Little Manila Zine
Formed an online/offline interactive zine that showcases New York's Filipino community and encourages readers to explore Woodside, Queens for NaFFAA-NY's 2024 Little Manila Cleanup.
Formed an online/offline interactive zine that showcases New York's Filipino community and encourages readers to explore Woodside, Queens for NaFFAA-NY's 2024 Little Manila Cleanup.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Lead Product Designer
Tools/Skills
Figma
Figma
Team
6 Business Stakeholders
Duration
8 weeks (2024)
8 weeks (2024)
The Task
Introducing visitors to Little Manila, Queens
For 2024 Filipino American Heritage Month, the New York chapter of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA-NY) organized a Community Day of Action in Little Manila, Woodside in partnership with the Filipino Googler Network, Woodside On The Move, and more, featuring resource stations along Roosevelt Ave and a community meal with a guest speaker on Filipino history. As Director of Digital Engagement, I created a multimedia campaign inspired by my first NaFFAA-NY event, a cleanup that included an unofficial tour of Little Manila. Drawing from this experience, I proposed curating a Little Manila tour map to encourage attendees to explore and support local Filipino American businesses. Initially, the map included popular shops, historical insights, and QR codes to track engagement; however, its final version expanded into an online interactive zine, which showcased rich and diverse stories told by neighborhood locals. While successful, the project required overcoming several challenges and revisions.
Sneak Peek
An interactive experience highlighting community and culture
Beyond the Map
Explore the neighborhood with an interactive map that provides locations and links to directions for each spot.
Beyond the Map
Explore the neighborhood with an interactive map that provides locations and links to directions for each spot.
Community Collaboration
Discover the impactful work of organizati4ons partnered with NaFFAA-NY for the Community Day of Action.
Community Collaboration
Discover the impactful work of organizati4ons partnered with NaFFAA-NY for the Community Day of Action.
Engaging Readers
Dynamic content featuring insights from local interviews, highlighting great spots, the history of Little Manila, and more.
Engaging Readers
Dynamic content featuring insights from local interviews, highlighting great spots, the history of Little Manila, and more.
Process
Learning about the neighborhood and its roots
Beginning Stage
Collaboration: Interviewed John Bahia, team member at New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga’s office and former Community Affairs Associate at Woodside On The Move, for insights on local resources and key spots along Roosevelt Avenue in Little Manila.
Planning:
Explored questions like:
What factors attract people to these stores?
How can we go beyond just showcasing businesses?
Gathered feedback from four former attendees, discovering emotional connections to the community helped inspire participation.
Result: Created an interactive, scrapbook-style zine reflecting Filipino maximalism and emotional connection, inspired by Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr.'s quote: “The common Filipino is a maximalist, filling up every available space... rooted in emotional sensitivity and the strong urge to connect.”
Beginning Stage
Collaboration: Interviewed John Bahia, team member at New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga’s office and former Community Affairs Associate at Woodside On The Move, for insights on local resources and key spots along Roosevelt Avenue in Little Manila.
Planning:
Explored questions like:
What factors attract people to these stores?
How can we go beyond just showcasing businesses?
Gathered feedback from four former attendees, discovering emotional connections to the community helped inspire participation.
Result: Created an interactive, scrapbook-style zine reflecting Filipino maximalism and emotional connection, inspired by Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr.'s quote: “The common Filipino is a maximalist, filling up every available space... rooted in emotional sensitivity and the strong urge to connect.”
Beginning Stage
Collaboration: Interviewed John Bahia, team member at New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga’s office and former Community Affairs Associate at Woodside On The Move, for insights on local resources and key spots along Roosevelt Avenue in Little Manila.
Planning:
Explored questions like:
What factors attract people to these stores?
How can we go beyond just showcasing businesses?
Gathered feedback from four former attendees, discovering emotional connections to the community helped inspire participation.
Result: Created an interactive, scrapbook-style zine reflecting Filipino maximalism and emotional connection, inspired by Prof. Felipe De Leon Jr.'s quote: “The common Filipino is a maximalist, filling up every available space... rooted in emotional sensitivity and the strong urge to connect.”
Middle Stage
Challenge: Recruiting volunteers and getting local businesses involved proved to be difficult, despite offering free advertisement.
