Alessandro Gontay
BSc (Hons) Digital Media, 2021
Indonesia
I’ve asked myself three things along my journey when choosing what to study: what are my hobbies, what are my passions, and what holds the most prospects for a future career?”
Growing up in Indonesia, I was always fascinated by cartoons and animated films, and from an early age I dreamed of creating them myself. I loved drawing and imagining ways to bring my sketches to life. By the age of 17, I knew I wanted to study animation, which led me to the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE). I chose IVE because of its partnership with UWE Bristol, which offered me the opportunity to complete my final year in the UK.
Although I initially considered staying in Hong Kong, I found the language barrier increasingly challenging in daily life and decided that studying in an English-speaking country would suit me better. I moved to Bristol during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, flying directly from Hong Kong without returning to Indonesia first. Arriving alone in a completely unfamiliar country was daunting but also exciting, as it marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
When I first arrived in Bristol, I was immediately drawn to the city’s atmosphere and multicultural environment. Living on campus allowed me to meet students from many different countries and quickly adapt to university life. However, shortly after I arrived, Covid restrictions returned and classes moved online. At first, I questioned whether moving to the UK had been worthwhile, but the experience ultimately taught me independence, discipline, and resilience. Managing online study during such an isolating period pushed me to become more mature and self-motivated in my work.
While my studies in Hong Kong focused solely on animation, studying Digital Media at UWE broadened my understanding of design and technology. I discovered a strong interest in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, particularly for websites and mobile applications. For my final project, I developed a mobile application designed to improve accessibility for deaf people in the UK when visiting hospitals. One feature allowed hospital staff to send vibration alerts to patients’ phones when it was their turn, replacing audio announcements that deaf patients might miss. The project aimed to combine accessibility with intuitive and visually appealing design, and I was proud that it was well received. I graduated with a First-Class BSc in Digital Media five months ago.
Another valuable experience came through UWE’s Design Enterprise Studio module, where students collaborated with real companies on industry projects. My group worked with Thinkfully, helping to manage and improve their social media presence through research, promotion and design. The experience strengthened both my teamwork and communication skills while giving me practical insight into the digital media industry.
