The Vibe and the Grind: On Lasting Skill in an Instant Culture

A new term has emerged in the world of technology and culture: "vibe coding." It describes programming in an intuitive, improvisational way, often supported by intelligent tools such as today's generative AI. This approach emphasizes feeling the flow of a solution instead of following strict methods. At first glance, this idea reflects our current culture, which values immediacy. We expect results quickly. From one-click filters to instant content generation, we often see learning or building as obstacles rather than valuable experiences. Yeah, we all get it, everything's about speed and efficiency now. But c'mon, mate… what happened to the craft? The patience, the grind, the deep understanding that makes the work actually mean something? This conflict is apparent in creative technology programs.

At Raffles Jakarta, Digital Media Design students learn to use modern tools while also being reminded of the essential value of foundational skills. The challenge is to combine these two areas effectively. For example, in Digital Image Processing, students spend hours perfecting manual tools in Adobe Photoshop, adjusting curves, painting masks, and learning color theory. Some might say these skills are unnecessary now that the latest Nano Banana can "enhance" or "beautify" an image in an instant. However, these exercises focus on developing visual literacy. Understanding how an image works at the pixel level enhances attention to detail and comprehension of how visual information is created. It nurtures an expert's eye, not just automated output.

In the Visual Exploration class, students hand-sketch wireframes and prototype user experiences. While AI easily generates responsive layouts and code snippets, the manual process of defining interaction logic encourages thoughtful design. It pushes designers to consider user behavior, accessibility, and emotional responses, details that no machine learning model can fully grasp. This principle also applies to technical subjects, such as introductory programming, in basic Interaction Design classes.

Hand-coding CSS and JavaScript functions might seem outdated these days, especially when AI can create them in seconds. But learning the basics is about shaping the way you think. When someone has this foundation, tools like Copilot become valuable partners rather than essential aids. Essentially, "vibe working" should not be viewed as a rejection of formal learning, but as an evolution of creative expression, one that gains meaning from a strong knowledge base. The ability to effectively "vibe" with a tool comes from first internalizing the principles of the craft, just as a jazz musician must master scales to improvise authentically.

Our modern push for speed needs to be balanced with the understanding that true mastery develops over time, through curiosity and even challenges. Digging into a problem, wrestling with bugs, getting confused, and figuring things out step by step, that's the heart of genuine craftsmanship. As digital media education keeps evolving, the real challenge is finding a balance between the speed and ease of new tools and the depth that comes from learning the old-school ways. Students should dive into the latest tools, but also remember that every quick solution today stands on decades of knowledge about images, interaction, and computation. Vibe working can be a vibrant way to create, but it must be built on a solid foundation where the creator connects not only with the machine but also with the craft that drives it. Because in the end, the most potent "vibe" isn't about coding fast; it's about coding with intent.

If you want to learn more about our Digital Media Design program, click here, and one of our experts will get back to you.

Chirsto Wahyudi RAHARDJO

Digital Media Design Lecturer

Raffles Indonesia

References

Cloudflare. (2025). What is vibe coding? Cloudflare Learning Center. https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ai/ai-vibe-coding/

Fawz, M., Tahir, A., & Blincoe, K. (2025). Vibe coding in practice: Motivations, challenges, and a future outlook — A grey literature review. arXiv preprint [arXiv:2510.00328]. https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00328

Meske, C., Pimenova, A., & Stoeckli, E. (2025). Vibe coding as a reconfiguration of intent mediation in software development. arXiv preprint [arXiv:2507.21928]. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21928

MIT News. (2025, July 16). Can AI really code? Study maps the roadblocks to autonomous software engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://news.mit.edu/2025/can-ai-really-code-study-maps-roadblocks-to-autonomous-softwar e-engineering-0716

Simon Willison. (2025, March 19). Not all AI-assisted programming is vibe coding. https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/19/vibe-coding/

Financial Times. (2025, April 10). Why the vibes are wrong for “vibe working”. https://www.ft.com/content/14ef3683-b179-4834-9560-e4a01d9b994a