On 7 April 2026, students from the Graphic Design, Illustration, Fine Art and Industrial Design programmes at Malaysia Institute of Arts gathered for a special Alumni Business Sharing Session featuring Tony Chua, CEO and founder of Rtist Creative Platform.
Held at the MIA Main Campus with 87 students in attendance, the session focused on preparing young creatives for the realities of the modern creative industry—freelancing, portfolio building, and connecting with opportunities through digital platforms.
For Tony Chua, the session was particularly meaningful. As an alumnus of Malaysia Institute of Arts, returning to share his journey with current students felt like coming full circle.
From Design Graduate to Creative Platform Founder
During the session, Tony shared his entrepreneurial journey—starting from the early days of building a design agency with RM50,000 in funding, navigating the challenges of securing clients, and eventually identifying a larger opportunity within the creative industry.
He explained how these experiences led to the creation of Rtist, a platform designed to help designers connect with job opportunities more efficiently.
The key insight he shared with students was simple but powerful:
“Being a great designer is important, but being discoverable and building the right portfolio is what opens doors.”
This message resonated strongly with students preparing to enter a highly competitive creative market.
Introducing Rtist’s Talent Features
A major highlight of the session was Tony’s presentation of Rtist’s talent-focused features, designed specifically to help designers showcase their work and connect with potential employers.
Tony walked students through how designers can use the platform to:
- Build a professional creative portfolio
- Highlight their skills, specialties and project experience
- Receive direct job invitations from companies
- Apply for curated creative job opportunities
Unlike traditional job boards, Rtist focuses on helping creative talent become discoverable, allowing companies to search and connect with designers based on their portfolios and expertise.
For many students, this introduced a new way of thinking about career development, one that emphasizes visibility, personal branding and portfolio strength.
Preparing Designers for the Future of Creative Work
Throughout the sharing session, Tony emphasized that the creative industry is evolving rapidly. Many companies today are hiring freelancers, remote designers and project-based creatives rather than traditional full-time roles.
Because of this shift, designers need to think beyond technical skills.
Students were encouraged to start early by:
- Building a strong online portfolio
- Developing specialized creative skills
- Participating in real-world projects
- Networking with industry professionals
Tony highlighted that platforms like Rtist are designed to support this transition, helping emerging designers connect with opportunities faster.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Creative Talent
The session concluded with a group photo and an engaging Q&A session where students asked questions about freelancing, portfolio building, and starting creative careers.
For Tony Chua, the experience reinforced the importance of giving back to the institution that helped shape his career.
As a proud Malaysia Institute of Arts alumnus, he expressed hope that more young designers will take advantage of digital platforms and community support to build successful creative careers.
With the creative economy continuing to grow across Malaysia and Southeast Asia, initiatives like this sharing session play an important role in bridging education and industry.
And for the 87 students in attendance, the message was clear:
The future of creative work is evolving—and the next generation of designers has more opportunities than ever before.
