Uswag-Leyte
Philippines
Design Strategy
Research
Product Design
Co-Design
Uswag-Leyte Program is a two-phase product development, residency, and cultural mapping program for the 3rd District of the Province of Leyte, Philippines. A co-design project, Uswag-Leyte is a successful partnership of designers, artisans, and local policymakers. It goes beyond merely creating physical objects, but enhances the memory of a place through building designs that focus on the culture itself. It lives on by its artisans, and continues to the current day.
Year: Mar 2021 - Aug 2023 (Involved)
Role: Designer, Researcher, Strategist
Team: Design Center of the Philippines, Local Government of Leyte, Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Plus 63 Design Studio
Design Challenge: Building a place's local identity through cultural mapping and product design/development.
Impact: Reviving the cultural heritage and craft economy of Leyte. Increase in demand for their goods. Continuous exhibitions for the artisans' designs and projects continue up to this day. Capacity building workshops and projects established a steady stream of work for the artisans involved.
Building and revitalizing cultural identity through design.
There is untapped potential, where we could unlock culture and design. The Uswag*-Leyte Project seeks to discover more about the 3rd District of Leyte, Philippines through creating products and proposing creative solutions that elevate and emulate the location.
The challenge was to create an identity for the 3rd District of Leyte, Philippines.
*Uswag is a Karay-a term for improvement, advancement, or in the parlance of intangible heritage "enrichment."
Product & Identity
Uswag-Leyte Philippines had two phases: the Product Development Program, and the Design Residency.
Product Development
Design Residency
Initially Uswag-Leyte was a Product Design initiative. Designs were developed in general for the 3rd District of Leyte.
Eventually, the project evolved to create a richer process involving specific artisan groups. Here, designers proposed cultural interventions for the 3rd District of Leyte.
Phase 1: Product Development
The project was a team collaboration with designers, artisans, and local government officials. Each design went through stages of sketching, proposals, online meetings and consultations, and prototyping.
Designs were also inspired by the local culture in Leyte, Philippines, as well as the flora and fauna of the region. Local materials were used, and existing skills of the artisans were both utilized and improved through capacity building.
Sketches & Production
Alongside the design meetings, sketches needed to be clear enough for the artisans/designers. Full-scale drawings were sent to the location for manufacturing.
Exhibitions
Products were then exhibited in different locations in Leyte, Philippines.
Phase 2: Design Residency
Phase 2 extends the project, creating deeper relationships with the community. In addition to creating physical objects, the next task was to propose design interventions focused on specific communities in the 3rd District of Leyte. This includes ethnographic research to further understand the cultural and craft landscape of the place, as well as participating in the artisans' processes from harvesting the materials to the creation of objects.
We focused on three main municipalities: Villaba, Calubian, and San Isidro. I was part of the Villaba team.
Co-Designing & Research
Designers then visited different artisans in the Villaba municipality. Ethnographic research was conducted in order to understand the artisan's journeys in the craft process. Designers also interviewed and participated in harvesting and creating alongside the artisans.
Proposing an Ecosystem of Culture
We wanted a proposal that would stick with Villaba for a long time. Our proposal involves multiple stakeholders in the craft industry, community members, and local government officials.
Visuals provided by Selina Woo Bhang
Our team also proposed having a culminating festival inspired by the municipality: the Hiblay Festival. Combining three words: himo (make), balay (house), hibla (thread), we proposed Hiblay as a way to showcase the community culture and the craft in Villaba.
Going further, the design team has created meaningful partnerships with the community in Leyte, Philippines. It goes beyond simply creating objects, but extends the culture and memory of a place by creating a design intervention involving other stakeholders, community members, and the artisans.
Uswag-Leyte Program is a two-phase product development, residency, and cultural mapping program for the 3rd District of the Province of Leyte, Philippines. A co-design project, Uswag-Leyte is a successful partnership of designers, artisans, and local policymakers. It goes beyond merely creating physical objects, but enhances the memory of a place through building designs that focus on the culture itself. It lives on by its artisans, and continues to the current day.
Year: Mar 2021 - Aug 2023 (Involved)
Role: Designer, Researcher, Strategist
Team: Design Center of the Philippines, Local Government of Leyte, Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Plus 63 Design Studio
Identity Design, Product Design, Craft, Culture, Co-design