Abstract :

The rapid development of digital communication technologies requires higher education institutions to present professional, informative, and visually representative media particularly through institutional websites, which serve as the primary public interface. Preliminary observations indicate that photographic assets displayed on the website of the Faculty of Art and Design Education (FPSD) at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia have not met aesthetic and communicative standards. The majority of images consist of low-quality documentation with minimal digital processing and limited adherence to visual communication and photojournalistic principles, resulting in insufficient representation of institutional identity. This study aims to redesign photographic assets to optimize the visual performance of the FPSD website using a Design Thinking methodology. The research process included the stages of empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test, conducted through website observation, interviews, surveys, and visual quality assessments. Findings reveal that 78.1% of respondents expressed the need for professional-standard photographic production. The prototyping stage produced redesigned photographic assets that fulfilled technical photography standards, visual branding principles, and institutional communication needs. Prototype evaluation demonstrated significant improvements in aesthetic quality, communication effectiveness, and user experience within website display. The study concludes that enhancing photographic assets results not only in better visual aesthetics but also strengthens institutional credibility, professionalism, and authenticity of academic information. Practical implications emphasize the importance of establishing structured guidelines and standardized procedures for documentation and visual asset management in art and design education environments.

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Keywords :

Design Thinking, Digital Communication, Institutional Website, Photographic Assets, Visual Branding.

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