A Domus Academy student’s thesis featured in FRAME Magazine
Domus Academy celebrates an important international recognition: FRAME, one of the most authoritative design magazines globally, has dedicated an extensive article to the thesis project “From The Kitchen Nextdoor” by Celine Junita, graduate of the Master of Arts in Design Innovation.
Junita’s project perfectly embodies Domus Academy’s educational philosophy: design not as mere object-making, but as a tool for cultural analysis and social innovation. “From The Kitchen Nextdoor” is a series of hand-illustrated cookzines addressing a contemporary cultural phenomenon – young adults’ disconnection from cooking and reading – through a critical, research-driven and deeply human approach.
Domus Academy celebrates an important international recognition: FRAME, one of the most authoritative design magazines globally, has dedicated an extensive article to the thesis project “From The Kitchen Nextdoor” by Celine Junita, graduate of the Master of Arts in Design Innovation.
Junita’s project perfectly embodies Domus Academy’s educational philosophy: design not as mere object-making, but as a tool for cultural analysis and social innovation. “From The Kitchen Nextdoor” is a series of hand-illustrated cookzines addressing a contemporary cultural phenomenon – young adults’ disconnection from cooking and reading – through a critical, research-driven and deeply human approach.
The Project: Between Heritage and Innovation
Born from an observation of the Indonesian reality where the student comes from, where delivery apps and instant meals are making home cooking obsolete, the initiative combines simple recipes with personal narratives from everyday life. The aesthetic recalls old Indonesian school books, with typewriter-style text and hand-drawn illustrations: a deliberately “messy” format, intimate and tactile, reminiscent of family recipe notebooks.
As FRAME highlights in the article, Junita’s project isn’t really about cooking but represents “a new way of thinking” that transforms cultural observations into narrative and tactile solutions, positioning design as a vehicle for social and cultural innovation.
The Design Innovation Master’s Approach
Under the guidance of Course Leader Stefano Cardini and thesis supervisor Claudia Neri, Junita developed a methodology that starts with cultural observation rather than aesthetics. Domus Academy’s 2-year Master of Arts in Design Innovation trains designers capable of “making sense of things” before “making things,” cultivating independent thinkers who understand design as cultural and social practice.
The Academy’s learning-by-designing model enabled Junita to think systemically, analysing how design objects move through the world, who they reach, and what impact they create – an approach that goes beyond surface-level trend-chasing to embrace a deeper, more conscious vision of design’s role in contemporary society.
FAQ – Frequent questions
1. What is “From The Kitchen Nextdoor”?
A hand-illustrated cookzine series by Domus Academy graduate Celine Junita addressing young adults’ disconnection from cooking and reading through narrative-driven design.
2. Why was Domus Academy featured in FRAME Magazine?
For Celine Junita’s thesis project “From The Kitchen Nextdoor,” which exemplifies design as cultural analysis and social innovation.
3. What makes Domus Academy’s Master in Design Innovation unique?
The 2-year programme trains designers to “make sense of things” before “making things” through cultural observation and research-driven methodology
4. What issue does “From The Kitchen Nextdoor” address?
How delivery apps and instant meals have made home cooking obsolete among young adults, despite abundant online cooking content
