Korean Design? China Design?

From Top Gear...
"The other thing I noticed in Henley Waitrose was how much better the old CR-V looked. Even dirty and battered as they mostly were. The one thing that isn't middle ground about the new CR-V is its looks, and that rear glass area is the stuff of Korean design nightmares."

It well said, somebody has to say it. We're not talking about Samsung here, where we can consider as the only Korean product that "gets it". I don't know why is so hard to understand the beauty of some product, I'm sure that even at the executive in Ssangyong, Hyunday and KIA agrees that Porsche, Ferrari, Acura, Lexus, Jaguar and the list go on, as a nice looking car(s). While I believe there are millions of young designer around the world, why is so hard to create such a nice looking car for Korean (and worst, Chinese) brand? I don't think there is a technology gap here, it is the brain matters.

So, while designing your own product, or see your company logo, or just simply dress to kill, think that does it enough to be sitting next to the 'world class brand' , and don't be so hard like Apple and Sony, but if you can, why not?

Simply Amazing....Jak Jazz

I am not happy the Jak(arta) Jazz Festival show "quality", the artist and bands not as great as the 'ol Jak Jazz...I was hoping this is more "into the core" of the Jazz performance compared to the commercialized Java Jazz...but there are "masters" who help saving my day, Indra Lesmana (me as a fan-atic) Bubi Chen, Jeremy Monteiro and of course Luluk Purwanto....

Indra play to discontruct his own music, maybe this time he'd rather goes to free jazz...as the song titled Joy-Joy-Joy brings back my high school memory, he played as he "whatever he like" last night, I'm not happy at all...little structured should be better I think, than too free..for the kinda song. Sadly I have to give thumbs down. On the other hand...My love with Luluk and Renee is greater ever...the song "Aisha" with African touch makes me a happy man!

Nevertheless, my first love was Indra Lesmana, and as a "lover" I think I better give him a break. ;-)

Curve is back....

Lambo....
..and Ferrari...
















It's been a while I haven't blogged about design, why, because it is actually I can't find new design topic. Everything seems the same, and stand still, those "minimalist" and "modernist" approach seems too much. Until today.

Yes these two cars been a while since it's debut, but I found something "moving" on, as you can see, the Lamborghini (the grey one) still based in "edgy straight line" design, which is a softer approach of the minimalist design, as you also can see that somehow it looked like the Boeing design for the US jet fighter.

Now, the Ferrari (yes, the RED one), shown in the picture, also their lovely 599, give us a glimpse where the design will going to, "sharp curve" design is Back. BMW's bangle, also looking to this direction, but he was doing it too early, no wonder lot's of people hate it (well I don't) , they just do not ready for something new (yet).

So, my prediction is that this Ferrari will set a new design direction for the near future., we'll see.

From Seth G ..with comments from me...

1. The greatest innovations appear to come from those that are self-reliant. Individuals who go right to the edge and do something worth talking about. Not solo, of course, but as instigators of a team. In two words: don’t settle.

Raul = Change is the only constant, some people asking me why I'm doing many things at the same time...designer, architects, graphics, photography, singing, music composing, painting, designing furniture, writing a novel, and yes, movie script...while at the moment only design/architecture that takes off, the rest just waiting the right timing. Luck = Opportunity + Preparation. I am preparing.

2. The greatest marketers do two things: they treat customers with respect and they measure.

Raul = It is not only being a marketer, hence we are all marketers in some ways...but it is indeed being a good human being is helping you to be become a good marketers, yes there are people doing dirty and get result quickly. No, I am not sprinter, I am a marathoner.Watch out.

3. The greatest salespeople understand that people resist change and that ‘no’ is the single easiest way to do that.

Raul = we can't expect people to change unless it starts from ourselves. And while we try to change ourselves, then we do agree that it's not easy.

4. The greatest bloggers blog for their readers, not for themselves.

Raul = me, not "that" great, maybe because my half intent doing this blogging "also" to remind myself.

