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Features
The GUIDON October 2016
SIMULACRA:
A show
The importance of graphic design
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a voice-centered formula and not something a little more experimental, changes in style with not occur. “I think that [recording labels and shows] think that singing can bring them to a wider market. Everyone sings in the karaoke. [Their] notion is that singing can penetrate a larger market as compared to instrumentalists,” explains Cruz. People love ballads and pitch-intense songs because they feel that they too can sing them in the same way—at least during karaoke. Unlike the more exclusive realm of instrumentals, almost everyone can sing or at least hold a tune. Cruz says, “Singing is the cheapest way [to make] music. Everyone has a voice box but not everyone has a piano or guitar.” This market demand to stick to a particular style because it seems reproducible even by amateurs stifles the creation and popularization of different styles that might not be so easily imitated. It limits our ability to be able to create a more unique musical identity. “We don’t really have our own identity as Filipinos. We just follow. In terms of music, musical arrangement, [and] lyrics—we try to copy [foreign styles],” says Cruz. “Everyone below just follows what’s on top. Majority of the masses like it.”
Often times underappreciated, graphic designers do not only add more color to society, but help create and change it as well. BY SAFFI C. ARCENAS, KAYLA T. CADENAS, AND KATYA F. LICHAUCO
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pon seeing a swastika symbol, many may be quick to relate it with Nazism, failing to realize that the swastika is actually a religious emblem in the Jain faith. While its Jain context meant for it to represent “auspiciousness” in spiritual attainment, Nazi partisans used it to represent a fiendish movement that advocated change in 20th century Europe. More recently, Paris was beset by a series of terrorist attacks in late 2015 and in the aftermath, a symbol of the Eiffel tower within a peace sign made its rounds on social media. Its caption read: “Peace for Paris.” In this case, art and symbols were used to spread awareness and support for the victims of terror attacks. Design is a form of art, an avenue for self-expression, and moreover, it can capture ideas and beliefs in ways that words alone cannot. It uses images, patterns, and symbols that altogether aim to inform and attract people. Because of this, it has become an effective medium for conveying messages that impact other minds. With the 21st century allowing modern and fresh variations of art to emerge, the demand for designers in different fields of work has grown. However, amidst all this involvement, not all designers are being given adequate compensation for their work.
The Internet has become a way for graphic designers to exhibit their work and speak up for social causes. Richard Mercado, information design senior and graphic designer for Ateneo publications Heights and The GUIDON, says, “The most popular way [to show your design] is through social media. People get to know you firsthand through what they see online.” This is why many organizations and businesses strive to make their websites as eye-catching as possible. Graphic designers are involved not only in social movements, but also in political campaigns. Local aspiring officials recruit designers to create memorable posters and logos that can capture their target audience. One technique is to use colors and symbols that people recognize or associate with positive attributes. Yellow ribbons, for example, are used to pay homage to the late Ninoy Aquino in commemoration of his assassination more than two decades ago. Since then, those that share his wife Corazon’s and son Noynoy’s visions have incorporated the yellow ribbon into their political campaigns. Mercado says that design is a platform to solve problems. “There’s so much more that design—specifically information design—can solve, rather than just [make] things pretty,” he says. Graphic design is more than just a tool to spread information; it’s also a catalyst for social awareness.
RASTERIZED
While art normally aims to create or imitate beauty, design aims to transform art into something more functional and practical. In the past, designers were mostly sought out in architecture, fashion, and engineering, which are more functional in lifestyle. Nowadays, they’re also found in social media, business, politics, and social movements —their functionality today revolves more on gaining people’s attention.
