Pictures from today’s SEA for Communication Designers course. Thank you to our guest speakers, Ajarn Arthit Jiamrattanyoo, lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, Department of History, and Khun Witsara Intharat, senior information specialist at the Office of Academic Resources (

Chula Library หอสมุดกลาง จุฬาฯ

), Chulalongkorn University, for sharing their research and insights on visual and literary culture in Thai history.

At CommMA, we believe designers can learn from a wide range of fields—not only design, but also other disciplines and methods of study. Learning from archives is one valuable approach: designers can draw inspiration from both the visual qualities and the content of archival materials. This practice not only activates the past but also helps designers create meaningful work for the future.

CommMA Hosts Lecture by Arthit Jiamrattanyoo and Witsara Intharat on Visual and Literary Culture in Thai History

CommMA are delighted to invite you to the final showcase of the course Southeast Asia for Communication Designer, taught by Dr. Ratchada Jayagupta together with our guest lecturers from across Southeast Asia.

This event highlights the work of first-year graduate students from the CommMA – Communication Design International Programme, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, who explore Southeast Asia’s social, cultural, and contemporary issues through a communication design lens.

Through creative storytelling, visual innovation, and socially engaged communication, students will present projects that touch on:

Emotional storytelling for social awareness

Cultural heritage and disappearing traditions

…and many more perspectives shaped by Southeast Asia’s evolving communication landscape.

Friday, 5 December 2025
1:30 – 4:30 PM
SEA Junction, Room 407–408, BACC

Why join us?

 Discover fresh insights from emerging communication designers

 Engage with creative approaches to Southeast Asian issues

 Join meaningful discussions across design, culture, and society

 Meet students, educators, and regional guest lecturers in an open, creative atmosphere.

This event is open to all who are curious about communication design and Southeast Asia. We warmly welcome students, practitioners, researchers, civil society partners, and anyone inspired by creative storytelling and regional perspectives.

Invitation to the Final Presentations “Southeast Asia for Communication Designer”

Thank you Dr. Chairat Polmuk for a fascinating talk on the history of Thai print media as an archive of shifts in social understandings of identity and desire. Dr. Chairat is from the Department of Thai Language at CU. As part of Seminar in Communication Design.

CommMA Hosts Lecture by Dr. Chairat Polmuk on Thai Print Media History

Have you ever wandered around the city and found yourself drawn to everyday objects like these? A chair modified to serve a purpose beyond sitting, or PVC pipes that transform into everything from traffic barriers to table legs.

These kinds of objects are created to solve daily problems, yet at the same time, they carry with them a design process that even we—or professional designers themselves—might not have imagined.

But what if this kind of “everyday problem-solving design” were scaled down into 101 Lego-like or art-toy-like pieces, reimagined as a game set that invites us to learn about the city while exploring creativity through design processes?

Read more on Urban Creature Website: https://urbancreature.co/10101-bangkok-vernacular/

Romrawin Pipatnudda Graduate Project Featured in Urban Creature

CommMA graduating student Roger Ng Kai Ko

Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Conference 2025

 a video art installation that remixes music videos to explore the visual differences between 

 from 2019 to 2025. The work emerges from his practice-based research, 

“K-popization: A Study of the Visuals of Music Videos by Girl Groups in Southeast Asia,”

 which investigates recurring visual elements in girl group music videos from both regions, with particular attention to how K-pop’s visual language is appropriated, reinterpreted, and transformed within Southeast Asian contexts.

His presentation not only showcased his creative and research-driven approach to media studies and visual culture but also sparked engaging conversations among conference participants about transnational cultural flows, popular media, and the politics of aesthetics in Asia.

