Project 1

For my self-initiated project, I find it easier to break down the brief by highlighting key information and understanding what is expected of me. I prefer recording my research and thoughts traditionally with notebooks and sketchbooks, so most of my digital content for this module will be adapted from these sources.

Reflecting on my GDE710 Module, where we had predominantly personal projects, I considered areas for improvement or expansion to create something new. In my triptych piece, I briefly integrated my cultural heritage into the design.

I don’t believe I’ve presented my heritage effectively, and I want to expand on this from another angle, as there are many wonderful aspects of the Philippines and its culture. I thought about the importance of representation and realised how underrepresented Filipinos are compared to other Asian backgrounds, despite having a significant population overseas.

For instance, there are about 34,652 Filipino NHS staff in the UK, second to Indians and third to British staff (according to UK Parliament statistics).

The Philippines was ruled by the Spanish for over 300 years, impacting our culture and religion. It then became an American colony for about 50 years, which explains why I initially learned American English in Philippine school but studied the British Oxford Dictionary. Later, the Philippines was occupied by Japan during World War II.

Despite these historical colonisations, we never lost our cultural essence of family unity and hospitality. Today, we are considered “a bit of everything” with many Asian influences from surrounding countries.

I want to bring more interest in Philippine culture to a global and western audience, and I’ve found that cuisine is a great gateway. Nowadays, you will find Katsu curry, Miso flavours, and Japanese restaurants around cities and towns, second only to Chinese and Thai cuisine. People got to know about Japanese food, and through food, their interest in Japanese culture increased.

Another example is Korean culture, with their dermatology products successfully entering the western market due to their effectiveness and reputation. The media also helped, with K-POP and Korean dramas becoming popular on platforms like Netflix. Naturally, people also learned about their cuisine and explored their culture further (In 2019, around 27.4% stated Korean food was very popular in the UK according to a statistics survey).

Because of this, my focus for this self-initiated project is Philippine cuisine, with the goal of producing a campaign or service to spark interest in Philippine culture. I began by creating a mind map to organise my thoughts and ideas on paper.

I also attended weekly Microsoft Teams meetings with my peers (every Monday and Wednesday), mainly consisting of the same cohort I’ve been with since starting my masters. They were all very helpful and suggested ways I can improve and condense my ideas for a four-week project.

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Research: Balikbayan Boxes

Andy, one of my peers in the GDE740 cohort, suggested an idea that resonated with me – considering an analogue approach to my Philippine cuisine idea. Prior to my meeting, my family had ordered Balikbayan boxes to our house.

In Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, balikbayan combines two meaningful words: balik means to return, and bayan translates to homeland. In a literal sense, balikbayan box translates to “return to homeland box”. Balikbayan boxes are akin to care packages, except that the recipient isn’t someone who is away, but it is sent by someone who is. People who have left the Philippines send boxes back home to give to family and loved ones, usually full of gifts and treats.

Sending a balikbayan box has become an important aspect of Filipino culture, as it is not only a gift but a way of keeping the connection strong with family in the homeland and those who have left to pursue a better quality of life and job prospects.

“Those who couldn’t make it home for Christmas shipped a cardboard box, and people slowly began mailing the balikbayan boxes at other times of the year.” Remitly, November 2024.

I really like the concept and ideals behind a balikbayan box, and I wanted to integrate its delivery quality into my work. This led me to develop my focus on creating a Filipino Food Subscription Box. As someone who used to subscribe to food boxes to balance my work, study, and personal life, I appreciate their convenience and personalisation. Like every other cuisine, Filipino food can also be altered to fit one’s taste.

Therefore, my goal is to create a branding presence and packaging design for a Filipino Food Subscription Box to get people interested in the culture. As this is a short-term project with only four weeks, I wanted to keep my expectations and goals attainable within the timeframe. This way, I’ve focused on designing branding with the intention to create mock-up packaging design.

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Research Task:
‘Steal the Show’ Campaign, Gousto

Alex Telfer, a talented photographer, teamed up with Mother London to create an engaging campaign for Gousto. Telfer creates immersive food moments to resonate with audiences.

Moreover, Mother London creatively directs and produces advertising media that boosts Gousto’s recipes “at the forefront of minds when it comes to dinner”, as quoted in Creative Salon’s 2022 article.

The video can also be watched on Youtube, entailing a dramatic period drama scenario.

The campaign cleverly focuses on creating fun movie trailers to highlight Gousto’s easy-to-cook recipes. Anna Greene of Gousto commented that:

“Steal the Show is giving dinner its rightful place back as the evening’s headline attraction and getting people to turn their attention away from the telly. This isn’t just about winning in the recipe box category; we’re staking our claim on dinnertime.”

I believe they execute this campaign well while prioritising their audience’s needs. According to the article, in combination with the ‘Steal the Show’ campaign, they also launched their first value collection, ensuring it is accessible for many families during a tough financial backdrop due to the pandemic. “The Save & Savour range will serve up the same big Gousto flavour with a lower price tag of 50p less per portion.”

This consistent focus on the customer makes dinnertime exciting for everyone again, slowly replacing “What should we watch tonight” with “What should we have for dinner”. Perhaps for my project, I can consider concepts like these to ensure the longevity of my product and resonate well with my target audience, which in this case is a bit of everyone!