News

Posted on

Meet our Alumni: Nafis Adhikari

Photo of Nafis Adhikari

Senior Designer for CONDE NAST JAPAN( Wired Japan, GQ Japan, Vogue Japan )

Head of Creative / Partner for Open Quarter Tailor

In the earlier years of my academic journey, the field of Design and Visual Communication (DKV) was characterized by a more holistic approach, predating the nuanced subcategories that exist today, such as cinematography and animation. Back then, DKV encompassed a comprehensive spectrum, requiring us to delve into every facet from A to Z.

Despite initially perceiving this broad approach as a challenge, it ultimately became my forte. Acquiring knowledge across the entirety of the discipline, akin to comprehending every graph in a pizza-graph, proved to be an invaluable asset.

Following graduation, I dedicated two years to a small design studio in Jakarta, named Table 6. During my tenure, I collaborated with clients from diverse sectors, including fashion, law, F&B, art exhibitions, etc. This multifaceted experience was a cherished chapter in my professional journey. Subsequently, I resigned from the position, driven by the ambition to establish a prominent presence in Japan—an aspiration I had harbored for years. A year of Japanese language study paved the way for a subsequent year working with a Japanese design studio, culminating in my current role as a Senior Designer/Art Director at Conde Nast Japan. Beyond my responsibilities at Conde Nast, I co-own a small design studio with my wife and a business partner. Additionally, I am a co-owner and head of creative at the Indonesian tailoring brand “Open Quarter Tailor.”

Reflecting on my university years at UPH, I hold fond memories of both enduring friendships and the privilege of learning from some of the industry’s brightest minds. UPH instilled in us the importance of critical thinking, transcending mere technical proficiency. This emphasis on critical thinking emerged as a cornerstone of our industry strength. While every subject at UPH was enjoyable, I particularly relished the “DKV Subject,” where we undertook the rebranding of selected companies—a task that resonated with my specialization in branding.

The knowledge and skills cultivated during my time at UPH have significantly contributed not only to my professional journey but also to my personal development. I unequivocally recommend UPH to prospective students, as my experience there was truly transformative and life-changing.

Posted on

“See” December 2023

Our Newsletter for December 2023 has been published.

Posted on

Raymond Ahari

Photo of Raymond Ahari.

My name is Raymond Ahari, and I’m an alumnus of DKV UPH, class of 2010. After graduating in 2014, I started a Production House business named “Jendela” along with some of my friends.

My four years at DKV UPH were undoubtedly a pleasant experience. The comfortable campus environment and complete facilities helped me study better, not to mention the competent lecturers and wonderful friends whom I got to know and learn from. Many things I know and implement in my work today, I picked up from my time at DKV UPH.

Although every class equipped me with different things that helped me become who I am today, I would say that the Videography class particularly left a mark on me. I didn’t initially plan to take the class, but I had a close relationship with the lecturer, and he told me about a great project that I could work on if I took his Videography class—and yes, of course, I ended up taking it!

One of the most important things that I learned from my days at DKV UPH is the significance of good teamwork. Choosing the right teammates will highly affect your results; it will help you finish the assignment right on time, with excellent quality.

As an alumnus, I recommend DKV UPH to those who are looking for a good place to learn and pursue their degree. I am always grateful for the opportunity to study at such a fine campus and faculty.

Posted on

Kezia Rachel

Photo of Kezia Rachel

Hello! I’m Kezia Rachel, from the DKV UPH class of 2017. My concentration was in animation, which is also what I’m currently pursuing in my career. Specifically, I am working on 3D animation.

I had such a fun time at DKV UPH. The lecturers pushed me to do my best, and I am forever grateful for it. They not only acted as our teachers but also as friends, which made it a comfortable environment to study and learn. There were also a lot of activities outside of our studies. I remember going on trips for our photography and drawing classes, and there were events specifically for us students to bond and get to know each other better. I feel like it is very important to learn outside of classes, where we learn to get to know people, which will help us a lot in the industry.

I forgot specifically which class it was, but I’m pretty sure it was one of the Main Studio classes. The first time I tried out 3D animation using Maya was definitely the most memorable one. I was very passionate about animating, thus my excitement when we finally had the chance to animate in 3D. We were also given the chance to model and rig, which was a very new experience for me.

The lecturers and mentors taught me so many things, not only about art but also about the industry. It’s important to learn the basic fundamentals of art and design, but we shouldn’t forget that learning isn’t going to be enough in the industry. I was always reminded in my animation class that once we get into the industry, we are not alone. Whether we like it or not, we are always working with other people to achieve something. Of course, all the technical studies, like the basic fundamentals of animation, helped me a lot in the industry. But I realized the importance of learning about group work, accepting feedback, and criticism, which proved to be even more helpful.

