Creatives celebrate ethical craftsmanship during World Industrial Design Week

Young creators explored the concepts of artistic identity, sustainability and innovative solutions to real-world problems through industry talks and hands-on workshops during the World Industrial Design Week (WIDW) 2025: Made for Hue held at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Organized by the Benildean Industrial Designers (BIND), the five-day event was aligned with two themes: World Design Organization’s “Let’s Get Ethical!” and BIND’s “Magnifying Little Impacts.”

The lineup of notable speakers for WIDW comprised of creative director Rita Nazareno (“Design Talk on Philippine Contemporary Craft”), architect Jon Medalla (“From Pole to Soul”), and project manager and ceramicist Oman Santos (“Kadiri, Kilabot, at Kontrabida”). They were joined by painter Charlie Co (“The Importance of Community in Art and Design”), visual artist RV Basco (“Solo Design Talk”), perfumer Oscar Mejia III (“Designing Fragrances and Bottling Filipino Heritage”), and interior and lighting designer Mark Wilson (“The Designer and Design”). Completing the roster were Anna Anastacio of Messy Bessy and Willie Garcia of Junk Not (“Empowered by Purpose: Uplifting Communities through Sustainable Design”), Illac Diaz of Liter of Light and Bryan McClelland of Bambike (“Innovating for Impact: How Design Can Make a Change”), and Guia Viray of Triboa Bay Living and Bianca Carague of Bianca.obj (“Design as Identity: Creating from Who You Are”).

Product designer Gio Prado shared his insights during “Exploring Identity and Growth.” He is the founder and creative director of Exploratory Projects, a Manila-based product design studio and retail brand.

The program likewise involved a shoe-making workshop by Zapateria, a Marikina brand that has been crafting footwear since 1887. It is also an innovation hub which preserves time-honored techniques to nurture the next generation of independent shoemakers. Participants created a pair of slide slippers after a footwear development basics lecture.

Known for her community-centered practice, Dumaguete-based architect and designer Vanessa Gaston spearheaded an activity called Ultralocal: A Tactile Workshop on Filipino Materials.

Gaston discussed traditional Philippine fibers and contemporary items with the potential for product development. After the session, students created their own sketches and familiarized themselves with the materials.

They also immersed in the art of jewelry making during “Silversmithing 101: Adjustable Open Ring.” It was facilitated by Metals & Gems, a studio founded by the husband-and-wife pair of Chad and Abb Manlapaz, who wished to impart their passion for metalsmithing. Learners gained knowledge on the various techniques such as texturing, stamping, and forming metals. They used sterling silver to create their own adjustable rings.