SAVING
BAYBAYIN
This project was created for my senior exhibition, where I wanted to honor and showcase my Asian heritage in a meaningful way. Over the past two years, I brainstormed several concepts, but it wasn’t until a trip to the Philippines that my vision became clear. Experiencing the culture firsthand after the COVID pandemic, I was inspired to rebrand the Department of Tourism to help revitalize travel and highlight the country’s beauty.
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While exploring, I discovered a script that immediately caught my eye Baybayin, an ancient Filipino writing system rich in cultural identity. Intrigued, I began researching its history and visual forms. Although I continued with my original rebranding plan, I chose to weave Baybayin into the visual language of the campaign as a powerful secondary theme. It became more than just a design element it became a bridge between past and present, tradition and modern tourism.
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This is how the project came to life rooted in heritage, driven by purpose.
[ Department of Toursim Logo ]
The Department of Tourism Plan
I began the project with a series of sketches and in-depth research on the Department of Tourism of the Philippines, focusing on ways to modernize its visual identity while honoring its cultural roots. To guide my creative direction, I developed a mood board that captured the essence of the Philippines its colors, landscapes, typography, and traditional elements. This mood board became the cornerstone of my design process, helping me shape a refreshed and culturally resonant brand identity. Here’s what I came up with.
Guidlines
Feeling creatively fulfilled and inspired, I moved forward with developing the brand guidelines. My goal was to retain the essence of the original color palette while elevating it to reflect both the professionalism of a government agency and the vibrancy of Filipino culture. The colors were carefully chosen to evoke feelings of warmth, happiness, and passion, while still maintaining a strong, authoritative presence especially when applied to official documents. This balance allowed the identity to feel both welcoming and impactful, true to the spirit of the Philippines.
Assets
During this stage of the project, I wanted to challenge myself further by creating a mock advertising campaign and commercial to promote tourism. I developed a series of mockups and prototypes to showcase at the exhibition, bringing the rebrand to life through visuals and storytelling. As I finalized the designs and prepared them for print, I also explored ways to make the experience more interactive and memorable for the audience. This included designing keychains, stickers, and even a custom cover letter template for official documents small but meaningful extensions of the brand that added both personality and functionality to the presentation.
However, the entire concept was eventually scrapped. One of my professors, someone I deeply respect for always pushing me to grow, challenged me to go beyond just aesthetics. He saw potential in the project but expected more from me: more depth, more risk, more personal investment. It was a tough moment, but it became a turning point. Rather than seeing it as a failure, I saw it as an opportunity to rethink, rebuild, and elevate my work to something truly meaningful.
Ideas then started to flow
After reflecting on the feedback, I realized I could shift the project’s focus toward something that had deeply inspired me from the beginning ,Baybayin, the ancient Filipino script. It took me about a week to revise and resubmit my thesis, but the new direction felt more personal and purposeful. I decided to center the project around raising awareness of Baybayin by teaching audiences how to write in it, helping to preserve a fading tradition while proudly sharing my Asian heritage. This shift allowed me to build on my existing foundation, repurposing my original mood board and visual assets, without starting from scratch, but now with a concept that carried more cultural weight and educational impact.
Pressed for time and needing a way to present my exhibit, I decided to build a website. With no prior experience in web design, I dedicated two full days to learning Figma and researching how to make the experience interactive and intuitive. I began by sketching wireframes, considering how the site should feel and who would use it. Since the exhibit would be in person, I designed the website specifically for mobile users, knowing that visitors would most likely explore it on their phones.
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In addition to the website, I created a poster that captured the core of the theme. I used brown to represent the richness of Filipino culture and tradition, and maroon red to symbolize the passion behind preserving Baybayin and the urgency to protect this fading script. I added green not just to balance the palette, but to represent the lush landscapes of the Philippines, from its mountains to its rice fields, bringing a vibrant, organic energy to the design and grounding it in a sense of place. Together, these elements helped bring my vision to life both digitally and physically.
Landing page and Poster
History and Chart
Now I have build the foundation of the first poster. I have to build a foundation to make audience understand how they can easily learn Baybayin. I have made a brief a history of the Baybayin and reinforced with beautiful visual that can help reinforce the understanding of the script.
I figured a to put a chart so that the audience would be able to write and present them with an easy challenge that can be done by all ages. This chart would help them see the scpit's alhapbet able to copy them in real time.
Now, it is matter of interracting with the audience, I have realize that a simple writing down name would be a good challenge. So in the exhibit I provide the audience a "Write your name" tag and marker to able to wear it with their during the whole exhibit.
Exhibit
To make the experience even more memorable and interactive, I also designed a hoodie featuring Baybayin script, allowing the audience to engage with the writing system in a tangible, wearable way. Alongside it, I included a small souvenir decoration from the Philippines—a personal touch that brought a piece of home to the exhibit and further connected viewers to the culture.
As part of the final presentation, we were asked to walk through our entire creative process from concept to execution and share the inspiration behind our work. For me, this project was fueled by a deep desire to honor my heritage, preserve a nearly forgotten tradition, and create something meaningful that bridges culture, design, and education.
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Overall, this experience taught me so much not just about design, but about pushing beyond the bare minimum to create work with purpose, depth, and cultural impact. It challenged me to grow as a designer, storyteller, and creative thinker.
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In the end, the exhibition was a success, and seeing people engage with my work, especially the Baybayin script, was incredibly rewarding. It reminded me why I design: to connect, to educate, and to celebrate identity through visual storytelling.
