After Another: Designing Digital Experiences for the Creative Ecosystem
Today, design extends beyond print or physical outputs, especially in the modern era where digital devices play an essential role in daily life. Brands, companies, and events must now present digital experiences—visual design is no exception—that captivate and comfort the public, fostering connections and engagement between producers and consumers. This is precisely the approach After Another takes with each web design project, contributing to various needs within the creative ecosystem.
Formed in 2018 by Hendri Siman and Utari Kennedy, After Another began as a graphic design studio with various creative practices. As the studio grew, they shifted their focus from branding and packaging to web design. “Our foundation is in graphic design. Initially, we worked a lot on branding and packaging, but over time, we started focusing more on web design,” Hendri shared in an interview with Grafis Masa Kini. This transition reflects After Another’s awareness of the rapid growth in digital spaces. They recognized the potential that web design offers—a medium that provides flexibility and a greater ability to adapt compared to print design. Additionally, web design opens up wider opportunities for collaboration to develop a more robust and evolving creative ecosystem. “We’re finding it more exciting to work on web projects as time goes on. There’s so much digital exploration, and we get to collaborate with our graphic design peers, connect, and work closely together,” Hendri added.
As a studio, After Another seeks to highlight the importance of web design that aligns with a brand's vision and values. According to Hendri, a website serves as more than just a company profile; it’s a digital archive and the brand’s persona, containing a wealth of information while delivering a digital experience for visitors. A well-designed website aligns a brand’s visual identity with both its digital and visual representation. “Web design elaborates on the branding. We align with their visuals and provide an experience that’s consistent with their branding. After Another itself wants to offer an experience where all branding needs are aligned, not just in print or physical form, but also digitally,” Hendri explained. The creative industry often overlooks this, but strong web design can enhance a brand’s value—not only as a visual representation but also as a means of interacting with its audience.
To bring digital experiences to life through web design, After Another follows a creative process that begins with understanding each project’s objectives. As Hendri described, there are two main workflows in their daily practice: collaborating with other design studios that have developed the client’s branding or taking on direct projects from clients who already have a branding guide. When clients come with visual identities crafted by other studios, After Another will study the brand guide, examine key elements that can be implemented on the web, and ensure that the digital experience they create complements the existing branding elements. Hendri noted, “If the branding is strong, we can easily translate it into web design. But if it’s not, we have to work harder to reinforce those elements.” Conversely, when projects come directly from other design studios, discussions are crucial to jointly consider the goals to be achieved. Every design element is carefully evaluated, from the brand’s story, information flow, and placement, to user experience. After Another believes that every detail plays a role in creating a cohesive experience for visitors.
Having a small team is not an issue for After Another. In fact, intense discussions and close relationships are essential to their design practice. “We actually want to keep it small,” said Hendri. After years in the design industry, After Another has realized that in web design, they face relatively smaller risks compared to print design, mainly due to the ability to quickly update and adapt digital content. Hendri pointed out that errors in print design, like typos, can become major problems, whereas in web design, adjustments can always be made without much delay.
After Another has worked on various projects that have left a mark on the design ecosystem, such as official websites for Studio Woork, Grafis Nusantara, Cipsi Studio, and their latest for Jakarta Illustration & Creative Arts Fair (JICAF) 2024. The web design for Studio Woork itself opened doors for After Another to collaborate and build strong relationships with other studios. “After this project was completed, we often engaged and exchanged projects with Mas Io from Studio Woork. This collaboration opened many doors and showed how the industry can mutually support each other,” Hendri shared. For the JICAF 2024 project, After Another had to work on a tight timeline, considering the visitors’ need for event information. Through sleek designs, After Another created a digital experience that enhances JICAF’s image as an event worthy of support and growth year after year. Hendri mentioned that After Another views this project as a form of support for the local creative ecosystem, and they are pleased to contribute meaningfully to the community.
Looking at the global development of the web design industry, After Another dreams of continuing to explore digital experiences within Indonesia’s design industry. They believe that many design studios in Indonesia have great potential that remains largely untapped, and with good web design, After Another can help these studios expand. “We really want the opportunity to explore further because we believe that design studios in Indonesia deserve to grow more broadly, but unfortunately, the digital experience is often overlooked,” Hendri concluded. After Another’s journey forward is fueled by a vision of contributing to the advancement of Indonesia’s creative ecosystem, with digital experiences that continually evolve and adapt.
