Behind the Visuals of the Gateways Study Visit Indonesia 2024 by GovTech Edu
From October 1st-3rd, 2024, Bali played host to the Gateways Study Visit 2024. Collaboratively managed by UNESCO and UNICEF, the Gateways Study Visit (GSV) was first initiated in 2022 at the Transformation Education Summit (TES) by the UN in New York, USA, as a juncture to discuss and progress transformation of education through technological advancements. With the theme of “Beyond Tech Intervention: Navigating Indonesia's Education Transformation” Indonesia was chosen as a host country to showcase how education in the nation has developed with technology as part of the Merdeka Belajar (Emancipated Education) program. Along with excursions to schools and cultural events, GSV 2024 also included a three-day exhibition showcasing the many programs developed by GovTech Edu for the Merdeka Belajar program. It fell to the GovTech Edu internal team to ensure a visually engaging and informative experience for the visiting delegates.
Cempaka Surakusumah, Brand Design Manager at GovTech Edu, explained that the branding of the event revolved around the core theme of transformation—showcasing how education continues to evolve and grow through the intervention of technology. The branding can be broken down into three core elements: the blue and yellow color palette derived from the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbud) logo; the ever-growing ripple effect which represent transformative technology as well as a spirit and impact that continues to echo and grow; and the use of gradients to symbolize light reflections as well as moments of reflection and learning facilitated at this event. “The graphics presented should also provide a sustainable message of impact for education in Indonesia by utilizing the technology platform that has been built and producing results,” explained the GovTech Edu team.
In showcasing the Merdeka Belajar initiative, the GovTech Edu team focused on highlighting the user-centricity of the program from a product development perspective. This in turn influenced the team to approach the visual elements in all campaign needs from a more empathetic angle, both in the design process and in determining the direction of communication. “Ultimately, it makes us at GovTech Edu more mindful to not only pursue engaging visuals but also be more functional and prioritize the distribution of information needed by users,” the team explained.
As part of the event, the GovTech Edu team was also in charge of the exhibition showcasing each of their products in the Merdeka Belajar program. The graphic direction was designed to implicitly depict the impact of digital transformation as a result of Kemendikbudristek’s presence between 2019-2024. The exhibition design primarily focused on showcasing how each of the Merdeka Belajar Initiative platforms (Merdeka Mengajar, Rapor Pendidikan, ARKAS & SIPLah, and Hi Edu) has streamlined and positively impacted schools, teachers, and most importantly students. “The building of this exhibition was collaborative and required mutual cooperation between the Brand & Communication team and Design & Research team. From the initial and somewhat wild process of brainstorming, to synthesizing ideas oriented towards a ‘good enough’ mentality and execution. Rather than something that is merely decorative but informative and creates an experience to help deliver the message that you want to convey to be more digestible,” the GovTech Edu team explained.
The team continued to explain that in developing visuals for this event branding, the GovTech Edu team aimed to create a design system that is adaptable and functional from the selection of fonts, system layout, even going as far as providing several visual element templates to ensure a consistent branding tonality. The branding also had to take into consideration how they were going to tie in Indonesian cultural elements. The team explained, “In terms of visuals, we were more subtle, namely through the use of color in branding. In addition to being inspired by the color of the Ministry of Education and Culture, it was also inspired by the location of the event, namely Bali. The selection of warm colors, a combination of blue and yellow, was also inspired by elements that are identical to Bali, namely the sea and the sun.”
GovTech Edu’s designs had to satisfy many different stakeholders involved with the GSV, from students to industry professionals. They were able to achieve this by putting together a branding system that is not too overpowering and positioning the branding more on functionality to be able to support international events without overshadowing the substance material of the event. Collaboration between all the different parties involved but especially between GovTech Edu’s Branding & Communication team with the Design & Research team, was key in putting the event together on a tight deadline. “With a collaborative and ‘good enough’ mindset, we were more open and agile to the changes and inputs we received. Knowing when to let go, and when to negotiate. When to be hands-on and when to just supervise. Maintaining the quality and tonality of branding without being fixated on absolute perfect results,” explained the Govtech Edu team.
Brand & Communication Team: Kevin Arrfandy as Head of Brand & Communication, Cempaka Surakusumah, Yudith Halim, Claudia Mandagie, Buda Patrayasa, Wanda, Meilina
Design & Research Team: Lody Andrian, Adriansyah Mursalin, Gupita Prameswari, Sania Saraswati, Tasha Dara, Thalya Shelyndra