Solution: Enlisted the executive board and canvassed door-to-door, speaking with over 30 locals.
Result: To supplement the stories and information we gathered, I decided to also include resources from previous events, like our “I am a Filipino, I am a New Yorker” campaign, which featured local Filipino business owners and community leaders.
This helped tie everything together and showcased NaFFAA-NY's impactful work.
Middle Stage
Challenge: Recruiting volunteers and getting local businesses involved proved to be difficult, despite offering free advertisement.
Solution: Enlisted the executive board and canvassed door-to-door, speaking with over 30 locals.
Result: To supplement the stories and information we gathered, I decided to also include resources from previous events, like our “I am a Filipino, I am a New Yorker” campaign, which featured local Filipino business owners and community leaders.
This helped tie everything together and showcased NaFFAA-NY's impactful work.
Middle Stage
Challenge: Recruiting volunteers and getting local businesses involved proved to be difficult, despite offering free advertisement.
Solution: Enlisted the executive board and canvassed door-to-door, speaking with over 30 locals.
Result: To supplement the stories and information we gathered, I decided to also include resources from previous events, like our “I am a Filipino, I am a New Yorker” campaign, which featured local Filipino business owners and community leaders.
This helped tie everything together and showcased NaFFAA-NY's impactful work.
Final Outcome
Capturing local stories and the rich history of Filipino-Americans in Woodside
Takeaways
Giving back to the community that gives me so much
Project outcomes
After a month of revisions to make the zine more intuitive on Figma and bring it to print, the work was accessible both online and offline, leading to a successful outcome. Participants used the zine to explore Woodside during their free time and as a guide while cleaning up Little Manila. Analytics showed that 76% of the 70 attendees accessed the Figma file via the QR code included in the printed version with ease.
Why this matters
Overall, contributing to the event was deeply gratifying, marking a culmination of all I have learned since joining the organization. It was uplifting to challenge myself and find new ways to combine my passions for creativity, design, and serving my community.
Looking ahead
I hope to expand this project further by capturing even more stories and experiences from around the neighborhood and leveraging emerging technologies like AR and interactive web design to further enhance the experience and broaden its impact. Little Manila has given me so much—a deeper understanding of my culture, a sense of belonging in a Filipino community far from home, and countless opportunities for growth. Creating this zine has been a transformative experience, solidifying my passion and commitment to supporting the Filipino community here in New York.
Project outcomes
After a month of revisions to make the zine more intuitive on Figma and bring it to print, the work was accessible both online and offline, leading to a successful outcome. Participants used the zine to explore Woodside during their free time and as a guide while cleaning up Little Manila. Analytics showed that 76% of the 70 attendees accessed the Figma file via the QR code included in the printed version with ease.
Why this matters
Overall, contributing to the event was deeply gratifying, marking a culmination of all I have learned since joining the organization. It was uplifting to challenge myself and find new ways to combine my passions for creativity, design, and serving my community.
Looking ahead
I hope to expand this project further by capturing even more stories and experiences from around the neighborhood and leveraging emerging technologies like AR and interactive web design to further enhance the experience and broaden its impact. Little Manila has given me so much—a deeper understanding of my culture, a sense of belonging in a Filipino community far from home, and countless opportunities for growth. Creating this zine has been a transformative experience, solidifying my passion and commitment to supporting the Filipino community here in New York.
Project outcomes
After a month of revisions to make the zine more intuitive on Figma and bring it to print, the work was accessible both online and offline, leading to a successful outcome. Participants used the zine to explore Woodside during their free time and as a guide while cleaning up Little Manila. Analytics showed that 76% of the 70 attendees accessed the Figma file via the QR code included in the printed version with ease.
Why this matters
Overall, contributing to the event was deeply gratifying, marking a culmination of all I have learned since joining the organization. It was uplifting to challenge myself and find new ways to combine my passions for creativity, design, and serving my community.
Looking ahead
I hope to expand this project further by capturing even more stories and experiences from around the neighborhood and leveraging emerging technologies like AR and interactive web design to further enhance the experience and broaden its impact. Little Manila has given me so much—a deeper understanding of my culture, a sense of belonging in a Filipino community far from home, and countless opportunities for growth. Creating this zine has been a transformative experience, solidifying my passion and commitment to supporting the Filipino community here in New York.
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