Roger Ng Kai Ko delivered his graduate presentation at Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Conference 2025

Romrawin Pipatnudda (Noynar), a graduate from the first batch of CommMA, presented her graduation project ‘10101: 101 Pieces of 1 City (Bangkok Edition)’ at the 24th Edition of the Graduate Conference of the Sociology and Anthropology Network(

สัมมนาเครือข่ายนักศึกษาระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา สาขาสังคมวิทยาและมานุษยวิทยา

), held at Khon Kaen University on 26–27 June 2025.


About the project:
Bangkok’s urban landscape is shaped not only by its infrastructure but also by the everyday ingenuity of its people, resourceful, improvised solutions created in response to daily challenges. The 10101 Kit draws from this dynamic vernacular making, offering a tool for creative exploration through 101 unique play pieces used across free play, guided activities, and real-world-inspired tasks.

The toolkit comprises three main components: publications, a set of 101 three-dimensional pieces, and a board game set. Together, these elements are designed to stimulate creative thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of Bangkok’s street-level design. Adaptable for both individual use and group workshops, the 10101 Kit is not intended to appropriate local practices but to translate vernacular principles into a creative framework, bridging the gap between everyday experience and design practice.



Romrawin Pipatnudda presented her graduation project at the Graduate Conference of the Sociology and Anthropology Network

CommMA Application (round 2) is now open.
Apply Now until October 4th, 2025



What is CommMA?
CommMA is a two-year international MFA programme in Communication Design offered by the Department of Industrial Design within the Faculty of Architecture of Chulalongkorn University.

Building on the legacy of CommDe Chulalongkorn University—a leading department for experimental communication design in Thailand for over a decade—CommMA serves as:
— A center for research-driven, experimental, and socially conscious design.
— A platform for investigating, producing, and archiving critical design practices.
— A program with a strong focus on Southeast Asian cultures and contexts.

Who Are We Looking For?
We welcome students from diverse backgrounds—including art, design, and other creative and academic disciplines—who are eager to push the boundaries of communication design.

Application Timeline and Process
Online Application: July 1st–October 4th, 2025
Shortlist Announcement: October 10th, 2025
Interview: October 18th, 2025
Selection Announcement: October 24th, 2025.

For more information please contact: commma@commde.com

CommMA Application (round 2) is now open. Apply Now until October 4th, 2025

CommMA Summer Workshops are back!Registration period: June 16th – July 20th, 2025.Instruction:

2. If your application is accepted, the payment methods and courses’ details will be sent to your provided email..More details about each course and instructor can be found 

CommMA Summer Workshops are back!


Our CommMA student, Knaz Uiyamathiti from Type Design as Research pathway now talking on condense type!

Condensed Type in Focus: A Talk by Knaz Uiyamathiti from the Type Design as Research Pathway

Introducing CommMa – where thinking happens through making, and creative practice becomes a way of questioning, exploring, and reflecting. This first-ever showcase by CommMA’s debut cohort presents creative practice as inquiry—rooted in Southeast Asia, grounded in practice-based research, and driven by curiosity and critical reflection.

From street life to screen culture, CommMa Walk the Walk by showing how creative practice can generate knowledge, spark dialogue, and drive social awareness.

See the work, through the walk. 31th May – 7th June 2025 | 11:00 am – 7:00 pm Opening Event: 31th May 2025, 4.00 PM onwards Lert Urasayanandana Building (Commde), Chulalongkorn University.

Two works by our first inaugural graduates will be presented, including 

10101: 101 Pieces of 1 City (Bangkok Edition)

Transiting Image" is a video art installation that remixes music videos to explore the visual differences between K-pop and Southeast Asian girl groups from 2019 to 2025. The work is derived from the practice-based research "K-popization: A Study of the Visuals of Music Videos by Girl Groups in Southeast Asia," which investigates commonly used visual elements in girl group music videos from both regions, focusing on how K-pop's visual language is appropriated and transformed within the context of Southeast Asia.

Bangkok’s urban landscape is shaped not only by its infrastructure but also by the everyday ingenuity of its people, resourceful, improvised solutions created in response to daily challenges. The 10101 Kit draws from this dynamic vernacular making, offering a tool for creative exploration through 101 unique play pieces used across free play, guided activities, and real-world-inspired tasks.

