How can better-planned cities create the conditions for more creative, livable, and resilient urban environments? “Makati Urban Recipes for a City’s Survival,” a colloquium held at the Ayala Museum on September 15, brought together architects and practitioners from the fields of urbanism and the creative economy to discuss how design, planning, and collaboration can address […]
‘Avante’ Celebrates the New 2024 Batch of Industrial Designers
Avante: Industrial Design Thesis Exhibit 2024 showcased design projects of the University of the Philippine’s graduating industrial designer class of 2024. The exhibit, open to the public at the UP Fine Arts Gallery until July 29, offers a perspective on the philosophies of some of the future industrial designers in the country.
Avante’s core concept comes from the humble ant and anthill, with the eighteen graduates seeing themselves as building their small ideas into bigger opportunities for the future.
“Just like the ant, we start with small ideas and small designs. But there is strength in numbers. We come in groups and are moved by one goal. Remember, the ant never moves backward,” the exhibit write-up said.
Cheers and Thanks
Its opening was graced by students of the university, its faculty, and the families and friends of the graduating class.
Before the official opening of the exhibition, many well-wishers from the faculty came on stage to greet and congratulate the graduating class. Amongst them are Marc San Valentin, the Dean of Fine Arts, and the program’s coordinator Ninel Constantino.
During her speech, Constantino presented the 2024 batch as the first to be affected by the pandemic. Many of them had their first two years online, seeing each other and their professors through a screen instead of the face-to-face interactions everyone has been used to. She congratulated them for their hard work and perseverance despite the unique circumstances they found themselves in.
Louise Beron, the representative of the graduating class, gave a speech on behalf of their classmates. It went beyond congratulations to impart the philosophy of the class to the audience at hand: their collective belief at the continued importance of designing for the betterment of humanity and society as a whole.
“Because design is everywhere. If you look closely, every design decision has a reason,” they said. Beron returned to the example of the ant in the belief of working together to ensure a better future for everyone. “[No matter what happens], we move forward regardless. And what I love about my batch is that we move as a group.”
Design Innovations and Ideas
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, visitors and guests were able to tour the exhibit. There, the students showcased and explained some of their design ideas, including working prototypes, schematics, mock-ups, and proofs of the work.
The batch and student body asked everyone to sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect their ideas and prevent proliferation of the works to outsiders.
Still, many of the ideas stood at the core tenet of being small and human-centric. The problems they attempted to solve ranged from minimizing waste products on food to easing or monitoring the pain points of different disabilities.
The students were rightfully excited in preseting their ideas. They specified what problems they wished to address and how their designs could work to solve them. While none of the works might be considered groundbreaking, they significantly enhance the convenience and comfort of the end-user through their thoughtful designs.
Envisioning Human-Centric Solutions
Some students employed newer technologies and apps to ease the source of the problems. However, many of the projects were shockingly low-tech, borrowing from traditional or indigenous ideas to craft the seemingly-simple solutions. One notices the portability of the designs. These inventions can easily exist in a household context with minimal help from professionals in the area.
Altogether, the projects envision a more accessible world that accommodates disabilities and creates convenience for the end-user. Many of the designs ensure no waste to the end-product at large. It also reassures us that this batch of industrial designers, wherever they may end up in the future, look for forge a legacy of betterment to society.
Avante portrays a future for industrial design that is not only human-centric, but needs-based as society works towards the individual and collective good. As Beron said during their speech to encourage their classmates for the future, “Keep on designing the world you want to live in.”
Related reading: House panel approves proposed Green Energy Education Bill
The fourth Manila Interior DesignInterior DesignThe discipline of planning and shaping interior spaces for function, comfort, safety, and beauty. It covers layout, lighting, materials, finishes, furniture, and color, and in the Philippines is a licensedGo to Interior Design Glossary Summit (MIDS) brought together more than 300 delegates for four days of conversations, exhibitions, and design […]
Held at the SMX Convention Center Aura in Taguig City, the first ASEAN Creative Industries Expo by Malikhaing Pinoy (ASEAN MPEx) features nine creative domains, including design, visual arts, digital interactive media, and performing arts. Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the event includes exhibitions, cultural performances, industry talks, and pitching sessions […]
The SSS Building as an Expression of Civic Modernism My favorite modernist landmark in Quezon City is the SSS building on East Avenue. Designed by National Artist for ArchitectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques […]
Archie G. Carrasco, Chairman and CEO of AGC Power Holdings Corp. (AGC PHC), has been named to The BoF 500 Class of 2026 under the Media category, joining The Business of Fashion’s global community of individuals shaping the fashion industry. Carrasco is among 100 new members from 33 countries and 48 nationalities selected for the […]
Culture in design does not always announce itself through a recognizable motif, material, or symbol. It can also be embedded in the relationships designers build, the knowledge they listen to, the materials they choose, and the decisions they make in response to communities and their environments. This distinction emerged throughout the 2026 International Design Conference […]
Read the issues.
Collect the volumes.
Recommended Video
Tap to Unmute
Unmute
0:00
0:00