I would recommend DKV UPH to a lot of people! It was such an exciting time, with great facilities, great lecturers/mentors, and all the things we learned were very insightful.

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

-Walt Disney
Posted on

KOMA DKV 2023

From November 15-17, 2023, VCD UPH recently held the Visual Communication Design Student Conference (KOMA DKV) 2023. The event was conducted in a hybrid format, with the first two days held online and the third day in a hybrid manner. The conference received support from Universitas Budi Luhur, Universitas Trisakti, Universitas Mercu Buana, and Universitas Multimedia Nusantara.

On the first day, there were keynote sessions by Salima Hakim, S.Sn., M.Hum (Universitas Multimedia Nusantara), Ahmad Thaba, S.I.Kom., M.Ds. (Universitas Budi Luhur), and Dr. Lala Palupi Santyaputri, S.Sn., M.Si. (Universitas Pelita Harapan). They delivered engaging presentations for visual communication design students from various educational institutions attending online.

Keynote by Salima Hakim
Keynote by Ahmad Thaba
Keynote by Lala Palupi Santyaputri

The second day featured parallel sessions where various visual communication design students presented their research and design outcomes in panels moderated by professors from various universities.

The third day included a work review session with reviewers Katarina Monika and Jason Iskandar. They selected works deemed commendable and interesting for discussion during the review session. The KOMA DKV 2023 event concluded with appreciation for the best participants in the conference.

Katarina Monika Reviewing Ryan Fazriqy’s Work

Jason Iskandar Reviewing Elisabeth Katie Solaiman’s Work

Best Presenter

  1. Sherly Thresia (Universitas Bunda Mulia)
  2. Carren Miquella Chen (Universitas Pelita Harapan)

Best Paper

  1. Peran Sosial Iklan Layanan Masyarakat Bersama Hapus Kekerasan Seksual Edisi “Jangan Menyalahkan Korban” – Dewinta Putri Nugraha, Elda Franzia Jasjfi (Universitas Trisakti)
  2. Analisis Penggunaan Ilustrasi Editorial dalam Digital Media Outlet Tempo.co – Kaysha Bernadette Soelistyo (Universitas Pelita Harapan)

Best Artworks

  1. Ryan Faziqry (Universitas Mercu Buana)
  2. Vanessa Leoni (Universitas Pelita Harapan)
  3. Elisabeth Katie Solaiman (Universitas Pelita Harapan)
  4. Ryo Bryan Lienardy (Universitas Bunda Mulia)

Photo of Everyone at KOMA DKV 2023 Closing

We express our gratitude to all the university partners, reviewers, moderators, curators, speakers, committees, and participants of KOMA DKV 2023 for their excellent cooperation and active participation throughout the entire event. We look forward to seeing everyone again next time.

Posted on

VCD UPH Student Receives Award at KMI EXPO 2023

Praise God, one of the VCD UPH students, Jessica Valencia (Graphic Design, class of 2020), along with her team from the Faculty of Economics & Business UPH, has successfully won the 3rd place in the main product category of the Creative Industries and Tourism at the KMI Expo XIV 2023. Jessica and her team presented their brand, Lawana Batik. Lawana Batik has been nurtured by UPH SparkLabs Incubation throughout the entire process until achieving this award. We express our gratitude to Jessica and the entire team involved for this remarkable achievement.

UPH Team at KMI Expo IV 2023. Photo by UPH SparkLabs Incubation.
Posted on

Ronaldo K. Dinguamah

Photo of Ronaldo K. Dinguamah

My name is Ronaldo Kilimandu Dinguamah, but please call me Ronnie. I graduated in 2017 with a degree in Animation. Currently, I work as a Key Lighting Artist and occasionally undertake freelance projects in Lighting, Rendering Architecture, and Motion graphics.

I had no artistic background or experience prior to university, so I faced many challenges with the lessons initially. However, with God’s grace, my teachers’ guidance, and my friends’ support, I was able to acquire enough skills to join the international Animation Industry. I was fascinated by all the courses that involved animation. They enabled me to create animation from the initial concept to the final post-production. These courses taught me the steps of making an animation, which equipped me for the industry.

The curriculum of the creative industry, especially Animation, is hard to keep up with the current industry trends because technology changes rapidly. That is why UPH excels at teaching students the fundamental and conceptual aspects of design, especially the “design thinking” concept. This concept assists me in my work because it is not just about making “pretty” pictures, but about conveying a message with visual elements.