The toolkit comprises three main components: publications, a set of 101 three-dimensional pieces, and a board game set. Together, these elements are designed to stimulate creative thinking, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding of Bangkok’s street-level design. Adaptable for both individual use and group workshops, the 10101 Kit is not intended to appropriate local practices but to translate vernacular principles into a creative framework, bridging the gap between everyday experience and design practice.

CommDe Creative Walk 2025: Introducing CommMA

It was a pleasure having Khun Siam Attariya join our CommMA thesis examination panel for the experimental design track. We are truly grateful for his time and thoughtful feedback, which offered valuable perspective to our two graduating students. His insights will no doubt support their continued growth as emerging designers.

 by Ng Kai Ho (Roger Ng), is a video art installation that remixes music videos to explore visual differences between K-pop and Southeast Asian girl groups from 2019 to 2025. Developed from the practice-based research 

, the work critically examines how K-pop’s visual language is adapted and reinterpreted within Southeast Asia, shedding light on the flow and transformation of pop culture aesthetics.

 by Romrawin Pipatnudda (Noynar), is a creative toolkit inspired by Bangkok’s everyday urban ingenuity. Comprising publications, 101 three-dimensional pieces, and a board game, the kit encourages exploration of street-level design through play and problem-solving. It aims to translate local vernacular practices into a flexible design framework.

These two projects represent the depth, creativity, and critical inquiry at the heart of CommMA. We’re proud to celebrate our first graduates and all they’ve achieved.

CommMA Inaugural Graduating Class: Final Examinations

Great talks with Dr. Matthew Phillips, scholar of the Cold War and Southeast Asia, and curator Chanapol Janhom. As part of a visit to the exhibition 'Shattered Worlds' at Jim Thompson Art Centre and Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. 

Shattered Worlds Exhibition Visit

Our CommMA students in the Special Topics course recently got creative with needle and thread thanks to a wonderful basic mending workshop led by Khun Polo, Veena Puntheeranurug, founder of the sustainable mending project, 

. We had so much fun practicing sewing and giving our torn and stained clothes a stylish second life!

Mending with Meaning: A Workshop with Amore Amend

Inspiring minds in Communication Design! 

A huge thank you to Khun Jane, Kalaya Kovidvisith, the visionary founder of 

 and Managing Director of Fablab Thailand, for an insightful walkthrough of her incredible FabCafe at TCDC. Our CommMA staff and students in the Special Topics course were truly inspired as we delved into the fascinating world of digital fabrication. This invaluable opportunity broadens our horizons and fuels our creativity in communication design.

Learning Through Making: CommMA Visits FabCafe at TCDC

Great talk with Jakkai Siributr on the intersections of art, craft, politics, and activism, held on April 1st, 2025 as part of our Academic Writing course. His reflections on socially engaged art practices and the role of textiles in political expression offered students a powerful example of how personal narratives and collective histories can be woven into artistic work. A truly inspiring session!

Jakkai Siributr, invited guest artist, giving a lecture on the intersections of art, craft, politics, and activism.

Great PechaKucha presentations with students from CommMA and the University of Pennsylvania, visiting Bangkok for a special photography project on March 17th, 2025. The students shared thoughtful insights and visual narratives that reflected their experiences and observations in the city. It was a vibrant exchange of ideas, creativity, and cross-cultural perspectives—an inspiring evening of storytelling through images.

Great PechaKucha presentations with students from CommMA and the University of Pennsylvania

Inspiring tour of the Bangkok Up+Rising Exhibition by Siam Attariya, Design Director at Pink Blue Black & Orange. Siam guided us through the exhibition’s compelling narrative, exploring Bangkok’s evolving urban landscape through the lens of design. His insights into the city’s shifting forms, everyday spaces, and visual culture offered students a deeper appreciation of how design can engage with the rhythms and realities of urban life.

