Jose Illenberger
www.philweavers.net

JI: I come from very humble beginnings. I grew up in the rural provinces and came to the big city to study and to eventually support my family and myself. Use of technology like computers was something alien to me until before college graduation.

Where are you from?
Dumangas. It's an agricultural town 36 kilometers south of Iloilo City, Philippines. It used to be so rural but now the town even has its own official website.

Design education:
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. I majored in visual communications, sort of a highbred degree with courses covering illustration, photography, graphic design and advertising. Most of my fellow grads from UPCFA are in the local advertising industry. I have no idea how I ended up in Graphic Design when the latter is so much more profitable. LOL!

Philweavers is a great resource for the Filipino Design Community, what are your thoughts on Filipino Designers?
As a group, Philweavers is aims to be a gathering of world-class Filipino Web designers. We have a strict zero tolerance for members found to be ripping other people's work. They are immediately discussed and if found guilty immediately booted out of the organization and reported.

Design in the Philippines is a young industry and most Filipino designers lack formal training which puts them at a disadvantage. As a group, PW also aims to be a venue wherein all members can share their knowledge through dialog, helping each other out. Where lack of design education used to be a problem, the group as a community is now slowly addressing it.

How did you come up with the concept behind Philweavers?
My friend Drew Europeo (www.halfproject.com) and I initially had been looking for kindred souls passionate about web design like we were. We wanted to do a webring thing at first then eventually decided that maybe a mailing list would be more appropriate. The purpose and the makeup of the group have evolved though the years.

Do you think that traditional art styles transfer across well to graphic design?
That depends upon the designer doing the interpretation. It can be fused and made as an element of the design. But for always it has to be appropriate to what the design is about. I am a firm believer of "form follows function" etho, at least where graphic design is concerned. Graphic design is not art. It may share the same aesthetic values as art and maybe both similar where they are both visual but graphic design serves a higher function..And that is to visually communicate a message. Whatever message that might be.

How would you like to be remembered?
Firstly, as fun and loving father and husband. Secondly, as a Filipino who did his duty. Thirdly, as an artist and as a graphic designer.

On a personal note, has parenthood change your life as a Graphic Designer?
Only where time management and time for learning new stuff is concerned.

Your work is best described as beautiful, what inspires you to create?
If you mean redberger, I usually get hot flashes and then id be down for a few days trying to get them into html. lol. Naah... uhmm, I guess ideas sometimes just creep into my head then I would just find myself deep at work.

I am also Filipino but never visited the Philippines, what do you like best about the Philippines?
The close-knit family values.

How would describe a Flash website that's overused?
Where every element of the website is animated. That could get really annoying.

How would you describe a magazine spread that's overdone?
When you cant read the article anymore, then that layout's been overdone. If there's supposed to be copy on the layout then that copy was meant to be read. That should be top priority. I believe that a nice layout is always where there is a fine balance between use of pictures, typography, and white space. Except maybe for occasional layouts where the object is to dazzle one with pictures.

Do you have any advice for up and coming Graphic / Web Designers?
Research. Observe. Make your mind a sponge for everything...don't filter anything out. Lastly, bear in mind that design is more than just style.

What is more important for a graphic/web designer, artistic qualities or design education? Choose one then explain.
You don't need a formal education to be a designer but it sure does help a lot. What you really need though is a discriminating eye for the aesthetic. You have to be sensitive with regards to what is good against what is bad and you have to develop a sense of restraint so that you don't overdo your designs.

Describe your style of design:
I read the brief, I do the work. The final output should be clear to what the brief wanted me to do. If it looks flashy and nice then great but the my first priority would always be to ask myself if the design is effective and would be able to reach the intended audience. I don't subscribe to any style or design fad. To do so, I would be limiting myself and looking like everyone else.

What are your thoughts on today's New Media Designers?
Everybody seems to want to look like 2advanced nowadays. This is not healthy.

PDC: I couldn't agree with you more.

Final Comments:
Thanks so much for your time.

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