Sigit Adinugroho

April 23, 2011

I Studied Design, Graduated, Now What?

filed in:
Design

Indonesia is likely to produce more graphic designers and other designers alike in more years to come. I have no statistics at hand, but when I entered college, interests in graphic design as a field of study for bachelor degree were steep. Competition was high (I believe it still is now). Campuses who organize design education are struggling with a dilemma: delivering quality design education in an economy not entirely driven by commercial arts and design. There is a growing number of institutions that provide design education (mainly undergraduate, there is a scarcity in furthering design education, most Indonesian designers take their masters or doctoral abroad).

Indonesia is no Singapore, or even Malaysia who probably has better shots at design that drives the economy (if not culturally, commercially is fine). Indonesia is also not the Netherlands, Germany or Switzerland whose design roots took place many decades ago. In countries like these, design is a highly-specialised area, evolving, shaping, born and reborn.

Where is Indonesia in this? Is it a crossroad?

Why do parents permit or even encourage their children to study design? What motivates the students at the first place? Most students were inspired by design as part of the commercial arts they see everyday: motion graphics in television, computer & multimedia apps, the world wide web, mobile devices... even in more conventional medias like magazines, books and in some, comic books.

As an economy, it is clear that Indonesia is not fully driven by a consensus that design matters in leveraging values of a product. Most of the products sold in Indonesia where design plays a large role are imported ones. Most design or advertising agencies only communicate a brand through larger campaigns. Some might build a brand, probably thoroughly from all perspectives (some which all 360 degrees branding or anything like that), but how many of those are local products? How many of those are then successful to maintain a consistent brand, and to communicate it further? The most nerving question would be, can the product itself compete?

Where is the place of Indonesian graphic design students and graduates here? Some or most of them would be willing to work in international creative agencies or in-house companies, helping foreign products sell; some others would stick to small yet creative & fulfilling works for local products with less to care about the products; some others would strive in helping design education by teaching. Some others will not deal with design anymore somewhere in the path of their lives.

Another issue is with specialisations in graphic or visual communication design. In many cases, visual communication is taught academically for about four years teaching just about everything, structured autonomously by each institution, some "tailored to industry needs", some "pride on the importance of conceptual strength"; but rarely on something that is related to specific focus: why can't we have focus studies on typography, branding, or illustration? Why can't we have more flexibility?

Then again, how are people outside going to deal with these unfamiliar jargons that only the discerning designers know why those matter?

Is design only for the idealists? Could it be that design students have ample time and money at their expense to explore without worrying about making monthly salary? If you ask design students, "why do you want to study design and what are your plans for your future with design?", would they give tangible answers?

It probably takes Indonesia many more decades for design to be really appreciated, and design graduates have promising careers in their hands. Or, in the worst scenario, this hope might never materialise.

March 26, 2011

Spotting Game

filed in:
Design

Had the urge to document this. In cases where perhaps the two most-obsessed fonts are indiscernible from one another, I made a simple guide. It's an interesting look at how it originated not from Helvetica, but from Monotype Grotesque, although glyph widths are nearly identical to Helvetica.

Arial

Helvetica

Happy spotting!

February 23, 2011

Designers and Cocoons

filed in:
Design, Work

Recently, I discovered the joy of work. It might not be the best-paying job out there, nor should I worry much about what my future careers will be. Normally, my principles would shake. I ask questions whether I am on the right path, whether I am building myself a 'good' career. I would project myself as a better visual communication designer: extraordinary portfolio, rich experience, better education, better reputation. Do you get joy of work during that process? That's uncertain.

During my tenure at ThinkQuest, my main job is visual design. I design interfaces, I design promotional materials. These are for the sake of helping teachers and students worldwide to acquire 21st century skills through project learning, using a platform we build. Normally, I would only sit behind the desk, connected to the little world of emails, intranet systems and design work. I sometimes wear earphones. Sometimes I talk. Most of the time I don't. I don't have any counterpart locally, which means I work alone all the time. My other half of the two-men team is in the other part of the world. Three years working here and I only met him once.

Two months ago, I received a chance to look at this job pretty differently. I began to get assigned to conduct courses teaching users of our program (teachers) on implementing project learning with the program, in their schools. These are 7-hour courses, and I conduct them almost twice every week. Most of the time I'm just assisting the main instructor. I got to visit schools in Jakarta and around, met with their teachers and absorb directly the experience of knowing how end users appreciate our product.

It is overwhelming. First, I was instantly plugged in with almost daily trips and schedules I've never had before. This is not easy. With computers, you can always be sure. With people, you just don't. Think Indonesia. Second, I got to visit places I never knew of, and meet new people I seldom met before. I never knew that I could just hit a taxi and drive off to some peculiar end of the big metropolis, to find a secluded school which, despite its usual look, has superb internet connectivity and aspiring people. Third, learning how to teach people. How does it feel, after a very long time, to teach people to use your products; and to begin to think creatively how to best make them to actually use it. It's definitely beyond technical terms. You are talking to actual people here. Do you imagine how to teach technology products to a technologically-inept audience who don't always speak English? More than that, do you know how to grasp beyond technology, and hit to the bull's eye to the realisation that "I'm not teaching just about how to use it, but how to actually use it in learning process."

Designers often just sit there in a back office and forget the world. Do they meet the audience? Not always. Do you think they will use our product efficiently? Sometimes you just work based on values you create your own. Do you appreciate, despite how much monetary value they pay you to do the job, the extra mile you need to go to make your commitments more meaningful?

I think it's about time for designers to think about the impact their works have done, and to come out there and meet their audience. Feel the heat, not just the cool air of your air-conditioned working cocoon.