Inspiring Tour of the "Bangkok Up+Rising Exhibition" by Siam Attariya, Design Director at Pink Blue Black & Orange

https://groundcontrolth.com/blogs/1936?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0ttPVgDD_G83bFJ1SqTB2jcrR-MQmCDWd4Vf14UYBSFYfh9rw6UGNfE5I_aem_TAgvqz4CWalmVcyCn6NE_Q

Thanks for Ground Control to feature our programme!



CommMA organized its first Field Trip to Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Long from January 7–11, 2025. The Field Trip is an integral part of the program coursework, aimed at helping students explore diverse histories, cultures, and the relationships between different contexts of art and design.

During the trip, students had the opportunity not only to explore the cities but also to visit the local design studio, Lab Saigon. The studio guided them through spaces they designed and introduced their design practices and approaches. Additionally, students participated in workshops with peers from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, held on both the Ho Chi Minh City and Vinh Long campuses. These workshops, which focused on observing local way of life and its design aspect, allowed students to gain deeper insights into the cultures of other Southeast Asian countries—one of the main objectives of this program.

CommMA Field Trip 2025, Ho Chi Minh and Vinh Long, Vietnam

‘Women in Type’ - CommMA Public Seminar Series (Online)
Discussion by Fiona Ross and Alice Savoie
15:30–17:30 BKK time

CommMA had the honor of hosting Fiona Ross Hollom and Alice Savoie, who shared insights from their remarkable research project, Women in Type. Their talk guided us through the often-overlooked contributions of women to type history, spanning from the early 1900s—when women took on manual roles in the industry—to the 1980s, when advancements in type technology brought shifts in their roles and societal perceptions of women in the workplace.

This project isn’t just about design history; it’s also a deep dive into social history, uncovering stories from the margins of an industry traditionally dominated by men. Fiona and Alice explained how their research required innovative methods—such as interviews, interpreting handwritten notes, and analyzing photographs of women at work in type foundries—to piece together a narrative often absent from formal records.

It was an incredible opportunity for our CommMA students and the public to learn from such prominent researchers in type design. Learn more about their research at 

 Stay tuned for more thought-provoking lectures from the Seminar in Communication Design series—updates coming soon on our social media!

About the Guest Speakers

Fiona Ross (PhD) is a British type designer, author, and lecturer. Since 2003, she has been associated with the University of Reading (UK) where she is Professor in Type Design. She has received numerous accolades, including the 2014 SoTA Typography Award and the 2018 TDC Medal.

Alice Savoie is a French type designer, researcher, and teacher. She holds an MA in Typeface Design and a PhD from the University of Reading. Her research interests deal with twentieth century type design, its relationship to technological changes, and the role of women in type history.

‘Women in Type’ - CommMA Public Seminar Series (Online)

We are pleased to announce that our summer workshops will now take place every Saturday and Sunday from June 29th to July 21st, 2024. Here are the details:

Course Schedule:
1) Introduction to Digital Type Design with Nalat Jaturapattarapong
Saturday: June 29, July 6 (9:30–16:30)

2) Introduction to Graphic Design with Napisa Leelasuphapong
Sunday: June 30, July 7 (9:30–16:30)

3) Photography Fundamentals with Cedric Arnold 
Saturday: July 13, July 20 (9:30–16:30)

4) Introduction to Drawing and Making as a Tool with Peeticha Kongrit
Sunday: July 14, July 21 (9:30–16:30)

Fee: 9,500 THB per course (Lunch included)
Registration Period: June 5th to 21st, 2024
How to Register:
1) Fill out the application form: 


2) Once your application is accepted, we will send you the payment methods and course details via email.

For more information about each course and instructor, please visit: 

CommMA Summer Workshops Postponed to July

CommMA Summer Workshops are back!.

