IDx Conversations: Design’s New Purpose

On June 29, Design Center commemorated World Industrial Design Day by gathering five Philippine design mavericks from far and wide, for our annual roundtable. Held online, 2023's IDxConversations covered 'The Future We Want', with panelists tackling how design has evolved and should evolve, in hope of shaping a more equitable and sustainable world.

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KindMind Experience Design president and co-founder Abi Mapua delivered the keynote presentation, recommending "decolonization of our mental models". She pointed out that traditional education can tend to inculcate siloed thinking, when, across the globe, problems are typically not siloed, but interconnected, and must be addressed accordingly.

Senior Promotions Officer and design strategist Karina Abola expounded on this, cautioning against the assumption that Western models and concepts will necessarily apply to the Philippines. Decolonization, she said, must therefore be both a deconstructive and constructive process, enabling people to be "designers of their own lives".

Siargao-based Kara Rosas, of the non-government organization Lokal Lab, advocated for community-led design and co-creation of solutions, giving value to people's voices and equipping them with the tools to find empowerment, in ways that work for them.

Netherlands-based artist and designer Bianca Carague shared insights on the metaverse, emphasizing the importance of individual agency, noting that a designer's job is less to solve other people's problems than it is to mediate and guide them to help themselves.

As moderator, UX researcher and business innovation consultant Birdie Salva capably summed up the dialogue, saying one person's efforts can cause a ripple effect, inspiring bravery and, ideally, leading to a movement that embraces new thinking and capability.

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