5. There really isn’t much a of ‘short run’. It quickly becomes yesterday. The long run, on the other hand, sticks around for quite a while.

Raul = Back to the sprint vs marathon in point no.2

6. The internet doesn’t forget. And sooner or later, the internet finds out.

Raul = which brings you to right question, does internet remember the bad part or the good part? google "raul renanda" now, and finds it by yourself.

7. Everyone is a marketer, even people and organizations that don’t market. They’re just marketers who are doing it poorly.

Raul = Practice makes perfect. Doing it 'poorly' still better than not doing it at all, make mistake now! and learn from it, quickly, and doing it again..

8. Amazing organizations and people receive rewards that more than make up for the effort required to be that good.

Raul = just focus on beat your self. we are racing with ourselves. then the reward will come.

9. There is no number 9.

Raul = but it's written anyway. Not all that we read is necessary, to read.

10. Mass taste is rarely good taste.

Raul = don't tell me this. I KNOW IT.that's why you better to hire me, NOW. ;-)

It's good to know that I am wrong....

www.renanda.com has been online almost a year, and I also planning to revamp it next month for 2007.

It is still not consider as a perfect website, but at least it does the job, delivering my works to the world. Anyway, no one complaining about my website and I thought I works well, until....last night. It so amazing that while I chat whit two my best friend via online messenger, none of them, know what to do with the "menu" button.

If they don't know what to with it (that simply just clicked it and the menu expands to sub menu i.e. "gallery, contact, etc.) how can they access my gallery? and If those two which I believe pretty savvy with computer don't know what to do, how about the 'rest of the world'? surely there still many of the people visit the website know what to do, but then again, the purpose of the website is to show to ALL the visitor right? I rush to the website, and change the menu into the "traditional" one. The one that I believe "get the job done".

So now, I really, truly understand the words "bottom line design" means. So sorry. Again, how we can improve ourselves if no body tells us what's wrong with us? be open mind, and let people criticizing you, the people who tell you what's wrong with you, is your best friend....

Reload: Perbedaan Video on Youtube

Here it is...

Just let the Pro' doing his things...

Last nite was Baron & Kafilah show on my high school alumni reunion. Definitely I am the focus on the show, knowing that Baron only some of them knowing him well, and maybe most of them "heard the name but doesn't know who he was or he is". It also very clear why we were there, because I am the alumni too.

The crowd were busy with themselves, they keep talking to each other 'coz they rarely meet each other, and not put much attention to the stage, this is not a new situation for me, I know this will happen as we sing on the stage and the people didn't care about it. So based on that 'knowledge', when I was on the stage, I thought that I can control the situation, I said "assalmualaikum" pretty loud, no one cares, at the second time..it also the same...well, I giving up..and gave the microphone to Irang Arkad, one of the vocalist in Baron & Kafilah...when he took the mic and start to sing, the the crowd as loud as hell, Irang said "assalmualaikum...", it's not louder than me, and compared to me, I was standing, and Irang was sitting on then bench..and guess what, the crowd silenced for a while.

At that moment on stage, I was thinking to myself,
It's the same stage, same moment, same people, even, same "words"...but the effect was, very different. Some says, "it's how you say it". Me says, "it's how professionally you do it". It is very clear that Irang IS the real singer and artist, and me? a designer playing as a singer. It's not the same. Not the same.

So, if we thing we can do it the same thing as what the professional do, think again. We're not. Focus, determination, experience, and life-death matters here. Irang do singing as his main job, me do sing, 'coz I like it to. It's not the same.

Think it over, so It goes with me as designer/architect. Many of my client, think, especially about interior and building their own hosue, think they know better or at least equal the architect, or they know/trust someone better. But then again, because I sleep, I breathe, I dream about design every single time God giving me, I know, I am the Pro.


Please, let the Pro, do their job...and you can sleep, eat better.

Company Profile 2006

yes, yes, yes...I know...2006 ude mau selesai..anyway...please take a look ya...bisa langsung klik bila browser otomatis pasang "pdf"...kalo mau save..well, right click the link and "save as", it's a 2mb files in pdf.