CommMA Summer Workshops 2024 aim to provide basic tools for Communication Design to CommMA candidates and anyone who is interested in acquiring new skills. These courses are designed to introduce the basic methods of communication and type design, including graphic design, photography, drawing and making, and digital type design. Participants choose which area they are interested in or related to their focus.

Course period: 8th–30th June, 2024
Registration: 27th April–30th May, 2024

Courses offered:
— Introduction to Digital Type Design (12hrs), (Saturday 8th and 15th June, 9:30-16:30)
— Photography Fundamentals (12hrs), (Sunday 9th and 16th June, 9:30-16:30)
— Introduction to Graphic Design through Print (12hrs), (Saturday 22nd and 29th June, 9:30-16:30)
— Introduction to Drawing and Making as a Tool (12hrs), (Sunday 23rd and 30th June, 9:30-16:30)

Fee: 9,500 THB per course (Lunch break included).

Instruction:
1. Fill in the application form via 

.
2. If your application is accepted, the payment methods and courses’ details will be sent to your provided email..More details about each course and instructor can be found here: 

CommMA Summer Workshops 2024

Apply Now! CommMA Academic Year 2024


Associate Professor Dr Juthamas Tangsantikul, our programme director, was invited as one of the guest speakers for the Panel Discussion together with Saranont Limpananont (Studio Aeroplane) and Dr Atthaves Borriraklert (KMITL), in the topic of “Humans and AI: Human Touch in the Age of the Machine”. The panel is part of “KBTG Techtopia: Across the AI Verse” event which was held on September 1st-2nd, 2023.

Juthamas proposes that we ask critical questions when it comes to imagining the future. Using the drawings of Jean-Marc Côté and other past future predictions as reference points, she encourages us to value not only the “outcomes” but also the “process” of gaining knowledge and experiences. By addressing the quality of 'being hopeful' as a unique characteristic of humans, Juthamas hopes AI technology will better the future for all.



 Our programme director joined “KBTG Techtopia: Across the AI Verse" Conference


CommMA students and Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (PGVIM) students participated in the workshop and showcase “See there, Hear Here” organised by Mieko Kanno, Santi Lawrachawee and Juthamas Tangsantikul. Students of both schools got a chance to exchange about image and music and learned from the moderators about the use of time in music and design, the difference between duration and rhythm, and shared ideas about balance in both the process of making image and music.

The results from the workshop has been showcased on August 26th, 2023 as part of the 10th International Symposium of Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music.

Visit 

https://www.pgvis.com/session/celebrating-the-now

Workshop and showcase of CommMA students and PGVIM students


CommMA and CommDe Chulalongkorn University were glad to meet Assoc. Prof. Trinh Thuy Anh and the team from College of Technology and Design, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh and to discuss the possible collaboration in the future.

Visit from College of Technology and Design, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh

CommMA in partnership with Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University is offering the course for general public, “Engaging Southeast Asia through Communication Design”.

*The Application is now closed. The class is opened every 1st semester of each academic year.

Course duration: 15 Classes (45 hours)
Language of instruction: English
Location: Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University Date: Every Monday Afternoon (13:00-16:00) from 21 August to 4 December 2023

What you will gain:

Uncover the hidden gems of the diverse Southeast Asia while honing your creative prowess and mastering the art of communication design.

Unearth the trends and issues shaping the dynamic landscape of Southeast Asia, gaining insights into how this region responds to global and local factors.

Discover the power of design as a catalyst for socio-economic transformation, delving into gender equality, social inclusion, and cultural sensitivity to drive sustainable development.

Become a visionary communicator, bridging cultures for impactful social and economic initiatives.

https://store.degree.plus/courses/sea-communication-design

Engaging Southeast Asia through Communication Design

CommMA Summer Workshops 2023. Registration is now open!

CommMA Summer Workshops aim to provide basic tools for Communication Design to CommMA candidates and anyone who is interested in acquiring new skills. These courses are designed to introduce the basic methods of communication and type design, including graphic design, photography, drawing and making, and digital type design. Participants choose which area they are interested in or related to their focus.

