Decoding the Meaning Behind Kemenpora’s New Identity
A new chapter began for the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) on April 17th, when Minister of Youth and Sports Dito Ariotedjo unveiled the ministry’s newly designed Kemenpora logo. The design was the final result of the ADGI Hub, an initiative led by the Indonesian Association of Graphic Designers (ADGI). After a rigorous selection process, Faddy Ravydera from ADGI Chapter Jakarta emerged as the winner of the logo design competition, earning the honour of representing the ministry’s new visual identity. Grafis Masa Kini had the opportunity to speak with Faddy to learn more about his creative process and the ideas that inspired the logo.
When the logo was introduced to the public, Faddy’s design was positively received for its design elements that paid homage to Kemenpora’s values: Api Pemuda Penggerak (The Youth Flame of Progress) and Pilar Obor Persatuan (the Torch Pillar of Unity). The logo is composed of a blazing flame and a pillar to symbolize the courage and resilience that have defined the spirit of Indonesian youth. According to the designer, the idea emerges from reflecting on Indonesia’s history: “We began by exploring key moments in our nation’s history and identified three pivotal events that shaped its foundation: the National Awakening, the Youth Pledge, and the Proclamation of Independence. Remarkably, each of these events was always led by the youth.”
Faddy unravelled a thread connecting history and national sports, highlighting the role of youths as catalysts of change. In earlier times, young people played a crucial role in developing national sports to resist colonial rule, leading to the establishment of a dedicated governmental body for youth and sports. “The youth have always been fiery igniters of change. To this day, sports continue to serve as a medium for achieving excellence and bringing pride to the nation. So we needed to conceptualise the essence of youth and sports and translate this as one unified symbol that remains relevant in today’s context.”
For Faddy, the imagery of fire and torch represents the powerful intersection of youth and sports, symbolising their enduring role in shaping the nation’s collective memory. Fire has long been a symbol within Indonesia's youth movements, most notably in the Indonesian Scout Movement, which adopted the campfire as an emblem of unity. This spirit is commemorated in a national landmark called Pemuda Membangun (Youth in Progress) statue in Jakarta. Perhaps most significantly, the flame was used in the logo of the first National Sports Week (Pekan Olahraga Nasional or PON) in 1948.
Noting the significance of the imagery of fire across the visual legacy of Indonesian sports, Faddy said: “These flame and torch elements have long been used in Kemenpora’s logo, and we wanted to preserve them as the ministry’s visual identity.”
In the Youth Flame of Progress graphics, three overlapping flames represent Kemenpora’s core areas: Educational Sports, Community Sports, and Competitive Sports. The flame motif is designed to be dynamic, reflecting the spirit of youth that is ever-moving, agile, and creative, as well as the impact of youth across the three core activities.
Faddy chose vibrant colors to capture a more spirited and contemporary energy in the design. The five hues in the flame represent the noble values of Pancasila, paying tribute to the tenacity of Indonesia’s youth and the enduring spirit of sports. The gradient palette reflects the rich diversity amongst youth and sports movements throughout the country. Upon closer introspection, the flame reveals the subtle silhouette of a Garuda- a symbol of national pride: the golden-yellow flame forms the head facing left, while the red and purple flames shape the wings. This color scheme symbolises the highest honor of every competition: the gold medal.
According to Faddy, the new logo embodies the entire vision and mission of Kemenpora, encapsulated in the translation of the three foundational milestones into the Torch Pillar of Unity’s design. This torch symbolizes the ministry’s commitment to advancing the Indonesia Emas’ (Golden Indonesia) 2045 vision through youth and sports development. The three dynamic lines forming the pillar highlight the three key historical moments that gave rise to the ministry: the National Awakening, the Youth Pledge, and the Proclamation of Independence. The solid structure of the pillar reflects the unwavering resolve of the nation’s youth, while its dynamic form conveys energy, progress and adaptability.
The pillar’s gradient blue reflects the spirit of the ministry’s transformation, symbolising their intention to be more youthful and adaptable to changing times. Like the ocean, blue conveys a sense of depth and expansiveness—representing vision, forward momentum, progressiveness, innovation, maturity, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Given the intricate symbolism layered into the logo, it’s clear that the design process was demanding. Faddy shared that the biggest challenge was distilling the breadth of objectives—including the ministry’s vision and mission and its broad contexts such as Kemenpora’s history—into a single, universal symbol. “The scope (of design) is extremely wide, but at the end of the day, it needs to be translated into a cohesive and dynamic identity,” said Faddy. Another challenge he faced was designing a visual language that would resonate at a national level and suit the stature of a ministry-level institution.
“We were guided by ADGI throughout the process and they helped us create a finished product that truly aligns with Kemenpora’s visual identity. We went through three checkpoints with ADGI before finally presenting the final result to Mr. Dito Ariotedjo (Minister of Youth and Sports), Mr. Taufik Hidayat (Deputy Minister), and their team,” he added.
Kemenpora’s new logo is a powerful symbol of renewed spirit, rooted in the history and ideals of Indonesian youth. In Faddy Ravydera’s hands, the ministry’s visual identity successfully condenses a long narrative of struggle, national pride, and hope into a clear yet deeply meaningful symbol. With the Youth Flame of Progress and the Torch Pillar of Unity, the logo reaffirms the role of youth and sports as driving forces on Indonesia’s journey toward its golden future in 2045.
