Design Week Philippines is back and it will give us a peak into the world of game-making.

When you were a child, have you ever tried to make your own Rock, Paper, Scissors weapon (yes, we’re looking at your fire, squid, and nail hand movements) or have you decided to change the rules during an UNO card match? If you do, then you should also realize how strong games were able to improve our creativity.

Games—may it be board or card—challenges us to think outside the box and rules. It’s highly possible that you owe your great marketing strategies today due to your Monopoly wins or your steady hands to your impressive Jenga skillset or your extensive vocabulary to Scrabble’s dictionary.

Aside from the challenges, the rules of games also pushes our creativity forward. And sometimes, the push becomes too much that we want to create our own rules and, later on, own games.

If you felt that way at some point, you’re not alone. Even my eight-year-old self couldn’t help but feel the urge to change the rules of Chess. And there are a lot of other local board and card game enthusiasts who feel the same way; some even made their own games happen.

One designer who was well-aware of the crisis our sea turtles are facing created “Pawikan Patrol,” a card game about saving some pawikan and their nests from a poacher. Another made a card game based on writer Mars Ravelo and illustrator Nestor Redondo’s Darna comic book.

You can actually talk to these game designers and their other colleagues this Apr. 28, the last day of the 11th Design Week Philippines which will begin on Apr. 22.

From 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., six speakers and game designers will be sharing their design process, goals, challenges faced, and their insights on the future of the local tabletop game industry at Plaza Moriones, Intramuros, Manila. Alvin Juban, president of the Game Development Association of the Philippines, will also be part of the talk. You can register and learn more about it here.

Board game creators of Makerspace Manila will also be at the venue to give a workshop at 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Both game-making events are open to the public for free.

Design Week Philippines also have a lot of other creative gatherings and activities up on its sleeves. Here are some events all creatives must watch out for:

Apr. 23

The Animator’s Couch

5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Toon City Academy, 123 Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City

Now that we’ve heard about the challenges women faced in the comic book industry (READ: “Comics is for men” and other lies female comic book creators debunked), it’s time we also recognize their struggles in building a career in animation, another male-dominated scene. Professional women animators will share their experience and insights in a “super chill couch discussions” on Apr. 23 along with up-and-coming animators who will also give notes on how it is like to be a “newbie” in the animation workplace.

Maker’s Mixer

4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Malingap Central Food Hall, Teachers Village, Quezon City.

Creatives living or working in Quezon City are invited to a Wednesday evening gathering. There will be food and other designers present who you can ask and mingle with all night.

Apr. 25

Manila Fame

9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
World Trade Center, Pasay City

The country’s premier design and lifestyle event will focus their first 2019 run on works reflecting Filipino heritage. There will be furniture such as cabinets that resemble the ones our grandparents used to keep in our ancestral house; only this time, it’s made of sustainable and stronger materials. There will also be more fashion items which established designers made with young local brands.

(READ: 69th Manila Fame to put spotlight on reimagined traditional designs)

Apr. 27

Shoes and Bags: Design and Development Workshop

10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Zapateria, 56 Dragon, Marikina City

Zapateria, a co-creation hub joined by artisans and designers from Marikina, will be holding two hands-on workshops: shoe-making and bag-making.

Those who opt for shoe-making will be introduced to the different parts of shoes, apt foor measurement, footwear types, construction, and the actual shoe-making process. The lecturers will also give free consultation and information on the list of suppliers.

The consultation and supplier list will also be provided in the bag-making workshop, along with notes on the proper lining methods and making handles.

Creative Roundtable: Trade Secrets

2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Malingap Central Food Hall, Teachers Vill

This roundtable discussion is for those who are running businesses related to arts and design. Professionals will give tips on how to start and survive in the industry.

Wim Wenders: Retrospective

4 p.m.
Cinematheque Center Manila

Nine documentaries made by multi-awarded German filmmaker Wim Wenders will be screened for free by Goethe-Institut Philippinen. The films include the 1937 movie The Scarlet Letter which is an adaptation of the Nathaniel Hawthorne classic novel and the all-time favorite of most critics, Wings of Desire.

Kaleidoscope

3 to 5 p.m.
Bar Pintxos Alabang, Don Gesu Bldg., Don Jesus Blvd., Muntinlupa City

This talk is for aspiring interior designers and art collectors. Local interior design team Jas Ancheta Interiors will put the spotlight on the benefits of art collection, how to start it, how to curate it at home, and how to find the proper light for your chosen artworks through two talks led by experts Allan Ancheta and Jas Ancheta.

Designing for Impact in Communities

6 p.m.
Common Ground, 8 Rockwell Bldg., Makati City

Industrial designers will be urged to use their creativity and knowledge in helping small communities in this talk. Three speakers will share their insights from the industry and the academe to better give emerging designers a view of the things their talents can do once they’re in the field.

April 28

Basic Freestyle Footwear Design Workshop

1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Zapateria, 56 Dragon, Marikina City

Make your dream shoe designs—no matter how unconventional they may seem—come to life with the help of the industrial designer behind the local brand Nothing Personal Designs. There will be lectures on the proportions of shoes, the conceptualization process, and right color pairings.

Header image courtesy of Sophie Elvis/Unsplash

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