Jonathan Artificio Tops 2021’s Estilo De Vida E-Design Version
"There are only 5 slots given per year for students to enter so when it was announced, I didn’t want to do it, especially with the thesis semester happening on the side. Not too soon, I just went YOLO and rose to the occasion. I found out I was the last person that completed the PUP team of five. Our team was formed very late, so we had less time to prepare for the requirements.” Said Jonathan Artificio, who although was faced by the risk of not having prepared sufficiently, still managed to come off with flying colors both literally and idiomatically.
Jonathan Artificio is currently an Interior Design student from PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila, from Section 4-1. He likes to describe himself as “an artist by day and a renegade fur-parent to four cats by night.” His adeptness at working effectively despite seemingly being stuck in a candle burning at both ends from academic pressure is both admirable and worthy of recognition. And speaking of recognition is his latest accomplishment.
“When I was emailed, days after the submission date, basically saying my work got into the Top 10 Finalists out of 49 entries, I jumped hard and Face Timed my bestie to scream,” said Artificio. On November 2, 2021, the official Estilo De Vida Facebook page had announced the Top 10 finalists of the Estilo de Vida E-Design Version. Lo and behold, Mr. Artificio is one of them – as he should. Such a feat now leads us to the question, what led to his triumph? His concept titled “Bread and Butter”, showcases an array of bright colors and keenly thought-out design choices that made both the interior and evoked mood flourish. Its planning, inspiration, and process of creation you may ask? We are all about to delve into and discuss.
“Home kitchen for entrepreneurs” is the theme assigned for the Estilo de Vida E-Design Version. In order to develop fresh concepts, participants were tasked to hold interview/s with real-life food business owners, just as how is normally done in the design process. Fortunately, Mr. Artificio was able to connect with the Butterboy Ph’s bakeshop owner, who in which was also kind enough to allow him to make use of their brand. “From scrolling through their IG and web page alone, the design direction in my mind naturally revealed itself with a simple approach,” said Mr. Artificio. Alas, the genesis of ideas.
Butterboy Ph is a small baking business with an array of viennoiserie products ranging from mostly special croissants to Danish pastries to even pain au chocolat and croissant pizza. Their brand can be easily characterized by its distinctive color scheme of butter yellow, black, and white. “Looking at their brand ethos, Butterboy’s bread and butter are there, well, bread and butter,” said Mr. Artificio. “All I need was to utilize the notable elements of “bread and butter” and expand it through color composition, textures, and aesthetics.” He also added that he opted for a space plan that is simple and convenient for everyday utilization, no matter how light or heavy the food preparation may be.
Butterboy, bread, butter, yellow, black, white, brown, lighthearted, uplifting, appetizing; if those sounded like intrusive thoughts to you, it’s because they kind of are. If you take a look at Mr. Artificio’s design, it just makes sense. Readability of the design had been put into consideration, so that when you take even a glance of it, you will come to the immediate realization of the concept that it had taken inspiration from. According to him, “Bread and butter is simple and direct, but also witty and fitting to the branding of Butterboy.” Another takeaway from his design is the use of interesting color composition, as he was able to pull off making use of a rather plain foreground through an assortment of illuminating yellow and ultimate gray -- both of which were, fun fact, 2021’s Pantone colors of the year.
Not only was Mr. Artificio motivated and moved along the project with visual enrichment in mind, but he also bore with him its significance and purpose; because it is expected of us designers, is it not? To create not just for the sake of beauty but mainly for the expense of other people’s benefit. And so, Mr. Artificio asked himself, “When I reflect on the past years' prolonged isolation, how do I respond as a designer to help people feel positive in the confines of their homes?” Happiness and optimism are signified by yellow in color theory, and the other colors he had applied were also light, evoking a sense of calm and positivity. “That, I think is the message and goal of my design, to make the business owner feel positive and motivated during these trying times through a carefully designed kitchen workspace,” he confirmed.
“I had only about 1 to 2 weeks to finish all the working drawings and 3D stuff plus, the listing of all the estimated prices in a spreadsheet,” said Mr. Artificio. During that time, he was also being bombarded by crucial submission dates for his other college projects. Nonetheless, he was able to push through, deeming himself truly someone we should aspire to be. His work, titled “Bread and Butter”, succeeded to establish a sense of lightweight spatial interaction and ease, succeeded to apply lighting appropriate for the workspace via the adjacent windows, and most importantly, succeeded to pique the interest of the contest’s judges. “For the kitchen to not just look pretty but also encourage productivity and joy -- that is essential to any operating business,” he stated.
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