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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesian Product Design Students Encouraged to Adapt to Industry Changes

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Universitas Mercu Buana in Jakarta held an exhibition showcasing product design students' work, emphasizing adaptability to industry needs.
  • The exhibition featured dozens of student projects developed with a focus on function, aesthetics, technology, and local culture.
  • University and trade ministry officials highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia, government, and industry to boost Indonesia's design competitiveness.

Universitas Mercu Buana in Jakarta is fostering adaptability among its product design students by bridging academic learning with industry demands. The university recently hosted the Innovartion #7 and Panen Karya 4 exhibition at the Indonesia Design Development Center (IDDC), showcasing dozens of student projects.

This exhibition is not just a display of final course outcomes, but a space for students to communicate ideas, test concepts, receive appreciation and input from the public and practitioners, and build confidence as prospective professional designers. Each exhibited work has a story, a process, and innovative value that demonstrates students' ability to solve various problems through design.

— Junaidi SalamHead of the Product Design Study Program at Universitas Mercu Buana, explaining the exhibition's purpose.

The displayed works, ranging from furniture and lifestyle products to fashion accessories and packaging, were developed using a human-centered design approach. Students focused on integrating function, aesthetics, technology, ergonomics, sustainability, and local cultural potential into their creations.

Junaidi Salam, Head of the Product Design Study Program at Universitas Mercu Buana, stated that the exhibition serves as a platform for students to communicate their ideas, test concepts, and receive feedback from professionals. He stressed the importance of students understanding industry needs and technological changes to develop relevant and competitive designs.

The process is important so that students do not stop at the ability to produce work, but are also able to develop designs that are relevant to the needs of users and the professional world. The exhibition is one space to connect student ideas with input from practitioners and industry players.

— Junaidi SalamHead of the Product Design Study Program at Universitas Mercu Buana, on the importance of practical application.

Ari Satria, Director of Service and Creative Product Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, emphasized the need for collaboration between universities, government, and industry to build a robust design ecosystem. He believes this synergy is crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of Indonesian products in the global market. The exhibition also included design talks and a packaging design clinic for MSMEs.

Collaboration between universities, government, and industry is needed to build a design ecosystem that can improve the competitiveness of Indonesian products.

— Ari SatriaDirector of Service and Creative Product Export Development at the Ministry of Trade, on fostering the design sector.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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