Design Talk: ‘Story Behind 81’ by TinyWoolf

Bringing the process into the room

Pra-KMDGI 16 brought students and creative practitioners together at ISI Bali through talks, portfolio reviews, workshops, performances, and collaborative activities across 12 and 13 September 2026.

As part of the programme, TinyWoolf was invited to share the story behind its finalist proposal for Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day. The session was presented by Kanda Putra and Kadek Bagaskarra in the Red Room at ISI Bali.

For us, the talk was an opportunity to move beyond the polished presentation and discuss what it actually takes to develop and defend an identity intended for a national audience.

Beyond the final mark

A finished logo rarely reveals the full design process behind it. The presentation unpacked how research, interpretation, visual exploration, internal discussion, and revision gradually shaped the proposal.

We spoke about the difficulty of designing for a country defined by many cultures, communities, landscapes, and perspectives. A national identity needs to create recognition and unity without suggesting that every part of the country is the same.

The challenge was not simply to draw the number 81. It was to build a system capable of carrying a much larger idea.

Building Connected Humanity

The central concept, Connected Humanity, grew from the second principle of Pancasila and its emphasis on humanity, equality, and mutual respect.

Through an abstraction of Asta Cita’s values, we identified six interconnected dimensions of Indonesia: nationhood, outlook, society, living environments, togetherness, and culture.

These dimensions became the foundation of a dynamic identity system. The number 8 provides a stable and connected structure, while the number 1 creates a space that can be inhabited by people, cultures, communities, creative work, public places, and local products.

During the talk, we explained how these strategic ideas were translated into form, typography, colour, imagery, motion, and applications rather than remaining as a written concept.

A collective process

Although the proposal entered the programme under Kanda Putra’s name, its development was a collaborative TinyWoolf effort.

Strategy, art direction, graphic design, motion, music, photography, mockups, and presentation all needed to work as one system. Each contribution helped the proposal move from an initial idea into an identity that could be imagined across national communications and public life.

Sharing the project together also allowed us to discuss the different roles inside a creative team, including how ideas are challenged, refined, and strengthened through collaboration.

Explaining the work is part of the work

One of the ideas we wanted to leave with the audience was that design cannot rely on instinct alone. Intuition may begin the process, but designers also need to understand their decisions and communicate why those decisions belong to the problem.

Presenting Story Behind 81 gave us space to reflect on our own process with more distance and honesty. The proposal was not selected as the official identity, but reaching the national finalist stage remains an important part of TinyWoolf’s development.

Thank you to KMDGI ISI Bali, the organising team, and everyone who joined the conversation. The questions and exchanges made the session more valuable than a one-way presentation.