INDUSTRIAL designers are considered “practical artists.” One aspect of their occupation is the product design of mundane products from furniture to jewelry to car parts.
Le Industriel, a recent exhibit by the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) Industrial Design Department at the Beato Angelico Gallery showed the importance of product design. The exhibit featured a variety of product designs using synthetic, organic, hardware and even recycled materials.
Le Industriel also highlighted the ingenuity of some 20 Industrial Design sophomores through their group and individual projects.
“UST’s Industrial Design program covers the whole spectrum of subjects for creative design work and business strategies,” Violini Venturanza, UST Industrial Design department head, told the Varsitarian. “The program emphasizes that art and technology are essential components in bringing creative ideas into reality.”
Household handies
Housewives would have felt at home with the designs for the appliances, placed near the gallery’s entrance. Models for household appliances and furniture such as a petit dining table, a rice cooker, and a refrigerator were made out of brown corrugated board.
An arm away from these pieces were Merille Tupaz’ mood lights. Designed in three different heights and colors (green, red, and yellow), the lights set a space’s atmosphere with their vertical frills regulating the brightness of the fluorescent light. During the exhibit, the clever creations were spotted and bought by commercial lamp firm Illuminati.
Adjacent to Tupaz’ mood lamps were organic tile designs making use of coconut husks, dried pods, organic grains, and withered leaves. The pieces were actually more fit as hangings for predominantly wooden walls and platforms.
Placed at the rear corner of the gallery were the comically and economically fashioned toilet brushes. The “Gecko Brush” by Eric Angelo Chu and the “Turtle Brush” by Eduardo Viloria V gave the unpopular toilet cleaner a fresh, new look.
Chic charms and trivia toys
Shimmering at the center aisle of the gallery were jewelry and ornamental designs mostly produced by the female student designers. From dangling earrings to charm bracelets, the pieces’ major portions were characterized by intricate designs such as looped silver wires and crystal rhinestones.
Kids would surely be dazzled by the exhibit’s ingenious toys and game gadgets. Edbert Ragadio came up with a Filipino-inspired design of the “Games of the Generals,” which made use of the Philippine flag as its top cover. Daniel Joseph Wong contributed a green, leaf-like version of the old-school pastime “Sungka,” which he made out of fiber glass. The arithmetic toy, “Balance Mister Snowman,” by Yunissan Carmel Uy teaches basic mathematics among school-age children by using weighted blocks placed on top of the palms of the snowman. Uy’s creation won first place in this year’s CFAD toy design competition.
Among the bicycle designs, perhaps the most unique was the canary yellow, cross-breed bike invented by Grace Vergara, Kevin Musngi, Jeremiah Hernandez, and Mark Jover. The bicycle includes the low-leveled saddle of a low-rider bike and the large circumference wheels of a mountain bike. Other featured designs were computer keyboards and basic car parts such as steering wheels, gaskets, and metal rims.
According to Venturanza, UST’s Industrial Design program focuses on the design of consumer and industrial products that are responsive to domestic and global markets as well as environmental needs.
“The emphasis is on the use of available and indigenous resources and technologies,” Venturanza said.
Their first time to put up an exhibit, the sophomore designers said they felt ecstatic and grateful.
“It was a great opportunity for us to showcase our talent as industrial designers,” said sophomore student Jandrea Fia Zamar. “The exhibit helped in making known the spectrum of our course to others who might not be fully aware of what it offers.” with reports from Marc Laurenze C. Celis
