The Design Buffet: 24-Hour Creativity Challenge

On December 4-5, Studio Yord will present an exciting new event format for the local graphic design scene: a 24-hour, all-you-can-design experience titled The Design Buffet. Ten teams, each made up of three professional creatives, will spend a full day in a large studio space working on a single brief provided by a client. Equipped with supportive facilities—from a photo studio to printing machines—participants are set for a creative marathon. Registration is now open for designers and creative teams via Instagram at @the.designbuffet. Grafis Masa Kini had the chance to explore this groundbreaking event and the ideas behind it with Studio Yord.

The birth of The Design Buffet stems from Studio Yord’s awareness of the untapped potential within the local graphic design ecosystem. “Our industry has shown significant growth over the past decade, evident in the rise of art markets, book fairs, talks, portfolio reviews, and exhibitions. However, there’s still a need for a format connecting our graphic design industry to the wider public,” the Studio Yord team explained. In developing The Design Buffet, Studio Yord focused on a specific mission: to elevate public literacy in graphic design, creating demand for quality design practices. “In a nation that prides itself on fostering a creative economy, it’s only intuitive that high-quality graphic designers support this vision. The supply of skilled designers in the country is increasing, but we must also think about how to create demand for quality graphic design,” Studio Yord added. Through The Design Buffet, they hope to create a space where the public can better understand the complexity and value of the design process. This competition is designed to help people see why investing in graphic design is worthwhile, particularly for local business owners and brand builders.

The spirit behind The Design Buffet is twofold: collectivity and competition. Collectivity here means a space where studios can meet and network. More than that, it’s an opportunity for design studios to observe each other’s methodologies, hoping every studio can learn and refine its approach. On the other hand, a sense of competition is also essential to this creative industry. “We see competition as the engine of innovation within an ecosystem; with competition, standards rise every year. This year’s winner will set the new bar, one that next year’s winner must exceed,” shared Studio Yord. As this cycle repeats, the graphic design industry will develop at an increasingly rapid pace. “Each year, new methodologies emerge, and new perspectives define what’s considered good design practice. While it may sound grand and hyperbolic, we believe that this small initiation, if sustained, can make it happen.”

On the visual front, Studio Yord acknowledges the courage it took to launch The Design Buffet’s visual identity. Themed as the “Ruthless Playground,” the visual identity reflects a designer’s naive side. Studio Yord explained that the chosen illustrations aim to convey curiosity and bravery, combining an absurd style with charm. “We tried to balance the chaos of a 24-hour competition with the naive spirit of exploration inherent to The Design Buffet,” said the Studio Yord team. The characters in this visual identity reflect the atmosphere of a challenging yet exploratory competition.

The Design Buffet presents a unique challenge for its participants. In this competitive format, ten teams of three creatives will be given the same brief and must complete it within 24 hours. This challenge requires them to produce a design from scratch, with the freedom to choose any design output—from identity design, editorial, and illustration to animation and cinematography. Each team will be equipped with various support facilities, such as a photo studio, prop storage, printers, and 24-hour pantry access. At the end of the competition, each design will be judged by three jurors: Eric Widjaja and Teddy Aang as visual judges, and a contextual judge who is also the brief provider. Given the rigorous nature of this competition, Studio Yord encourages studios to send their middleweight staff, ideally a mix of concept designers or specialists like illustrators. The entire 24-hour design process will be documented and released as a YouTube mini-series, allowing the public to witness firsthand the creative process of professionals under a tight time constraint. The Design Buffet is more than a competition; it’s an opportunity to build new business connections between designers and clients. Studio Yord emphasizes that participants retain full ownership of their designs. If a client is interested in a participant’s idea, they are encouraged to negotiate a personal collaboration with that participant, keeping this competition free from commercial interests that would benefit any particular party. The Design Buffet’s primary focus is on social issues, not commercial gains—maintaining the creative essence of the competition.

Creating an event that’s never been done before has been a major challenge for Studio Yord. According to the team, one of the biggest hurdles in preparing The Design Buffet was finding people who believed in the vision of this competition. Studio Yord had to convince many parties to support this event, explaining the purpose behind this initiative as a small step they hope will make a big impact on the future of the design industry. Rather than seeing obstacles as setbacks, Studio Yord believes that The Design Buffet can bring positive change to Indonesia’s graphic design ecosystem, both in the short and long term. Through initiatives like The Design Buffet, the demand for quality graphic design will become clearer, allowing the industry to grow and contribute meaningfully to the creative economy.