A Conference of Metamorphosis
The International Design Conference 2025’s theme highlights the role of design in transformation for collective flourishing.
Words Erika Anne Sulat
Photo courtesy of Design Center of the Philippines
October 14, 2025
The International Design Conference once again gathered design experts, professionals, and entrepreneurs to provide new insights on the local industry. The theme for this year’s gathering is “Holding the Whole: Design for Collective Flourishing,” with the event focusing on transforming design not just as a tool, but also to ignite significant change.
The conference was held in Samsung Hall, SM Aura premiere last September 29, 2025, featuring speakers from both international and local industries. The speakers for this year’s gathering were Prof. Eisuke Tachikawa, CEO and founder of NOSIGNER and Joseph Pine, co-founder of Strategic Horizons and author of The Experience Economy and The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations.
NOSIGNER CEO and founder Prof. Eisuke Tachikawa discusses the concept of evolutional creativity in his talk, “Creativity as Evolution: Awakening to Life’s 3.8 Billion Year Design Process”
Meanwhile, the panel includes recognizable names from the local entrepreneurial and academic sphere, featuring founder and director of Living Story Landscapes, Sarah Queblatin, co-founder of Kids for Kids Philippines, Isabella Tanjutco, Psycho-spiritual researcher and author of Sikodiwa, Carl Cervantes, CEO and co-founder of Valdes Designs, Margo Valdes, Founder of the Fat Kid Inside Inc. and FEATR, Erwan Heusaff, country lead of Canva Philippines, Maisie Littaua, and co-founder of Making a Difference Travel and AVD Green Builds, Raf Dionisio.
NOSIGNER CEO and founder Prof. Eisuke Tachikawa discusses the concept of evolutional creativity in his talk, “Creativity as Evolution: Awakening to Life’s 3.8 Billion Year Design Process”
They are moderated and facilitated by Jen Horn, facilitator, researcher, and creator of Pagbubuo & Ugnayan cards, and Dr. Nikki Carsi-Cruz, chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Ateneo de Manila University.
A needed change
The event is divided into three sessions: Break, Make, and Become. Break represents the acknowledgment of the flaws that hold up our systems, in aid of designing solutions that may help overcome these issues. Make is an exploration of the current steps that have been executed by changemakers in helping reshape our solutions. Become is about fostering transformative change through.
(L-R) Prof. Eisuke Tachikawa, Isabella Tanjutco, Sarah Queblatin, Carl Cervantes, and Moderator Jen Horn shared stories of their own journey towards flourishing
Learning from evolution
In the first session, Prof. Eisuke Tachikawa begins his talk about taking inspiration as designers from nature. Learning from mechanisms of evolution in adapting to the changes inflicted by climate change. He states that from his research, there hasn’t been a holistic framework for adaptation yet.
With this, he presents his own framework, with structures of three scales, namely, masterplan, infrastructure, and community. The panel discussion that followed included Sarah Queblatin, Carl Cervantes, Isabella Tanjutco, facilitated by Jen Horn. They all each share a “heartbreak” or a realization that led them to their work, and the initiatives they’ve started since then.
The Experience Economy author Joseph Pine highlights the role of business leaders in spearheading the transformation of the country.
In respect for sustainable practices
The next panel discussion for Make features Erwan Heusaff, Maisie, Littaua, Raf Dionisio, moderated by Dr. Nikki Carsi-Cruz. The panel focused on their success as individuals in their businesses, and how they navigate running their companies while maintaining sustainable practices. As Dr. Nikki Carsi-Cruz states “There are so many business schools attracting business students. And they are taught a certain way how to view nature. Nature as [a] resource. Nature as [a] natural resource in a paradigm of extraction.”
A transformative flourishing
For the last session, Joseph Pine highlights the role of businesses in the transformation. When businesses design experiences, they help foster transformation. “We only ever change through the experiences that we have.” Pine states. He also mentions the role of transformation in helping nurture flourishing, and when customers and employees flourish, the entire community flourishes too.
The Experience Economy author Joseph Pine highlights the role of business leaders in spearheading the transformation of the country.
The conference ended with Joseph Pine encouraging the audiences to write down who they want to be, in the provided journal for the event. He also flashes a message on the screen with International Design Conference’s collective manifesto: “Together, we commit to designing a world where everyone can flourish.”
