The Student Association of Product Design Department of Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana (HMDP UKDW) is gearing up to host the Design Degree (GEDE) event on 4-5 November 2023 at the Yogyakarta National Industrial Design Center (PDIN) Building. GEDE serves as a platform for students to discover their identity as potential designers and address real-world problems using local resources available in Yogyakarta. This includes leveraging craftsmanship, materials, and drawing inspiration from the region’s nature and culture to create functional solutions that meet user needs.
Dr. Winta Tridhatu Satwikasanti, Head of the UKDW Product Design Department, shared that GEDE 2023’s theme is “Evolution of Design: Z-tech Odyssey,” emphasizing design’s dynamic response to evolving societal needs and technological advancements.
The exhibition features inclusive product designs aimed at aiding disabled users, such as ‘Saged’ for blind users to learn batik stamping safely, ‘Precizio’ assisting those with cognitive challenges in cutting cloth neatly, and a foldable sink enhancing accessibility for wheelchair users. Additionally, there are creative explorations addressing mental health through interactive parent-child products, repurposing natural and waste materials into interior products and jewelry, and revitalizing cultural elements in fashion, accessories, and toys.
The event also showcases entrepreneurial endeavors like vests and tote-bags made from waste jeans, watches from corn cob waste, card wallets from corn husk waste, and pots from coffee grounds, aligning with UKDW’s sustainability initiatives and the Sustainable Entrepreneurial Research University (SERU) framework. Workshops were conducted to enhance skills in plastic waste processing, product photography, sustainable entrepreneurship, and design strategies.
Dr. Winta emphasized the program’s focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and creativity, encouraging students to be change agents in improving human life quality through critical thinking and innovative design approaches. The curriculum emphasizes material exploration, cultural integration, and user-centric design, empowering students to make impactful contributions in the field of product design. [humasukdw/Eng.bella_ed.drr]