Design Principles Through Nusaé’s Lens of “Harmonisasi|Harmonizing”

Any discussion of environmentally-engaging design would not be complete without mentioning Nusaé. The design studio, based in Bandung, Indonesia, has stood by harmony as their core value. This value is reflected in the graphic design, user experience guidelines, and brand identities embodied in a diverse portfolio of projects, including visual identity for Tubaba Regency (West Tulang Bawang) in Lampung, the new branding for Peggy Hartanto‘s fashion house, and branding concept for SAMAA coffee shop in Tokyo, Japan, which was co-founded by the Former Brand Curator of Blue Bottle Coffee. Now, the implementation of harmony in design is published in Nusaé’s new book, Harmonisasi/Harmonizing.

About Nusaé

Nusaé breathes at the intersection of visual information and everyday experience, working across wayfinding and signage systems, environmental graphic design, editorial projects, user interfaces, and branding. Rather than treating these fields as separate outputs, the studio approaches them as interconnected platforms through which harmony and harmonization can be explored and applied.

For over a decade, Nusaé has consistently expanded the scope of graphic design beyond two-dimensional surfaces, positioning it within spatial environments and lived contexts. Their work seeks to integrate seamlessly into daily life, where design functions not only as visual communication but as an active mediator between people and their surroundings. While informed by contemporary global values, the studio’s approach remains deeply rooted in the Indonesian context, shaped by the cultural and environmental conditions from which Nusaé emerged.

Led by graphic designer Andi Rahmat, whose professional experience spans more than twenty years, the studio emphasizes systematic, effective, and relevant design thinking. Together, Andi and the Nusaé team continue to develop projects across commercial, social, and independent initiatives, using design as a tool to navigate complexity and foster meaningful connections.

What Harmony and Design Means For Nusaé

Released in November 2025, Harmonisasi/Harmonizing emerged as a thoughtful publication from Suburbia Project, a Malaysia-based publisher founded by Ashran Bahari and Naadiya Hani. Suburbia Project is known for prioritizing design values over visual spectacle. As a result, the book serves as a critical reflection on Nusaé’s design philosophy and practice rather than functioning merely as documentation.

Through in-depth discussion, Harmonisasi/Harmonizing articulates how Nusaé approaches design as an act of harmonization – one that brings together environmental awareness, economic realities, aesthetic considerations, and collaborative processes. The studio positions harmony not as a stylistic outcome, but as an ongoing method of inquiry that transcends disciplinary boundaries and centers both place and people.

Harmonisasi/Harmonizing summarizes the design perspectives and approaches Nusaé has embraced in their design practice for over a decade. In this book, Nusaé examines a variety of issues and ideas about harmony, reflecting how design can be a medium for bringing harmony to everyday life.

In this book, the idea of harmony is outlined in several design approaches: subtle, adapt, contrast, fusion, aptness, and kinetic. Each section presents works that exemplify these approaches, highlighting how they have been interpreted and applied throughout Nusaé’s practice. This book is a compilation of Andi Rahmat and Nusaé’s harmonizing footprints as a design studio, which is expected to bring continuity from the past and become a catalyst for new harmonies in the future.

Developed as an extension of the Harmonization exhibition held in 2024 to mark Nusaé’s tenth year, the book represents a deliberate step toward sharing the studio’s core values with a wider audience. By framing harmony as a necessary foundation for contemporary practice, the publication aspires to contribute to broader conversations on sustainability and responsible design, offering a framework that looks beyond the present toward more balanced futures.

Nusae’s founder and principal designer Andi Rahmat shared, “Harmonization is a value we have held dear throughout our practice over the past decade. We hope this book can serve as a tool to demonstrate this value through real-life case studies in Indonesia’s growing design industry, and we hope it sparks new ideas about design that considers sustainability and environmental awareness.”

Nusaé Presents In Continuum: Harmonization

To mark the release of Harmonisasi/Harmonizing, Nusaé extended the conversation beyond the pages of the book into an accompanying exhibition titled In Continuum: Harmonization. Rather than presenting a finished artifact, the exhibition foregrounds the process of bookmaking itself, tracing the transformation of an initial idea into a completed publication as part of Nusaé’s evolving design legacy.

The exhibition, which ran from November 1st – November 15th 2025, positions bookmaking as a collaborative and reflective practice. Throughout the exhibition period, a series of design discussions activated the space, creating opportunities for exchange between practitioners, critics, and broader design and architecture communities.

Nusaé is active on Instagram. Check out their page to learn more about their design practices.

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