From October 31 to November 1, 2023, VCD UPH (Visual Communication Design, Universitas Pelita Harapan) participated in the International Moving Image Cultures Conference (IMOVICCON) 2023 at Multimedia Nusantara University. This event is a scholarly conference that also showcases various moving image works. Over these two days, besides being a partner in organizing the event, VCD UPH had faculty members and students presenting their research findings or designs in panels attended by participants from various institutions and countries. We would like to express our gratitude to the Film Program at Multimedia University for their exceptional collaboration. Hopefully, we can engage in more exciting collaborations in the future.
VCD UPH Lecturers at IMOVICCON 2023 Day OneVCD UPH Lecturers and Students after the Closing of IMOVICCON 2023 Day Two
On Friday, October 27, 2023, VCD UPH visited Dian Harapan School (SDH) in Kupang. This visit was part of conducting a character design workshop for the high school students of SDH Kupang. The workshop provided materials on understanding shape language commonly used in designing characters in a simple manner. Thank you to SDH Kupang for the warm welcome and enthusiasm. We hope to meet again in the future.
SDH Kupang Students Working on Their Character Design WorksheetPhotograph With all Participants from the First SessionPhotograph With all Participants from the Second Session
On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, VCD UPH received a visit from the Studi Humanitas Program of Duta Wacana Christian University (UKDW) for a comparative study. During the event, both study programs got to know each other and shared information about their respective study activities.
Brian Alvin Hananto, VCD UPH’s Department Chair Presenting the Department Vision & MissionVisit to the Printmaking LabVisit & Discussions in the Photography Lab
Thank you to the Humanities Study Program for visiting VCD UPH. We hope that in the future, good relationships and collaborations can be established between the two study programs, especially for our students.
On Friday, October 20, 2023, the Graphic Design specialization at UPH conducted the Typolog 3 Webinar with an alumni speaker from VCD UPH itself, Fredella Agatha. In this event, Fredella shared her experience in designing the ‘Pantjoran’ lettering as her final project. Fredella explained the process and also shared tips on lettering design with all the webinar participants.
Fredella Agatha, The Speaker for the Webinar, and Yolanda Tumilisar, The Moderator for the Webinar
In addition to Fredella’s sharing session, the Typolog 3 Webinar also featured the announcement of the winners of the Typolog 2023 competition. The Typolog 2023 competition challenged participants to create designs in the Tote Bag format, which would later be produced as merchandise by VCD UPH. The grand winner of the Typolog 2023 competition was Tiara Kiatama, a student of VCD UPH from the 2022 batch. Meanwhile, the favorite winner of the Typolog 2023 competition was Joshlyn Tee from UPH College.
“Berbeda-beda Tetapi Tetap Satu” by Tiara Kiatama
This work emerged from the exploration of the definition of “Nusantara,” which is a synonym for describing the unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia introduced by Ki Hajar Dewantara in 1950. Nusantara refers to the unity of several islands, which I combined with Indonesia’s official motto, “Bhineka Tunggal Ika,” which means “Diverse But One.” The diversity of Indonesia, comprising various provinces, ethnicities, cultures, and religions, is the uniqueness of the Indonesian nation itself.
This concept resulted in this work, a collection of diverse typefaces, yet still displaying the number one. Diversity was also achieved through the use of different colors, but there was still a unifying element, including its placement within a text “box.”
This is my interpretation of the theme ‘Nusantara’ provided.
“The title of this work is Nusantara. This typographic work is inspired by the cultural diversity of Indonesia and draws inspiration from the art of wayang puppetry. Each letter in the word ‘Nusantara’ is inspired by the different shapes and styles of wayang characters. I attempted to incorporate the unique features and characteristics of various wayang characters into each letter. I also used wayang puppet heads in some of the letters. I played with the thin and thick aspects of the wayang figures and used them in letter composition to create an engaging design.
