We’re serial passion project starters here at Works of Heart, if you can’t already tell. We’ve found that, as social impact designers, it’s our responsibility not only to help organizations do good, but to push what good design can do through studio-led initiatives—to do good ourselves.
One of the important aspects of doing social impact design that I always hear is being immersed in culture and engaged in activities with the community.
We hope to add a sense of warmth to our shared spaces through Print Ready!, a collection of free printables that inform, instruct, and improve our interactions with each other. The printables, available to download in FIL and ENG, come in kits that are designed for specific spaces and purposes.
Last September 4th, 2020, Works of Heart gathered prior partners from various sectors of social development for an afternoon of catching up, introductions to the 2020 interns, and a look into their respective fields of expertise—all in one cozy and socially-distanced Zoom meeting room!
Our typeface, Abangan, is a brash, all-caps semi-serif inspired by our metropolis’ chaotic streets and public spaces—sometimes smooth, sometimes sharp, but always in motion and rarely quiet.
When Raffy first heard of this brand, she automatically knew she wanted to work with them. She’d had always appreciated brands who help reduce waste in any aspect but this brand takes it to a whole new level by taking that problem with another to turn into an unconventional solution.
“Meron kaming ganito ngayon dahil sa nangyari noon (We are able to have this now because of what happened in the past).” We were swimming through Crowning Glory Reef, a lively and vibrant coral reefs off the coast of Culion, when Kuya Renlee, one of the founders of Kawil Tours, told us this.
Our journey began when we packed our bags and journeyed to a far-away land called Quezon City. It was Bel’s first time in the North, in contrast to Ena having spent years there. Although we weren’t quite sure of what to expect, we were both really excited. After riding through the usual Katipunan traffic and into Varsity Hills, we arrived at a bright orange house with a big banner up front that read in large, rainbow letters; “HAPIHOUSE: HOME OF HAPINOY.”
We had just landed in Kuala Lumpur. Alex, co-founder of MYReaders, picked us up for dinner—we squeezed into his car filled with workbooks and teaching materials, which the MYReaders team themselves had designed.
Social challenges demand collaborative projects—people from different fields and contexts need to come together. This is something we’ve always believed in at Works of Heart, and thanks to the support of Ashoka and the Robert Bosch Foundation, we were able to create a project that, through design and creativity, provides new perspectives and possibilities for impact-driven organizations.
We want to match good design, not just with classic idealism or wishful thinking, but with social imagination: the capacity to perceive the complex social realities that govern and transform our communities, and to reconcile that with a fervent desire to keep imagining a better future for all of us.
Every year, we have always made it a point to set aside time and create a space for us to define not only our dreams for the country but also our role as a design studio in making those dreams a reality. Leaving our desks and heading to Cebu was our effort to remain grounded and to understand the context of the people we strive to support.
As an all-girl design studio, we share experiences that only women encounter. One such experience is being called certain words that paint a negative perception of what we are trying to do or who we're trying to be.
In February, Works of Heart went to Negros Occidental for our yearly immersion and strategic planning. We want to spend our trips visiting past and current clients while appreciating and learning more about the country at the same time.
I've always believed that design had a role to play, and this belief has been our team's main driving force. We know that it can tell stories, incite action and, though difficult, build communities. This belief was further deepened thanks to a program I've been part of.
Dear Artist 2017, a creative camp for artists, designers, and all manners of creatives, was held last June 11 and 12 in The Coffee Farmhouse. The camp was oriented towards helping these artists discover their voices, spaces, and eventual directions within the communities that each one of them aspires to serve.
