IdeaFest 2025 Successfully Concludes, Opening Broader Design Discussions
IdeaFest 2025 has successfully concluded, strengthening its position as Indonesia’s largest annual creative festival and a collaborative hub for creative industry players to develop ideas, engage in dialogue, and innovate. This year’s edition carried the theme “(Cult)ivate the Culture,” inviting creatives to explore cultural values and transform them into collective movements that preserve and reinterpret Indonesia’s cultural heritage in the modern era. Over three days, from October 31 to November 2, 2025, IdeaFest took place at the Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC) Senayan, featuring more than 120 sessions and 500 speakers from both Indonesia and abroad, spanning a wide range of creative disciplines.
According to a survey conducted by GoodStats, over 70% of young Indonesians are optimistic that the nation’s culture can be recognized globally. Elements such as strong event identity, rich cultural content, and an engaging atmosphere have greatly contributed to this positive perception. In line with this, the theme “(Cult)ivate the Culture” framed IdeaFest 2025 as not merely a showcase of culture, but as a platform to foster a positive perception of Indonesia’s creative industry through inspiring experiences and timely discussions. In this context, culture is interpreted not as something static or inherited, but as something alive—capable of being developed, reinterpreted, and disseminated through various creative media such as film, music, culinary arts, sports, literature, and design.
The continuously evolving graphic design industry in Indonesia sparked discussions that took center stage at this year’s IdeaFest. On the first day, the session Design Pillars: The Importance of Critics and Education encouraged participants to rethink the sustainability of the design ecosystem beyond visual aesthetics. Ayu Widjaja (Managing Editor of Grafis Masa Kini & Partner at Visious), Andre Edfan (Creative Director of Yord), and Radita Saraswati (Director of Research & Education at ADGI), moderated by Muhammad Imaduddin (Co-Founder & Managing Director of DEIO and Secretary General of ADGI), shared their perspectives on how critique and education serve as pillars that drive the growth of graphic design.
On the second day, the session Indonesia Design Excellence, Presented by Road to ADGIDW 2025, featured Io Woo (Creative Director of Studio Woork), Melvin Christian (Co-Founder of Ou Creative & Genexyz), and Bram Yoshugi (Art Director & Partner of Thinking*Room Inc.), who shared their experiences working on projects that spotlight Indonesian creativity. Moderated by Cita Tahir (Vice Chairman of ADGI, Creative Director of Milestone), the session also opened up discussions about greater opportunities for Indonesian designers, even on the global stage. On the same day, Sigit D. Pratama (CEO, Founder, and Principal Designer of .thisPLAY Studio) and Tomy Herseta (Creative Director of SATURDAYS, Lecturer at President University & Universitas Widyatama, Co-Founder of MATRA Consulting) explored the landscape of installation design–an area still relatively unfamiliar to the general public. Their session, Installation Art: Navigating Challenge Between Production and Creativity, delved into the creative and production processes behind installation works. Closing the second day, Joshua Breidenbach (Partner & ECD, BaseSGN), moderated by Nina Sharafina (Founder and Creative Director at NStudio), discussed the rapidly growing design landscape in Southeast Asia through the session Southeast Asia, The New Epicenter of Design, Presented by Road to ADGIDW 2025.
On the third day, ADGI Jakarta Chapter brought back the Share Screen program to the IdeaFest 2025 stage. Mawarid Rolansyah and Yori Atira from Lunch for My Husband, Iqbal Fadilah from Sereal, Agra Satria from Mata Studio, Ardhira Putra, Sahid Permana, and Meidiana Tahir from Sun Eater, as well as Sonya Putri from Museum MACAN, presented their projects–ranging from visual identities to works showcased at The Sphere, Las Vegas. Through Share Screen, audiences were given an in-depth look at the ideation and execution processes behind these creative projects.
Over three days, IdeaFest 2025 offered a range of inclusive programs, including discussions on design, aimed at enabling creative professionals to explore new opportunities, innovate across disciplines, and build collaborations. Through these cross-sector collaborations, IdeaFest continues strengthening Indonesia’s position as a hub of creativity and culture in Southeast Asia.
IdeaFest 2025 was held in collaboration with Bank Saqu as the Official Banking Partner, SIMPATI as the Official Telecommunications Brand Partner, and official sponsors including Indofood brands Indomie, Pop Mie, Indomilk, and Chitato Lite, alongside Grab, TACO, and other supporting partners.
