UPH Visual Communication Design
Passionate, Brighter, and Transformational
VCD UPH Presents Focal Point 2 Photography Exhibition. This exhibition is held in Peluita Hall, Universitas Pelita Harapan from August 12 to August 30. Similar to the first Focal Point, the exhibition showcases works from the VCD students in their first year photography courses. Focal Point 2 also hosts a seminar and photography demo by renowned food photographer, Christo Tjandra.
Thursday, March 7, 2024, the Film Management class for Animation at VCD UPH had alumni returning to share their experiences. This time, Jane Budiman, an alumna from the 2016 cohort, shared about her experiences working in the production team for the Neuron YouTube channel. She works as a storyboard artist and animator for Neuron. Additionally, she is also entrusted to assist in managing the production processes of Neuron’s projects. Thank you to Jane for her time and knowledge shared in the Film Management class.
Follow Jane on her Instagram page.
Hello, my name is Fredella Agatha. I graduated with a degree in Visual Communication Design (DKV) from UPH in the class of 2018, specializing in graphic design. Currently, I work as a graphic designer at a marketing agency. In addition to my professional activities, I also nurture my hobby and interest in the field of typography by working as a freelance type designer.
Before enrolling in the Visual Communication Design program at UPH, I had little knowledge about graphic design – terms like balance and harmony in composition were unfamiliar to me. All I knew was that I enjoyed drawing. However, such skills alone were not sufficient to thrive in today’s design industry. Throughout my studies at UPH, I received guidance in both hard and soft skills. Here, we were not only shaped into competent and outstanding designers but also encouraged to have broad knowledge and remain open to learning new things.
Every course in the DKV program at UPH has left a significant impact on me, particularly Basic Typography and Experimental Typography. Basic Typography was the class that awakened my interest in the world of typography, while Experimental Typography inspired me to try creating my own font for the first time. Besides these two classes, one of the most memorable courses was the Main Studio, where I learned the fundamentals of graphic design and design semiotics. We were taught how to create work that is not only visually appealing but also meaningful, capable of effectively communicating messages and relevant to contemporary contexts.
My academic journey at DKV UPH has been an immensely enjoyable experience. Overall, I am highly satisfied with the campus environment and the facilities provided. Students are not only given the opportunity to learn in the classrooms but are also encouraged to participate in various organizations or communities. Additionally, the courses taught are relevant to the professional world, serving as a bridge as I entered the industry. This is undoubtedly a result of the dedication and efforts of the lecturers who wholeheartedly guide their students. I hope that this experience is not only cherished by me but is also shared by many other students out there. I highly recommend DKV UPH to students who are pursuing their passion in the field of design.
Fredella Agatha is an experienced graphic designer with 1.5 years in the industry, currently working remotely for a marketing agency overseas. Her expertise lies in crafting visually compelling designs that resonate with clients. Outside of her professional role, Fredella has a deep passion for typography, particularly in type design, which has become one of her favorite hobbies, offering a creative escape after long workdays.
“When you really want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Paulo Coelho
See Fredella and other of our alumni projects here.
On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, VCD UPH gathered for a modest yet meaningful occasion. The final grades for the Odd Semester of 2023/2024 were disclosed, accompanied by a farewell to the students who successfully completed their Final Projects.
Faculty members took a moment to share well-wishes and words of encouragement for the departing students. The atmosphere was reflective, acknowledging the achievements and challenges that shaped the academic journey. Representatives from the student association expressed congratulations to their peers, recognizing the accomplishment with a nod to the shared experiences.
The day concluded with understated documentation and a casual gathering. Congratulations to the graduating students; be a light and blessing in your own way.
On Monday, January 8, 2024, an online orientation for VCD UPH was conducted for exchange students from Multimedia Nusantara University. In this orientation, 10 UMN students were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Design and the Head of the Visual Communication Design Program at Pelita Harapan University. In addition to introducing VCD UPH, the meeting explained the learning processes that will take place at UPH. May the exchange program run smoothly this semester. Happy learning.
Our Newsletter for December 2023 has been published.
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.
From YPPH Communications Office
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.
IMATYPE: Journal of Graphic Design Studies, Volume 2, Number 2, has just been published. This academic journal is a collaborative effort between the Graphic Design concentration and the Editorial & Publication Design Lab of Universitas Pelita Harapan (LABDEhttps://labdep.uph.edu/P).
This publication contains seven articles, with three of the articles written by students and lecturers of UPH VCD. Here are the articles:
Angel Cristina (Graphic Design 2018), Ferdinand Indrajaya
Translated abstract:
Typography in the field of Visual Communication Design is generally understood as a means of communication in the form of a collection of letter characters that are composed in such a way as to convey a message. The message conveyed is not only informative, where typography is positioned merely as an instrument (as a arrangement of words) that functions to explain other visual communication media such as illustration or photography. Typography can also be understood more than just the arrangement of explanatory text for images (both illustrative or photographic). Its existence can be understood as a dramatic and expressive visual medium. As stated by Rob Carter, the anatomy of typographic forms can be further explored with the aim of achieving a more expressive form. This exploratory approach is applied to challenge traditional views of typography as instrumental and functional. The manipulation of form, space, texture, and color in typography is explored to go beyond traditional understanding. Such typographic exploration is usually understood under the title of experimental typography. This experimental effort will be applied to the Sinestesia album redesign project, where typography engages in a dialogue with the songs as content without forgetting its role in conveying the message. The visual design process stages will refer to Robin Landa’s design methodology.
Yolanda Ruth Theophanie Taruli Tumilisar (Graphic Design 2020), Brian Alvin Hananto, Lorentius Calvin
Translated abstract:
The UMKM Kaldi Kraftware brand is a social-preneur brand with the goal of creating products derived from the processing of waste, particularly plastic bottles found on beaches and rivers, especially in the Nusa Tenggara Barat region. Currently, Kaldi Kraftware is in the process of launching a new product, the Origami Coffee Filter, using recycled and processed plastic bottles. The challenge faced in the design process lies in storytelling, where the brand encounters difficulties in disseminating their story to the audience. In this academic work, the focus will be on the packaging design process for the Kaldi Kraftware brand, from data collection to design evaluation, along with the methodology used in the design process. Additionally, the discussion will delve into the design process, outlining various alternatives provided and direct evaluation results given by the owner.
Caroline Heliawanto (Graphic Design 2019), Ellis Melini
Translated abstract:
The busy lifestyle has led to demands for convenience and practicality in various aspects. Almost every industry leverages technology to sustain its business, resulting in an increase in online food ordering through smartphone applications. Recognizing this, Grains of Glory aims to utilize technology to encourage and facilitate the community in adopting a healthier lifestyle. To achieve this goal, Grains of Glory plans to design a smartphone-based food ordering application.
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