VERSHOME Launches The Epic Journey of VERSHOME, Chronicling 12 Years of the Studio’s Journey, Values, Clients, and Vision for Indonesia’s Exhibition Design Industry
There are many ways to celebrate the journey of a design studio. For VERSHOME, one of them is to look back at what they have experienced and turn it into a book.
The Jakarta-based integrated interior design studio has officially launched its first book, The Epic Journey of VERSHOME. Published by Simpul Group, the book marks VERSHOME’s 11th anniversary while documenting the studio’s journey of more than a decade.
Beyond the projects and names of the clients VERSHOME has worked with, the book captures things that are not always visible in a design: how a studio grows, how relationships with clients are built, and the values that eventually shape the way they work.
The idea for the book came from VERSHOME’s experience in exhibition design. While there are plenty of references on architecture, interior design, residential, and hospitality, references specifically dedicated to booth design remain relatively difficult to find. Yet exhibition booths have their own design challenges, even when the available space is only 2x2 or 3x6 meters.
For VERSHOME, these limitations are precisely what make exhibition design interesting. A booth is not simply about creating something visually appealing. Designers need to understand the brand behind it, its intended audience, the purpose of its presence at an event, and how visitors will interact with a limited space.
This led to the idea of creating a book that specifically documents exhibition design while serving as a reference for Indonesia’s creative industry.
More Than a Portfolio
As the book took shape, its concept began to evolve. Initially, VERSHOME envisioned a book that would feature more of its portfolio. But after VERSHOME Creative Director Roni Timothy pursued a master’s degree in management, his perspective on the studio’s journey began to shift.
He came to realize that VERSHOME’s growth was shaped not only by the projects they worked on, but also by the human interactions throughout that journey. Experiences of working with clients, building a team, understanding other people’s needs, and developing the organization’s culture all became important parts of VERSHOME’s growth.
As a result, The Epic Journey of VERSHOME is not only filled with project images, but also stories about people, culture, values, and the reasons behind the way VERSHOME works.
Images and stories sit alongside each other. A project is not presented merely as a finished product, but as part of the journey that helped VERSHOME grow.
This perspective also reflects how VERSHOME approaches design itself. For Roni, good design does not necessarily mean something big, complex, or extravagant. What matters more is whether the design is able to address the client’s problems and needs.
That is why VERSHOME does not want a project to become overly focused on the designer’s ego. When a brand already has a strong identity, their role is to help that identity come through more effectively.
Elevate the brand, not us.
This philosophy is also why VERSHOME’s portfolio can look so diverse. One project might use blue, while another features pink or an entirely different visual approach. It does not mean VERSHOME lacks an identity. Rather, its identity can be seen in the way the studio understands and solves the unique challenges of each brand.
Choosing Stories from The Clients
Throughout its journey, VERSHOME has worked with more than 100 local and international clients, including Wardah, YouTube, Michael Kors, %Arabica, Mamitoko, JPCC, TikTok Shop, and Sensatia.
Yet not all of them made it into the book. From nearly 200 projects, VERSHOME selected works that carried a meaningful journey and showed how the studio grew alongside each brand.
The selection was therefore not based simply on which projects were the biggest or most spectacular, but on those that reflected the values VERSHOME has built over the years.
One of the clients who attended the book launch was Desiree Tarigan, owner of Mamitoko, who shared her perspective on working with VERSHOME.
Including the clients’ stories is important because a design studio’s journey is never just about the studio itself. Behind every project are relationships, communication, and the trust given to the designer. These connections eventually become part of what shapes a studio’s journey.
A Book Built Around the Essence of Value
VERSHOME did not want The Epic Journey of VERSHOME to become an opportunity to showcase the grandeur of its projects. Instead, the studio wanted to place the essence of value at the heart of the book.
That is why the book’s design is relatively understated. Green, a key part of VERSHOME’s visual identity, appears as one of its visual elements, while the cover avoids being filled with project images, as is often the case with design books.
The simplicity is intentional, designed to create a sense of curiosity.
For VERSHOME, however, curiosity does not mean confusing the reader. In their view, good design is something that is easy to understand and legible to its audience. Curiosity is instead found in the process of exploration and experimentation behind a work.
The same approach is applied to the book: not everything needs to be revealed on the surface. Some stories are meant to unfold as readers open the book and follow the journey within.
Looking Ahead to Indonesia’s Exhibition Design Industry
Ultimately, the ambition behind The Epic Journey of VERSHOME extends beyond celebrating the studio’s own journey.
Roni sees the development of exhibition design in Indonesia over the past few years as a positive shift. The growing number of studios and creative people entering the industry is something to celebrate rather than avoid.
After all, one studio alone cannot make the world recognize the quality of Indonesian design.
VERSHOME hopes to see more Indonesian creative people willing to compete, establish new standards, and demonstrate that exhibition design can be a professional creative industry capable of competing on a global level.
For VERSHOME, competition is not something to shy away from. The more studios grow, the higher the standards that can be built together. From there, they envision Indonesia becoming not only a place where various events take place, but also a destination for people who want to experience the country’s evolving design scene.
The Epic Journey of VERSHOME is a record of more than 12 years of work. The book traces how a studio has grown through projects, human relationships, client trust, and the values it has continued to build along the way.
After more than a decade, VERSHOME is not only interested in showing what it has designed. It also wants to share why it works the way it does, the values it stands by, and how 12 years of experience have shaped its view of the future of exhibition design in Indonesia.
