UPH Visual Communication Design
Passionate, Brighter, and Transformational
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, VCD UPH (Visual Communication Design at Universitas Pelita Harapan) opened the exhibition “ADHIKARI,” showcasing works created by the students of VCD UPH in 2023 who had recently participated in a study tour to Yogyakarta from November 23 to 27, 2023. The exhibition features various artworks, including drawings, photographs, batik fabric, masks, and clay, produced by these students during their time in Yogyakarta.
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.
Our Newsletter for December 2023 has been published.
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
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.
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.
Best Presenter
Best Paper
Best Artworks
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”