Works of Heart is a Filipino social impact design studio. They believe in matching social imagination with good design—to engage, transform, and shape a nation that is free. "Heart-Tea Talks" results from the batch intern project where my co-interns, Fyonna Laddaran, and Tina Valera, and I pitched and executed a project tackling a chosen issue. This project included design research, brand identity conceptualization, packaging, and social media promotions.

Discussions of sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ matters are often stigmatized. These discussions are becoming more and more crucial in the current sociopolitical environment, particularly in the Philippines where conservative and religious beliefs lead to unsafe spaces for the queer community. We wanted to open the space for these topics that people may feel apprehensive about. The goal was to make initiating conversations about sexuality, gender, and queer issues easier.

After conducting surveys and stakeholder engagements, we found that the LGBTQ+ community is diverse. Yet, they experience similar pain points across their family and home settings. We found an opportunity when it came to the friends and allies around them as more often than not, queer people confide in them first rather than their families.

We came up with "Heart-Tea Talks," a kit of tea flavors accompanied by a set of queer-related questions and prompts. The prompts would encourage users to gradually deepen their conversations, from icebreakers, and sharing personal experiences, to reflecting on their discussion.

Combining the everyday act of enjoying tea and conversations, we hoped to make it easier to talk about gender and sexuality. This subject is equally relevant for non-queer allies because it has the potential to create more inclusive and equitable futures that break down heteronormative standards and practices across cultures.