Raul Renanda Company Profile 2006

note: ada versi 6mb yang lebih jelas untuk di print...kalo mau please email saya, design@renanda.com

Rumah Bangka

Rumah Bangka, originally uploaded by renandaraul.

Ini foto Rumah Bangka yang selesai September ini...setelah sekian lama menunggu untuk dapat direnovasi sesuai dengan yang saya rencanakan...alhamdulillah tercapai juga, thanks buat TY dan Aldev!

Technorati Profile

Raul Renanda Photography

Sudah lama saya punya "stok" foto-foto yang saya ambil beberapa tahun silam, namun "tidak sempat" diutak-atik dan dibuat presentable secara online...kebetulan beberapa hari ini saya ada waktu untuk melihatnya kembali...dan sekarang sudah online...

silakan lihat di

www.raulrenanda.com/photos

My "old" works...

Ketika sedang rapihin' website, saya liat2 lagi kerjaan "masa lalu"...lucu juga jadi inget yang dulu-dulu...well..kalo mau liat, silakan ke works.renanda.com enjoy!

Me and Tiara Lestari Video...

Video klip Saya dan Tiara bisa diliat di www.ariabaron.com , tentu dibagian "video" lah...ya...baru aja "naek"..enjoy..

Baron & Kafilah II : Launching!

Ah...akhirnya! hari Minggu 15 Oktober ini albumnya launching juga, untuk yang ingin tahu lebih dalam silakan ke www.ariabaron.com ya..disana ada detail2 mengenai albummnya, walau masih "beta" (saya sangat sibuk juga dengan urusan lain belakangan ini). Well, ceritanya tadinya hanya iseng2 maen2 kerumah Baron karena "kangen" sama dunia musik dan sudah lebih dari 10 tahun tidak bertemu dengannya, Baron langsung nyodorin lyric lagu, yang saya kira tadinya hanya untuk "iseng-iseng" saja...tidak sadar juga bahwa pada saat itu, Baron pun masih tidak tahu rencana kedepannya, lalu karena memang sudah "jalannya" pelan2 ada sokongan dari orang-orang sekitarnya yang ingin agar album ini berjalan dengan baik... ..saya tidak mendengar kabar apapun dari Baron selama hampir 2 minggu, dan tiba2 saya diminta ke studio Colloseum miliknya, dan disana terkuak bahwa album ini benar2 akan di rilis karena akhirnya ada label yang mau membantu kita....selyka musik.

Proses involvement saya yang tadinya hanya untuk "take vocal" lagu Perbedaan (gak sampe 20 menit lah....) berkembang menjadi bagian dari "team sukses"nya album ini, akhirnya saya terlibat menjadi Cover Design buat CD ini, membuat website album ini hingga membuat video klip buat lagu yang saya nyanyikan.

Video dari Perbedaan, sekarang masih dalam tahap "beta"...memberikan ilustrasi foto2 tentang apa yang terjadi di dunia belakangan ini, dimana kita dijaman modern ini kok bisa2nya masuk ke dunia peperangan kembali, juga betapa sedihnya kejadian2 seperti 9/11 yang merenggut nyawa orang tidak berdosa, semua terjadi atas kepentingan2 tertentu atas nama negara/organisasi, sehingga lupa bahwa kita-kita, orang biasa, apapun nationality, religion, culture hanyalah menginginkan perdamaian. Bahwa umat manusia adalah sama dimata Tuhannya. Gambar-gambar dari Video ini saya ambil dari www.flickr.com dimana terdapat option untuk mencar gambar dengan Creative Common licence yang boleh untuk komersial....(asal nama2 fotografer ditulis).

Kembali ke acara launching, kita rame2 manggung dadakan (tanpa latihan) secara unplugged (baca: ngamen) sehingga ketikan saya di daulat untuk menyanyikan lagu "perbedaan" saya panik karena tidak hafal seluruh teks lagunya...untung ada contekan lirik, namun cuman 1 saja, sehingga Jimi, teman back vocal saya berebutan teks liriknya itu dengan saya ketika menyanyikan lagu ini...seru juga.