I created each letter’s sketch individually and drew inspiration from the trendy ‘molten chrome typography’ and sharp typography seen on various social media platforms because I believed this style was suitable for the wayang aesthetics. In the modern world, we often get caught up in new trends and things happening around us, and we tend to forget our rich and diverse culture. So, I incorporated trendy typography styles like combining different font styles into one text and experimenting with the typography composition to make Indonesian culture modern and trendy.”
Thank you to all participants, organizers, and everyone who participated during the Typolog 2023 event. Hopefully, we can meet again in Typolog or other activities.
Photo of Glory Josephine Immanuela. Photo Provided by Glory Josephine Immanuela.
Hi, let me introduce myself. My name is Glory Josephine Immanuela, but I’m commonly called Goi. I’m an alumna of DKV UPH, specializing in Graphic Design, from the class of 2016. Up to this day, I’m working on a business that my friend and I founded back in 2018 during our time at university, which is a custom artwear venture called Rupa Cerita (located in Bogor).
My current opportunities and abilities are closely tied to the 3.5 years of education I received at DKV UPH. I’ve always considered my time in college as an incredible blessing from God because the knowledge, activities, opportunities, and campus facilities equipped me from various aspects. This included a highly comprehensive design discipline, knowledgeable professors, a library with quality reference books, insights into job opportunities for designers in the current design industry (both nationally and internationally), the opening of connections and job prospects, well-equipped design labs and computers, and simulations of the role of design within the broader community.
While nearly all the courses I took were memorable, and I still recall the ups and downs, there’s one moment in the Experimental Typography course that I’ll never forget. During my studies, I went through an identity crisis, finding it challenging to follow and adapt to the main task of graphic designers, which is to systematically, structurally, and measurably address communication problems with visuals. Perhaps my visual style was more dynamic, and not all creative briefs suited my approach. This created the impression that I might never meet the industry’s needs, and I felt that the industry would forever be boring and stressful. However, in the Experimental Typography class, the emphasis was on the level of exploration of typography, layout, and animation. And at one point, when the Head of the Department, Mr. Alfiansyah Zulkarnain, visited the class, he uttered a simple sentence, “Wow, this font is so Goi.” That’s when I felt understood and accepted. Finally, my self-confidence began to grow, allowing me to explore my own design character.
I’m grateful for the knowledge of Graphic Design that I gained at DKV UPH. It not only influenced my visual work but also my everyday life and work. Project and time management skills were greatly honed when working in teams, preparing me to deal with various individuals in the industry.
I will always recommend DKV UPH to young creatives who want to study design because at DKV UPH, you can learn from highly experienced professors who are still active in the design industry. The supportive facilities and environment are among the key factors in the development of students.
“For me, success isn’t about meeting the standards the world sets, but about developing one’s talents and fulfilling one’s own God-given calling to the best of one’s ability. That alone is sufficient.”
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, VCD UPH (Visual Communication Design at the University of Pelita Harapan) welcomed Mr. Nico Antonio Santoso (PT. Paperina Dwijaya) and Mr. Jaya Atmaja (PT. Heidelberg Indonesia) to the Printing Production class. Both of them attended as guest speakers in a lecture by industry practitioners. Thank you, Mr. Santoso and Mr. Atmaja, for your time in sharing your experiences at VCD UPH.
Produksi Cetak Class with Mr. Santoso and Mr. Atmaja
In September, Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) hosted students from Singapore Polytechnic to partner with UPH students in applying design thinking to find innovative solutions to address some lingering problems faced by villages and informal urban settlements in Jakarta. This initiative was executed under LeX, a program initiated by the Singapore Polytechnic International (SPI) and supported by the Asia-Ready Exposure Program (AEP) ― a youth development program by the National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore.
The program saw 30 students and three lecturers from SPI teaming up with 30 students and 13 lecturers from UPH School of Design (SoD) and Faculty of Science and Technology (FAST) to conduct social innovation design in Sukapura RW10 subdistrict, a poor riverbank community in North Jakarta, and Ciakar village in Tangerang regency on September 18-27, 2023.
With the support of the local communities, they devised innovative programs such as riverbank community development and clean river initiatives, tempeh-making workshop, outdoor sportswear and equipment sewing, village school, making natural detergent from fruit peels, and oyster mushroom and worm farming.
