Bagging an ‘ Oscar’ in the UK
IT was a proud moment for Malaysia when two students from The Design School at Taylor’s University bagged an award at the prestigious 2015 British Design and Art Direction Awards ( D& AD).
The achievement is significant as Taylor’s University is the first Asian university to be shortlisted and win the New Blood Award at the D& AD awards, dubbed ‘ The Oscars’ of the creative industry worldwide.
Vivi Chandiana and Romario Suwandy impressed the panel of judges, including Keren House, Creative Director of Aricot Vert, in England and six other internationally acclaimed creative professionals – to bag the Wood Pencil award for their entry, ‘ Ini Medan Bung’.
The D& AD awards are the most sought- after recognition, due to its association with leading creatives in the industry on a global level. This year, New Blood category brief or category requirements were developed by world renowned authority on colour, provider of colour systems and leading technology for accurate communication of colour, Pantone.
The New Blood category tasked entrants with reimagining their hometown through the language of colour. The winning Taylor’s University duo used unique colours and inspiration from a local comic strip to develop an authentic reflection of citizens from their hometown in Bandung, Indonesia.
Chandiana and Suwandy’s project aimed to display the characters across billboards, train platforms, local magazines and mobile applications.
“I am extremely proud of our students and congratulate Vivi and Romario on this significant achievement for the university. This is a good example that proves the younger generation are capable of creating globally competitive work thanks to a holistic education experience. Committed to grooming future ready graduates, Taylor’s University believes it is essential to expose our students to opportunities within and beyond the classroom that enhances industry- relevant skills,” said Taylor’s University deputy vice- chancellor Prof Dr Pradeep Nair.
By winning the award, Vivi and Romario have obtained the opportunity to apply for a place in the 2015 New Blood Academy – a two- week creative boot camp that catapults young creatives into the industry.
The academy aims to inspire the next generation of creative talent and stimulate the creative industry to work towards a fairer more sustainable future. The duo’s winning creation has also been published in the D& AD Annual magazine alongside the Professional Award winners.
“My hometown is a sanctuary of more than a dozen ethnic groups and languages. We decided to launch an integrated identity campaign, representing citizens through the language of colour,” said Vivi. “We managed to infuse the Pantone brand while celebrating versatile, creative and cultural diversities of my country. We went along with the tagline commonly heard in the city and decided to have fun with it. It was one of the few times we prepared an actual client brief – our lecturer, Zuhaili Akmal Ismail, from The Design School supported and helped our project to keep it relevant, as well as its execution. We could not be more overjoyed with the outcome.”
The D& AD award comprises namely the professional, new blood, next director and next photographer categories. The award’s new blood category received entries globally from individuals in full- or part- time education, recent graduates and anyone aged 23 years or under.
With the judging panel comprising top professionals and creatives in the industry, the awards have become key in raising benchmarks for the global design industry. The scale of awards for winners of the new blood category begins with the New Blood Wood Pencil followed by the Graphite Pencil, Yellow Pencil, White Pencil and finally the coveted Black Pencil Award.
Making a conscious effort to walk- the- talk, Taylor’s University launched its 2nd Transcript or the SHINE Award, a first in Malaysia and in the South- East Asia region in 2014. The 2nd Transcript will complement the academic transcript in providing expanded opportunities for students to develop future work skills, proficiencies and abilities required across different jobs and work settings through structured out- of- class activities.
The 2nd Transcript is Taylor’s University’s answer to meet the supply and demand of well- rounded graduates, with employers seeking competent graduates equipped with the right knowledge, skills and attitude.
Find out more about courses at the Taylor’s University Open Day on March 5 and 6 from 10am to 5pm at the Lakeside Campus. Enjoy benefits extending to RM1,000 fee waivers, scholarships and a complimentary Taylor’s Career Profiling. For details on Taylor’s University, call 03- 5629 5000, e- mail admissions@ taylors. edu. my or log on to www. taylors. edu. my/ openday.