Pertama kali pasti Norak banget...gak kerasa rasa senang seperti anak kecil ketika melihat kasetnya sudah beredar di toko2 musik, karena yang saya lihat di "cover" itu adalah Jangan Pernah Putus Asa....sesuatu yang dilakukan dengan baik dan persistence, dan hati yang lapang untuk menerima kritikan dan mengambil tindakan untuk selalu memperbaiki diri adalah langkah yang menjamin kehidupan yang lebih baik... ..untuk BARON, if you read this, I really respect you dan terima kasih membuat mimpi saya menjadi kenyataan. Thanks Bro'

Baron & Kafilah; Preview

Beberapa bulan ini saya mulai memasuki dunia "baru", music-business. Secara gak terasa, pelan-pelan demo lagu2 yang saya ciptakan selesai, walau dengan beberapa "drama" diiringi dengan beberapa kebahagiaan, saya terpaksa belajar banyak dari hal-hal yang menyakitkan. Tidak mudah dan banyak rintangan didepan, tetapi tetap filosofi yang terbaik buat saya adalah, Keep on moving, so saya tetap menjalankannya.
Alhasil, perjalan baru ini membawa saya ke proyek religi milik Aria Baron (ex-Gitaris GIGI), yang ternyata didalam prosesnya, saya kembali belajar, bukan dari pengalaman yang buruk, tetapi sungguh belajar dari hal-hal yang positif. Terasa sekali proyek ini adalah team work dari orang-orang yang care dan punya attitude yang positif, disini pula saya punya teman2 baru, mulai dari musisi, penyanyi dan orang2 dibelakang layar.
Jhody "super" Bejo, Irang (BIP), Yunika, Jimi (pendatang baru), Lucky (anima) sampai Tiara Lestari, model yang sempat bikin heboh. Kebersamaan di team ini sangat menghidupkan suasana, sehingga keterlibatan saya yang tadinya "hanya" sebagai pengisi vokal dilagu "Perbedaan" berkembang sebagai salah satu "team sukses" album ini, termasuk membuat desain cover dan website.
Pada saat saya menulis ini, kami sedang membuat 3 video klip, untuk lagu "Surat untuk si Penggoda" oleh Yunika, "Malam yang Indah" oleh Tiara dan "Dalam Surga" oleh Irang dan Jimi. Yang dikerjakan oleh Moro dan Barata.
Website proyek ini masih dalam tahap pengerjaan, namun bisa pelan2 diliat perkembangannya di www.ariabaron.com
Target kami launching next week. Doain lancar ya.

This is it!

Bingung kemana saya selama ini? this is it! Sibuk ngurusin ini...liat info detailnya disini
Beritanya masih berlanjut... ;-)

My Jedi Name Generator

Jedi Name Generator: "RENRA FOJAK"

"My new jedi name, this is, it from the star wars links, I have, kinda funny! To speak yoda way I also learn... Hmmmmmm."

Why design? Better by design - revisit

Why design? :: Better By Design New Zealand: "Design-led businesses stand out. Customers prefer their products and services because they’ve been designed to be different – and better."

From Seth G.

"pengalaman" saya menjadi konsultan desain dan arsitektur merasa apa yang ditulis oleh Seth Godin sungguh masuk akal...

What people want....

The same thing everyone else is having, but different.

Sangat jarang (ehm, belum pernah) saya bertemu dengan seorang client yang berkata "saya ingin benar2 beda dari orang lain", tidak, tidak ada yang berani berkata seperti itu, padahal, being different itu bisa jadi kekuatan desain saya selama ini, tapi juga sangat beresiko, ada teman yang berkata, "raul normalnya kamu itu tidak normal" awalnya saya agak berkeberatan, lama-lama merasa ada benarnya juga, jadi setiap saya mendesain, saya usahakan saya se-"normal" mungkin, toh hasilnya juga akan berbeda. ;-)

A menu where the prices aren't all the same.