GAME CHANGER
As graphic design is a prominent medium used in various fields, knowledgeable designers are vital to an organization’s operations. They’re frequently needed to conceptualize posters and other paraphernalia for their events and activities, in line with their respective goals. Alyssa Guerra, Assistant Vice President for Creatives in the Ateneo Collegiate Society of Advertising, notes that the
“There’s so much more that design — specifically information design —can solve, rather than just [make] things pretty.” — RICHARD MERCADO BFA ID 2017
REFINED, LIKE SUGAR
most challenging part of turning her clients’ visions into a tangible reality is “making [sure the] poster [is] in theme with [the organization’s] feel.” The process is tedious, as even the nitty-gritty details are taken into account to ensure uniformity across the board. It is especially important for groups in the SectorBased Cluster of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo to uphold their advocacies, as their overall aesthetic must be in line with their ultimate goal: Spreading awareness. For example, Tugon, an organization that advocates against sexual abuse and abandonment of children, uses the symbol of a pinwheel to signify “turning one’s luck around.” The logo is incorporated in all of their posters, blasts, and even in a project called “Pinwheels for Change.” Another forerunner in championing design is Adobo Magazine, the premier publication for branding and advertising in the country. Janelle Barretto Squires, the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, describes the publication as an advocate of creativity and design. They execute their client’s ideas and decipher the perfect media placement, ensuring that their message is well conveyed. While the advancements in design technology and editing software have made processes simpler, Squires stresses that having a creative eye is still important, as this resonates deep in the heart of advertising. “You can really change the world and be a
game changer just by being creative,” she says.
PHOTOS BY GAB R. MESINA
WIPE THE CANVAS CLEAN
Despite design’s relevance in society, there has been an outcry from designers regarding the respect for their craft, particularly in how much they’re being paid, if they even get commissions at all. Many designers have attributed this to an inability to understand the processes behind designing. Designers prioritize making information more accessible by creating images that present concise information for audiences with shorter attention spans. The results are simple logos and symbols, which are often misconstrued to be “effortlessly” made. “Sa sobrang ganda ng facade, it’s hard to get behind it as well,” says Alfred Marasigan, a lecturer at the Fine Arts Department. Information design junior Arin Mukhi says that artists aren’t only motivated by internal passion but also by survival and money. There is a tendency to forget that those who have decided to pursue these professions also intend to make a profit out of their craft. One hurdle designers face in terms of compensation is standard pricing. Certainly, the concept of a “standard” in the realm of art is a tough idea to pin down. Raising the issue of standardization means questioning not only the baseline for pricing, but also what makes a graphic designer. Tata Yap, another lecturer at the Fine Arts Department, feels that establishing a designer
union is a step in the right direction. She explains that designers cannot just be compared to lawyers or doctors because these professions are licensed, and are unfairly viewed to be “more credible.” In the Philippines, the closest designers get to a license is a degree. Yap argues that many young designers often settle for meager salaries because they aren’t informed about the value of their labor. However, pricing opens up another argument about what exactly is being given monetary value in the work of designers. Several factors come into play with the value designers place on their works: The intricacies of the process, the reputation of the designers, their skills, and even the sentimental value they place on their works. With varying pay and a lack of understanding from society, one comes to admire the boldness with which designers choose their craft. But Marasigan argues that it is a calculated risk, one that entails entering an industry that just recently became aware it was one and is therefore laying the foundational blocks only now. Designers walk their career paths knowing they are at the forefront of an industry’s establishment and as their skill grows, so does their vitality to the community.
Boy bands such as that of Cruz’s have begun embedding themselves in the Filipino music scene, alongside groups like Chicser, 1:43, Filharmonic, and Take Off. The local industry heavily influences what they’re required to do, training all members to achieve a certain image. A process of directed refinement through workshops, practiced routines, controlled fashion, and the like, are what these artists must go through. A great example of how far this can go is in the way the K-Pop industry produces its starlets. Girl and boy groups are contracted for up to 13 years and then consistently trained all throughout. Clear-cut and very identifiable personalities and images are conceptualized for each artist. Their managers and backers then begin making sure every single star has equal exposure for the public, maximizing all that they can from the appeal of their artists. The question that remains is whether all these talent searches, manipulative support, and focus on making a good show are actually making a significant contribution to the development of local music and artists. It appears that innovation, originality, and the focus on musical talent could be overlooked in favor of what may already be tried and tested, what can be controlled and formulated, and what seem to be repetitive interests amongst the people. In the end, it seems like talent shows and the local industry have direct objectives when it comes to the artists and boy bands that they choose to win or to support. And all too often, once these artists find the success they’ve been looking for, it becomes a restrictive environment for them, with imposed expectations on what they should do, what their public image should be, and what they should play rather than what they could play.