, the co-founder of Eskwelabs, Mylene Abiva, President and CEO of Felta Multimedia Inc., Angelo Cuyegkeng, Design Lead at Canva Philippines, and Paolo Toledo, Head of Creative Development at Globe Telecom.
Design policy and design bureaucracy
The session on design policy and design bureaucracy shed light on the advantages of integrating design principles into the public sector. By bridging the gap between design expertise and government administration, the speakers offered a vision of more responsive, citizen-centric, and community-engaged policy-making processes.
This started with a keynote from Anna Whicher, Head of Design & Policy at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Anna kicked off with some lessons she learned from her career—putting a highlight on creating safe spaces to design in public sector spaces and building capacities for design methods.
“I genuinely believe that design is one of the resilient skills of the future. Human beings have designed since time immemorial (…) It is in our DNA to design, and we need to be better at demanding better design solutions—and I want you to demand better design solutions from the government,” Anna concluded.
Guillermo “Bill” Luz, Chairman of Livable Cities Philippines, spoke about transforming institutions through innovative and human-centered design. Bill has devoted his life’s work to building more liveable cities, improving urban planning and management with the help of local government units.
What is the way forward? Bill answered: “We need to introduce more design thinking into the process, we need to use a more consultative, participatory process, we need to become more citizen-focused and customer-centric, and we need to use more data analytics and dashboards. It’s not rocket science, but this will take discipline to get it done.”
Shortly after, Curiosity Design Research’s General Manager, Birdie Salva, moderated the fireside chat with Limitless Lab founder and CEO Joie Cruz, UNDP Philippines Accelerator Lab’s Head of Experimentation Francis Capistrano, and the National Economic Development Authority’s Chief for Policy and Innovations Rogerine Miguel-Irvine in the panel.
Design’s next promise
The last session of the International Design Conference was aptly titled “Design’s Next Promise.” This session called for a profound re-evaluation of personal purpose and approaches to design work, advocating for a shift towards community-oriented design thinking.
The keynote speaker, Sarah Ichioka, Founding Director of Desire Lines and Co-author of “Flourish: Design Paradigms for our Planetary Emergency,” shared her visionary insights on reframing design purpose and reclaiming power as a designer in order to co-create liveable futures. “We as designers can and must shift from an attitude of concern and overwhelm towards an attitude of relevance and responsibility,” she expressed.
for our Planetary Emergency (right)
In a fireside chat with Joseph AdG Javier, Managing Principal at Javier Design Studio – Manila, Sarah tackled questions concerning design systems, design communities, and breaking limited perceptions on design.
Rhea Matute, the Executive Director of DTI-Design Center of the Philippines, officially closed the program with an encouraging message for designers and industry leaders alike.
“We hope to trigger a more impactful use of design, and even further nudge designers to address complex and urgent issues of our time,” Rhea said. “By unveiling the transformative possibilities unfolding within nations, cities, businesses, and individuals, we have curated this year’s conference to elevate the Philippines’ design industry to a more prominent position and to challenge the participants to push the boundaries to what they thought was impossible.”
Watch the full livestream of the International Design Conference 2023 here:
- Day 1 Part 1: https://fb.watch/n5636wDlTZ/
- Day 1 Part 2: https://fb.watch/n566anGGqM/
- Day 2 Part 1: https://fb.watch/n5636wDlTZ/
- Day 2 Part 2: https://fb.watch/n55-89u8Gf/
