IO, Surabaya – Many ways are available to implore the community to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The Department of Visual Communication Design (DKV) of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya, East Java challenged its students to create illustrations with the theme “Solidarity Against Covid-19”.
The works of 58 DKV students were published through Instagram. It is hoped that these social media works can be enjoyed by and inspire many people to do their part in stopping the spread of Covid-19.
Rabendra Yudistira Alamin, STMDs, a lecturer at DKV ITS, stated that the idea of creating illustrations on the Covid-19 theme began when the East Java Provincial Health Office announced they needed innovation to educate the public, especially in terms of socialization against Covid-19. “DKV lecturers also took the initiative to use DKV student works as their educational media,” he declared, in a release received by the Independent Observer, Friday (4/3/2020).
He explained that the illustrations of Covid-19 educational media were among the tasks of the Conceptual Illustration Course which he shared with fellow lecturer Nugrahardi Ramadhani. This course has the habit of synchronizing lecture assignments with the latest conditions. “Every year we try to use relevant topics, and this year the topic is Covid-19.”
Adhec Saputra, a DKV ITS student of the 2018 class, revealed that his illustrated work is based on concerns about the behavior of adolescents in Indonesia who are still unconcerned about the spread of Covid-19, evidenced by the many young people who feel they will not be infected by this virus. “Therefore, the illustration I made aims to change their mindset,” said Adhec.
The student, who comes from Trenggalek, also added that the concept of his illustrations was adapted to the lives of teenagers, namely a semi-romantic theme using attractive colors and easy-to-understand language. “And also in the illustration, I illustrate what can be done while at home, in order to remain productive,” said the student born in 1999.
Like Adhec, Dandy Anugrah Cahyadi explained that the concept of his illustrative work was in the form of a continuous story entitled “A Journey against Covid-19”. This open-ended narrative describes the efforts that can be done to defeat the virus. “Surely the aim is to make the message delivered more interactive and to target all groups,” said Dandy, his nickname.
Rabendra hopes that the works of the DKV ITS students can be appreciated by the community and also that the positive messages can impart a positive influence. “Even though we are not doctors or authorities, we want to play a role through what we can do, namely, delivering positive messages through visual language,” he said. (*/est)