Learning Calligraphy Through Nusantara Visual Culture: A Comparative Study of Creative Processes and Visual Identity Formation in Visual Communication Design Students

Purpose: This study examined how two Calligraphy Branding student projects translated contrasting Nusantara cultural references into contemporary calligraphic identity systems. Methods: A qualitative comparative case study analyzed documented visual artifacts from Group 2, which used the Yogyakarta Monument, and Group 5, which used Betawi kembang goyang. Cultural reference boards, conceptual maps, sketches, digital alternatives, selected marks, and branding mock-ups were examined through descriptive visual, semiotic, and cross-case analysis. Findings: Both projects moved from cultural selection to formal abstraction, calligraphic exploration, and branded application, but followed different compositional strategies. Group 2 fused Arabic lettering with a vertical architectural silhouette, whereas Group 5 incorporated Diwani-inspired curves into a six-petal radial emblem. The documented systems maintained recognizable formal and chromatic cues across their proposed media. Implications: Artifact-based comparison clarifies how culturally anchored design assignments can organize visual experimentation and identity construction; it does not establish individual learning gains, consumer response, or commercial effectiveness. Originality: The study identifies two contrasting translation strategies and offers an evidence-bounded analytical sequence linking cultural references to calligraphic branding outcomes.