On the last day, the students held an exhibition in the form of a gallery walk to gather feedback from the UPH academic community, government officials, and the residents in the two locales. The solutions presented will have a positive impact on the local communities, and in the process, participating students were inspired to employ the knowledge and skills they learned at university to make a big difference in the world around them.
Photo of Rinaldo Hartanto. Photo provided by Rinaldo Hartanto.
Hello, I’m Rinaldo Hartanto. I’m an alumnus from the class of 2011. At the time I was studying, there were no specializations, but I was always interested in illustration. Currently, I work as a studio manager and printmaker at Black Hand Gang Printmaking Studio in Ubud, Bali. Additionally, I work as a freelance illustrator and artist.
I started my studies at DKV UPH in 2007. During my time at university, I was quite active in the Department Student Association, especially in events like Artbound and student art exhibitions. My favorite place to hang out was, without a doubt, the library. With its extensive visual archives, comprehensive design and art books, and comfortable spaces, I enjoyed spending hours working on assignments and reading in the library. The painting studio was also one of my favorite places, especially in the later semesters.
As someone involved in the world of visual arts and illustration, I was impressed by various courses that covered history, culture, and illustration, including:
History & Appreciation of Design by the late Mr. Yongky Safanayong
Oriental Art & Design History by the late Mr. Yongky Safanayong
Cross-Culture Design by Ms. Lala Palupi Santyaputri
Illustration by Mr. Donny Ibrahim
Painting by Mr. Donny Ibrahim
Even though I’m not currently working directly in the field of graphic design, DKV UPH equipped me with various practical skills and conceptual abilities related to systematic thinking, the graphic design paradigm as a visual problem-solving solution, creative concept development, and various pre-production processes in both print and digital graphic design.
I absolutely recommend others to learn at DKV UPH. Especially because of the passionate and caring teaching staff at DKV UPH. Currently, DKV UPH is equipped with excellent facilities such as printing and graphic studios. I’m somewhat envious of current students because they have access to these new facilities. So, for all you UPH students, make the most of these facilities while you can! The support system for students interested in film is also strong. I’ve noticed that many UPH students and alumni are showcasing their work at various film festivals.
IMOVICCON (International Moving Image Cultures Conference) is an academic event initiated by a joint effort of the Visual Communication Design Department of Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), Indonesia, and the Film Department of Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN), Indonesia. This conference is held every two years, with the host alternating between UPH and UMN. The first conference was held in 2019, hosted by the Film Department of UMN.
This conference aims to bring together leading academic and research scholars to exchange and share their academic experiences and research results on all aspects of Moving Image Culture. This event also provides an interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners, students, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns, as well as practical challenges, encountered, and solutions adopted in the fields of Moving Image Culture.
The 3rd IMOVICCON aims to celebrate moving images by looking at their past, present, and future. It’s necessary to examine the past, the present, and the future of moving images since the past can be used as a reflection site. The present tells how far we’ve come, and it is even more interesting to see what the future holds for moving image culture.
Ever since the invention of the Phenakistoscope until the development of the Metaverse, moving image culture continued to evolve and became a huge inspiration for various research and publications. Its transdisciplinary nature also makes moving images approachable by every methodology available, making it possible to be explored and researched by multiple scientific disciplines.
This conference is an academic space for students, lecturers, researchers, practitioners, and moving image enthusiasts to exchange and share academic experiences and disseminate their recent research on all aspects of moving images. Submissions can address any aspect, but not limited to, of the past, the present, and the future of moving images.
Typolog 2023 is hosting its third webinar of the year titled “Behind the Scenes of the ‘Pantjoran’ Display Type Design with Fredella Agatha.” Fredella Agatha is one of the alumni from VCD UPH who chose a type design project as her final project. Now, she’s returning to share her experiences in the Typolog 2023 webinar.
This webinar will take place on October 20, 2023, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM WIB (Western Indonesia Time). Please register through https://bit.ly/RegistrasiTypologSesi3.
