Evan is a graduate of ITB’s Interior Design undergraduate program, class of 2021, who completed his bachelor’s degree in August 2025. Amid this academic transition and while beginning his professional career, he chose to challenge himself by participating in the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) Indonesia, a student design competition with an international network across Asia.

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone Amid Changing Life Rhythms

^{Evan with his undergraduate thesis project after the final defense at the corridor of the CADL building, ITB Ganesha Campus, July 2025. (Dok. Pribadi)}

The decision was made within a relatively short time. Evan only learned about the opportunity to join the competition about one week before the submission deadline. Despite the limited preparation time, he decided to participate as a way to test his design ideas beyond the academic setting.

The work he submitted was a development of his undergraduate thesis project, which he reinterpreted in response to the competition theme, Converge: Crafting Cultural Legacies. He began his design approach through a narrative perspective, using the fictional point of view of a Komodo princess to convey a message about the relationship between humans and nature that should be built on mutual respect.

Keeping Ideas Relevant to the Competition Context

^{The moment Evan presented his final project at the AYDA Awards in front of three judges at The Westin Hotel, Jakarta, February 2026. (Dok. Pribadi)}

During the development process, the main challenge lay in ensuring that his ideas remained relevant to the competition’s context. He needed to determine the appropriate design typology while formulating a communication approach capable of bridging conceptual ideas with the competition’s presentation format.

“The biggest challenge was making sure that the typology I chose fit the competition context and that the language I used could explain the idea without making it too abstract,” Evan explained.

Through this process, he realized that the narrative he constructed could not remain merely as a conceptual story. The narrative had to be translated into concrete spatial decisions, including how the story would be embodied in the interior design of the resort he proposed.

^{Poster and scale model of Evan’s project displayed during the AYDA Awards ceremony at The Westin Hotel, Jakarta, February 2026. (Dok. Pribadi)}

This experience reinforced his understanding that in design competitions, ideas are not only evaluated based on conceptual depth, but also on how effectively those concepts can be realized and communicated through the designed space.

Evan also felt that the competition opened opportunities for exchanging perspectives. This was particularly evident during the coaching sessions for the Top 5 finalists and the three-day finalist bootcamp leading up to the final judging. Intensive discussions with mentors and fellow participants helped him reassess both the strengths and weaknesses of his ideas. For him, this experience became a valuable professional learning opportunity that is not always found in regular coursework.

Two Awards and Valuable Life Lessons

^{Evan celebrates his two awards with a cheerful photo after the AYDA Awards ceremony at The Westin Hotel, Jakarta, February 2026. (Dok. Pribadi)}

In the end, Evan’s work received two recognitions: Honorary Mention and Alumni’s Choice. However, he believes that these achievements were not the only meaningful outcome of the competition.

He observed that the success of younger participants demonstrated that achievement is not determined by seniority, but rather by the readiness of ideas and the courage to try.

“Sometimes we focus so much on one thing that we fail to realize that other work we are doing has great potential. This competition helped me see my work from a different perspective,” he said.

^{Evan with his scale model and friends after his undergraduate thesis defense at Kolam Indonesia Tenggelam, ITB Ganesha Campus, July 2025. (Dok. Pribadi)}

For Evan, the experience reaffirmed that success in competitions is not always measured by the final result. Although he did not receive the top award, he returned with many valuable takeaways, including new professional networks, learning experiences, and meaningful connections that broadened his perspective as a designer.