So far, science has often been seen as something heavy and serious. However, do you believe that discussing real science can also be fun?
Science is not always filled with various confusing theories. Through the creative hands of Danis Sie, a designer who now lives in Surabaya, science can be presented beautifully with aesthetic content as well as containing essential meaning. Now, Danis has his own studio in Surabaya which he calls Sciencewerk.
How did Danis struggle to build his studio? What challenges did he encounter? Then, how does he relate his idealism in creating work to being able to sell it from a commercial perspective? Check out the complete journey with KARENA.ID!
Capturing Space To Experiment
One of the reasons Danis admires the study of science is because there he finds space to experiment. Starting from creating an exhibition related to the cloning process, Danis invited several artists to create various installations.
From there, the idea was born to build Sciencewerk, a design studio that breathes the life of science quite strongly. In the end, this became a different character compared to other similar studios.
Built in Surabaya, Danis started working on Sciencewerk after spending 3-4 years in Singapore studying design science in more depth, after completing his studies majoring in DKV. Instead of targeting Jakarta, Danis chose Surabaya because of budget constraints.
Finally, Danis built a small team to be able to sell his products and services in Jakarta, while his company remained in Surabaya. By offering unique works, Danis and his team at Sciencewerk have succeeded in reaching local and international markets.
As an artist, how does Danis find inspiration for his works? There are no special rituals. For Danis, inspiration can be found anywhere, we just have to be sensitive enough to catch the inspiration and then execute it.
“There is a lot of room for experimentation in science studies.” - Danis Sie
Providing a Different Shopping Experience
Of course, we often visit events that combine fashion, culinary and other things that are currently trendy. Usually, each city in Indonesia has a different style of event, one of which is Basha Market, which before the pandemic was regularly held in Surabaya twice a year. Danis is one of the people behind Basha Market.
With an educational background in Visual Communication Design, as well as the artist's blood flowing in his body, Danis provides a different touch for customers who shop at Basha Market, Surabaya.
Not only come, enter, shop, then go home, Danis wants visitors to also have time to enjoy the array of art installations he has prepared to support the event . This is considered effective in providing a differentiating factor from other similar events.
It turned out that the visitors who flocked to the event were not only those from Jakarta. In fact, it is dominated by immigrants from other cities, especially Jakarta. To launch marketing, Danis deliberately collaborates with local products that are well known in Surabaya and combines them with new local products, so that all participating tenants can have the same opportunity to get the attention of visitors.
The location chosen for the event changed. Starting from West Surabaya, which is inhabited mostly by women of Chinese descent, so they offer various types of appropriate fashion, to Central Surabaya where the population is more diverse.
Such success can certainly make the Danis family proud. However, Danis admits that his parents may not be able to understand the value of a design or work of art. Thus, their success has so far only been assessed through material forms. Now, Danis has succeeded in proving to his family that he is able to meet their expectations.
Did Danis have support to work in the field of art and design from the start? The answer is no. Danis' desire to be able to create has never been underestimated and he was even given a challenge. However, Danis sees challenges as motivation.
To streamline marketing, Danis collaborates with local products that are well known in Surabaya and combines them with new local products.
Seeing Challenges As Motivation
Ten years ago, the people around Danis gave him a challenge. They wanted to know what Danis could produce through drawing. As time went by, Danis gradually proved to them that he could produce so many things through drawing. Instead of making him discouraged, Danis used this kind of challenge as motivation to make Danis study and work harder.
Although of course failure always colors someone's journey. When designing for the Indonesian government on the occasion of Indonesia's Birthday, the design created by Danis and his team failed to win a competition and only managed to occupy the runner up position. However, apart from this failure, Danis has won other things, one of which is building Specimenwerk, a side business besides Sciencewerk.
Specimenwerk focuses on plants with unique shapes that resemble aliens with ceramic pots created by artists. Danis really liked the alien-like shape of the plants so much that he tried to continue cultivating them. Developed countries like Japan are used as role models. In Japan, similar plants and pots are common while in Indonesia they are still quite rare. From there, Danis also saw an opportunity.
In the future, Danis plans to hold an event where he will invite artists who make ceramic pots and plant advocates. Bringing the two together is one of Danis' wishes which he is trying to make come true.
Currently, most of Specimenwerk's customers are abroad. Even though he can set higher prices and can play with the exchange rate, Danis admits that shipping abroad also carries higher risks. However, in the future, Danis will immediately prepare his products to be widely marketed locally.
What do young people who want to follow in Danis' footsteps as designers and artists need to pay attention to? First, create a storyline. This is used as a common thread in brand development. Then concoct ideas. Lead an idea that many people can relate to, or connect with.
Of course, this must be presented with a stunning design. Good and bad are relative, however, Danis advised to create designs that are hard to forget. Don't be afraid to create something different, out of the box and mindblowing or challenging your thoughts. Are skills important? Of course. However, networking and collaboration are also important. Never stop exploring.
Hopefully Danis' success story can help you find inspiration for your own success. Check out other articles containing stories of inspirational figures only on KARENA.ID