We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative William Jr Ti ("WJT").
WTA is a unique practice of 120 designers with an intense focus on design. As a perennial part of the BCI Top 10 and BD World 100 List, WTA stands out as a singular design studio with the resources and discipline of a corporate firm. Founded on principles of social architecture and human-centric design solutions that serve to engage, connect, and grow our communities, WTA occupies a unique place in Philippine architecture. WTA believes that as the primary caretakers of our human environment architects must create spaces that promote the link between health and well-being of humanity and our planet.
William Jr Ti Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by William Jr Ti.
William Jr Ti Design - Ferdinand E Marcos Stadium Sports Facility
Designer Interview of William Jr Ti:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
WJT : I've always been interested in visual narratives and creating settings since I was a child. I grew up enjoying sketching and painting but I only really got into design after learning how much of a social impact it could have.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
WJT : WTA is a 120 strong group of architects and designers based in Manila, Philippines focused on developing a social architecture that helps connect and nurture our communities.
DI: What is "design" for you?
WJT : Design is creating new ideas for a changing world.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
WJT : Cultural and institutional public spaces that have a huge social impact.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
WJT : The Emergency Quarantine Facilities that provided a quick and scalable response to the need for medical space during the pandemic.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
WJT : An outdoor karaoke bar.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
WJT : I love using stone and sketching on my notebook.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
WJT : Late at night when its quiet and I can just keep sketching out ideas.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
WJT : I focus on finding the core purpose instead of mere function.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
WJT : I can't help but smile when I hit an idea that I've been looking for for some time.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
WJT : Awe. I feel in awe of the scale that our work takes and when I see people using the spaces we design.
DI: What makes a design successful?
WJT : The people who use them.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
WJT : I look for purpose and social impact and what new idea it introduces.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
WJT : We are the primary caretakers of our built environment and ensure that humanity progresses and does not keep using oild ideas.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
WJT : Design is becoming more collaborative and more personal.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
WJT : 2023 in Budapest. We hope to do one in Feb 2025.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
WJT : From watching people and how they interact with each other and the spaces they occupy.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
WJT : Social architecture is our design agenda focused on creating socially intimate, barrier free spaces that help grow our communities.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
WJT : I live in the Philippines and the density of our cities forces us to come up with new ideas to help address the incredible need for public space.
DI: How do you work with companies?
WJT : We collaborate with various engineering and design firms to deliver our projects.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
WJT : Have a good idea of what you want not just in terms of form and function but also the purpose.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
WJT : We like breaking down a project into various components and reimagining how they can be evolved and come together to better use and purpose.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
WJT : Drawing Pen Notebook mobile phone work table lounge sofa
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
WJT : I wake up late in the morning at around 9-10am and answer my messages and emails. Have external meetings after lunch till late afternoon. Close the day with meetings in the office. Play with my daughter and have dinner. Relax for a bit then work from 12am to 3am.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
WJT : Don't just ask what else you can do but also look for what more you can achieve.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
WJT : Being a designer allows us to change the world but also gives us many more failures and frustrations than wins and triumphs.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
WJT : The best designs and plans are those that seem so natural it is not evident where the design input is.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
WJT : Passion and ambition. Listening to and understanding people.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
WJT : Just usually my pen and my notebook and colleagues I can throw my ideas around with.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
WJT : I compartmentalize my projects and work so I can check off items one by one.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
WJT : The initial design takes 1-2 months and another 6-8 months to develop.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
WJT : How much will this cost?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
WJT : Learning how to make custom components in the machine shop.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
WJT : Most of our clients are government agencies and real estate developers.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
WJT : Sketching out initial ideas.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
WJT : We plan to get more international projects and become more involved in various design festivals abroad.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
WJT : We work as a team.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
WJT : We're currently working on the tallest church in Asia and the largest exhibition center in Southeast Asia.
DI: How can people contact you?
WJT : You can contact us at contact@wtadesignstudio.com