Sebenarnya saya tidak mengerti maksud pernyataan diatas ini, tetapi yang saya coba ambil kesimpulan adalah, tidak semua client punya "harga" yang sama, dalam setiap quotation yang saya berikan, saya coba break dalam beberapa level of service, dari yang basic sampai yang "full service" selama ini sistem ini saya anggap sukses, karena dengan cara ini, kita bisa tahu seberapa kesanggupan sang client dalam menentukan fee sang arsitek, sulit untuk menerangkan "kemana larinya" fee saya tersebut, karena kebanyakan adalah proyek pertama mereka, saya lebih senang bertemu dengan client yang pernah berhubungan dengan arsitek sebelumnya, atau project2 sebelumnya, dimana mereka sudah tahu apa sebenarnya pekerjaan arsitek itu.

More attention than the person sitting next to them.

Ini pasti, masalahnya adalah comparing, sementara tidak mungkin kita membeda-bedakan para klien kita, karena setiap proyek tidak sama level kedalamannya, tetapi yang bisa kita tawarkan adalah rasa "keamanan" bahwa kita sungguh2 serius dalam menangani proyek mereka.

A slightly lower price than anyone else.

Kembali lagi kepada "komparasi", yang jarang disadari adalah, Lower Price bisa digantikan oleh "Better Package", hal yang kedua ini lebih saya tekankan kepada klien bila mereka berkebaratan dengan fee yang saya ajukan, Better Package, alias service yang lebih dari ditawarkan memberikan solusi Win-Win, ini juga saya terapkan ketika saya membeli benda2 kebutuhan lainnya, seperti Mobil, Elektronik, etc.

A new model, just moments before anyone else, but only if everyone else is really going to like it.

Disini letak "keahlian" seorang desainer dalam membantu menentukan desain yang cocok untuk klien, yang sulit, terutama untuk arsitektur adalah desain yang saya berikan harus fresh dalam 2 tahun kedepan, sedangkan para klien sering melihat dari sudut pandang hari ini, padahal baru 2 tahun kedepan desain itu dapat dinikmati. Kepercayaan kepada desainer menjadi titik penting disini.

A seat at a sold out movie.

Mungkin artinya hal-hal yang sebenarnya tidak mungkin karena keterbatasan, misalnya luas tanah yang tidak cukup untuk menampung semua keinginannya, material yang terlampau mahal dari budget yang ada, trik untuk mengatasi ini memang bisa dilakukan oleh pengalaman saja. Selalu ada jalan keluar, NEVER SAY NO.

Access to the best customer service person in the shop, preferably the owner.

Ini yang sungguh sulit buat saya untuk "menjadi besar", saya rasa keunggulan *desainrenanda* karena kami ini memang tidak ada rencana untuk menjadi yang besar, dan bila ada proyek besar, team kami adalah team yang khusus hanya untuk proyek itu belaka, lebih seperti pegawai kontrak. Menjadi Boutique Design Firm, berarti saya sendiri harus terlibat sampai hal-hal yang kecil, yang berarti waktu saya tersita untuk sebuah proyek sangat banyak, yang berarti, fee yang kami tawarkan menjadi tinggi, yang berarti proyek yang dapat kami tangani menjadi terbatas. Small but Fantastic!

Being treated better, but not too much better.

Being noticed, but not too noticed.

Kedua statement saya anggap sama, adalah give people space, ini yang penting dalam segala relationship, kalo saya berpikir tentang hubugan dengan istri dan anak saya, maka hal ini benar sekali.

Being right.

Harus ditambah "even you know that they're wrong" Right or Wrong harus diliat dari sisi konteks mereka berpijak, bila ada yang benar2 berbeda dengan pendapat kita, saya coba untuk mengerti dari sudut pandang mereka, dan belajar untuk mengerti hal tersebut.

Listening to: Crucify - Tori Amos

that you're never going to be good enough for religion....

(quote from people in the web forum about the song...)