I think UPH is an excellent choice for students who aspire to learn how to think like designers. UPH helps you comprehend the design and animation principles in a holistic way, enhancing your design abilities. UPH also has remarkable lecturers who are passionate about the industry and their students’ education. If you seek to learn the basics and get support from qualified lecturers, I highly recommend UPH.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ronaldo Kilimandu Dinguamah, but you can call me Ronnie for short. In 2017, I delved into the world of creative design and pursued my studies in DKV UPH, with a keen focus on animation. Following my graduation, I embarked on a thrilling freelance journey in the advertising industry for six months, all while crafting my portfolio. In early 2021, I landed a position as a Lighting and Compositing artist at Pixel Zoo, an animation studio based in Brisbane, Australia. My expertise in 3D lighting and compositing has been instrumental in bringing to life several animation series or movies, including the likes of LOL Surprise, Rainbow High, and Mermaze, to name a few. Despite my specialization, I never lost my love for the traditional arts of drawing and painting, which continue to inspire and fuel my creative passions.

Posted on

Alumni: Vanessa Leoni

Photo of Vanessa Leoni. Photo Provided by Vanessa.

Hello, let me introduce myself. I’m Vanessa Leoni, an alumna of the 2019 class of DKV UPH, specializing in Graphic Design. Currently, I work as a Packaging Designer at a company in the FMCG industry.

During my time at UPH, I felt my design skills develop significantly, thanks to the guidance of the DKV UPH professors who always supported me during the learning process. When I initially joined DKV, I faced some challenges in adapting to the assigned tasks, but over time, I became more accustomed to it and learned to manage my time effectively. As the semesters progressed, I realized that the course material started with fundamental concepts and gradually became more complex, resembling real-world projects in the industry.

One of the courses that had a significant impact on me was the main studio 3. During a full semester, DKV students collaborated with students from the food technology program to create innovative product packaging. The design process started with product analysis, selecting the appropriate packaging materials, designing brand identities, creating packaging designs, and developing social media and e-commerce product sales designs. Throughout this course, I learned numerous new aspects, such as how to create packaging designs that not only prioritize aesthetics but are also producible and represent the concept of the product being sold.

My education definitely helped me in the industry. Because the steps taken to complete assignments provide a real-world glimpse of what you’ll do in the industry. With each passing semester, projects were not only individually resolved but also involved external parties to provide design objectives, test the effectiveness of the design, and evaluate it.

Studying at DKV UPH is not limited to classroom learning. There are many design-related activities outside of class that can be participated in. For example, joining the “BEDA’KAN” (Redesigning Packaging) initiative where students redesign packaging for selected MSMEs. This not only adds to your experience but also teaches students how to communicate directly with MSMEs, known as clients in the professional world. Furthermore, DKV UPH maintains high standards, allowing students to produce high-quality work.

There’s no such thing as limitations in design; that’s why you should unleash all your ideas and continue creating work that can be seen by many people!

Posted on

Alumni: Putu Widyayana Putra

Photo of Putu Widyayana Putra. Photo Provided by Putu.

Hi! My name is Putu Widyayana Putra. I studied in UPH’s DKV major during 2015-2019, with a concentration in Animation. Although we learned every aspect of animation production from pre-production to finish, I was drawn by the intricacy and challenges in creating Characters; that led me in my career as a 3D Character Artist.  I’m currently working as a Creative Director in Stairway Games. I love creating stories, worlds, and characters; seeing them come to life is one of my greatest passions in life.

From a very young age, I’ve been drawing as far as I can remember. I learned drawing and art through lots of attempts (and failures). Which brings me to my surprise when I entered UPH, I learned that art, design, and drawing is something that can be learned through methods and theories. This fundamentally changed my view of art; although creation fueled by passion and raw creativity is all good, a lot of times it doesn’t serve a higher purpose than the form itself. It allows me to tap into creating a more consistent body of work, something that was only achieved through “I’m inspired!” moments; which was an unreliable source of creation.

        Team projects were particularly challenging for me; previously as an artist, a creative process was something you tackle alone. These projects taught me to work with others, in a kind and respectful way. Needless to say; working together with others kept my ego in check. I remembered my lecturer, who was working in the industry said a something that’s printed to my brain until this day:

“ … You can be as skillful as you can be, but when people remember you as a terrible person to work with; It will trump your reputation as the “skillful one”. Our craft is a collaborative process, skills can be improved, lessons can be learned, but ultimately, attitude towards others is a reflection towards others that reflects your work and who you are.”

        When I entered the industry, those words never rang more true.

        Although UPH taught me some skills that contributed towards my career, I think it cultivated my spirit of learning more than anything else. It’s a wake-up call that learning is a lifelong process and every day is an opportunity to learn something new. Labeling myself to be just an “artist” or “designer” was something I try to avoid. I try to dabble and learn in other disciplines beyond what was thought to me.

DKV UPH was an environment where creativity and methodical approach of design was taught. My lecturers taught me not only hard skills but soft skills such as critical thinking; an immensely crucial step that’s often skipped. I think the most important thing to take away from all of this is that my experience in DKV cultivated my hunger for learning and being a person that people would love to work together with.

Posted on

“See” November 2023

Our Newsletter for November 2023 has been published.