AAH HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB ✨
Going✈️️ nine years of And A Half + somehow still alive in 2021 lol
NINE YEARS!!! NINE YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If And A Half were human, they’d be in third grade taking online classes. Old enough to have a personality and maybe even a TikTok account… and that’s so crazy when you think about it. We’ve been lucky to keep this show running for as long as we have, and we hope to keep going for as long as you’ll have us!
The journey here hasn’t been easy. We let go of our beautiful space, dealt with COVID-19 and other grave sicknesses within the team. Never in our nine years as a studio have we been so close and exposed to death and the loss of loved ones like this, and not have the chance to just be with one another physically to grieve.
That sounds heavy but it’s true. All this has forced us to reckon and reconsider what it means to be a design studio and a creative in the Philippines. What it means to survive and how we ought to change if there is any hope of a future for all of us.
(P.S. HAVE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE)
In between all the SPDP 2021 prep and client work, we just wanted to take the time to reflect on the past nine years, but even more so the past ~two. Ever since Duterte declared the Luzon lockdown last March 2020, so much of our wins as a studio were only possible because of the people around us.
All of our initiatives like Help From Home, Pocket Garden, and even SPDP couldn’t have been possible if our friends, both old and new, weren’t there to help us, to connect us to leads, and support us. When we launched a fundraiser for a team member who had COVID-19 expenses to pay, the response was overwhelming. Even just connecting us to clients and recommending our work has kept And A Half afloat the past two years, and for that, we are extremely grateful. This is why we’ve decided to celebrate our ninth anniversary with a tribute to our friends.
And A Half ✈️️ 9 would like to present:
AMPERDINGS!
The Ampersand Wingdings by And A Half and Friends 🎊
No better way to put two & two together than an Ampersand! Introducing Amperdings, the Ampersand Wingdings by Friends And A Half, in commemoration of our ninth year as a studio. Each letter corresponds to a custom ampersand by some of our dearest studio friends. We wouldn’t be here all these years if it weren’t for all of you!
How was Amperdings made?
For this next section, we sat down real quick with the mother of this project, resident And A Half designer Trixia dela Cruz, and asked her a few questions about Amperdings and the whole spirit behind the project.
Hi Trixia! Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Amperdings?
Honestly, I just thought it would be a cute idea, and I was looking through fonts I remembered how ampersands originated from the term “and per se” and how it turned into its current form. It’s a symbol that’s evolved in recent years. For the longest time, I’ve liked how this was our icon as a studio and I thought it’d be cute to see how other people might render or create their own ampersands.
Were they any challenges coming up with the font?
I thought: Ang gagaling ng mga tao [laughs] paano ko magagandahan ‘yung akin? It was actually easy working with everyone. Everyone was just so willing to participate and it was a really nice feeling. Even our friends who aren’t even strictly graphic designers sent over sketches that we’d render on Illustrator.
Your favorite part of the whole process?
Favorite part of the whole process was that it’s really great to create with friends, and it’s nice to be part of a really supportive industry. When we messaged our friends and collaborators, the messages were really supportive and it’s just amazing to see the whole lineup of people with the end product. It’s a nice to be part of this community. Circling back to us being nine years old, and what we can do for the creative industry here. Dami nating pwedeng gawin, there’s still a lot to do and we can only do it together. ■
IF YOU’RE STILL READING THIS, WE ARE CORDIALLY INVITING YOU TO HANG WITH US ON MANILA COMMUNITY RADIO THIS EVENING!
JUST ONE HOUR BEFORE DINNERTIME TO CELEBRATE WITH THE STUDIO AND OUR RESIDENT DJ CRWN FOR A SET WHERE HE IMAGINES WHAT AN AND A HALF PARTY IN 2021 WOULD SOUND LIKE.
Thank you for sticking by us. It means the world. We love you!
And A Half