Course period: June 6th–25th, 2023.

Course offered:
1. Photography Fundamentals (Every Saturday, 9:00-12:00)
2. Introduction to Digital Type Design (Every Saturday, 13:00-16:00)
3. Introduction to Graphic Design through Print (Every Sunday, 9:00-12:00)
4. Introduction to Drawing and Making as a Tool (Every Sunday, 13:00-16:00).

Fee: 9,000 THB per course.

Registration period: May 9th–31st, 2023.
Instruction:
1. Fill in the application form via 

.
2. If your application is accepted, the payment methods and courses’ details will be sent to your provided email.

More details about each course and instructor can be found here: 

CommMA Summer Workshops 2023

EXHIBITION+PUBLIC LECTURE | SULKI & MIN: TRANSITION, TRANSLATION, TRANSFORMATION

Exhibition
Monday 15 – Saturday 20 May, 2023
Mon-Fri 8:30-18.00, Sat 8:30-16:00

Public Lecture
Saturday 20 May, 2023
13:30-16:00Architecture Library, Faculty of Architecture
Chulalongkorn University

This exhibition showcases a selection of the South Korean graphic design duo Sulki and Min’s screen-based works. For the last twenty years, Choi Sulki and Choi Sung Min have been working in multiple fields, with diverse mediums, in various capacities. The exhibition’s title encapsulates the changes their work brings about each time it crosses borders, whether it being disciplinary, material, or conventional. But it speaks to more universal functions of graphic design, too: transition from one formal construct to another, translation from the verbal to the visual, and transformation of a message to an idea. The works on display, all created as autonomous explorations without commercial restrictions, reflect on the conditions of graphic design in an era when transition has apparently become permanent.

The public lecture will be held on Saturday 20 May, 2023 as part of the exhibition.This event have limited seats. (Fully booked)

Co-organised by CommDe, CommMA and Korean Cultural Center in ThailandCover image designed by Sulki & Min



Exhibition+Public Lecture | Sulki & Min: Transition, Translation, Transformation

Get to know more about MFA in Communication Design (CommMA) with our teaching staff. Q&A with Programme Director, Pathway Leader of the Experimental Communication Design and Type Design as Research, and Course Leader Academic Writing. 

00:00 Q&A with CommMA 
00:10 Programme Overview 
02:00 Experimental Communication Design and Type Design as Research Pathways 
21:26 Academic Writing 
23:20 Southeast Asia is our area of interest 
31:36 Grants and Application Information

Q&A with CommMA Teaching Staff

Mr Jaeil Cho, the Director of Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Thailand and Ms Jooyoung Son, KCC's Culture manager, visited the Faculty of Architecture's Library on Friday 24th March, to discuss the upcoming talk and exhibition by Korean designers, 

. The event will be in May and co-hosted by 

.

Please stay tuned for more information.


Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in Thailand visited the Faculty of Architecture's Library

Associate Professor Dr Juthamas Tangsantikul, CommMA's programme director, participated in the Graduate Programme Open House hosted by the University's Office of International Affairs and Global Network on the 9th Feb 2023. 

Anyone interested in the scholarship for Asean and Non-Asean students, a special session on schorlaship is today at 15.15 

https://www.inter.chula.ac.th/news/12595/

CommMA at Graduate Programme Open House


CommMA application is now open for class of 2023. Application deadline, May 15th, 2023.

The MFA in Communication Design (CommMA) is a two-year international programme offered by the Department of Industrial Design within the Faculty of Architecture of Chulalongkorn University. Critically addressing contemporary design and the contexts of Southeast Asian cultures, CommMA aims to be a centre for the investigation, production and archiving of practices that shape design as research-driven, experimental and socially conscious.



Apply Now!

News

News, announcements, and events from CommMA.