Meet Devina Sepfia Rizal, our B26 International Business Management student who’s a part of Apple Developer Academy Cohort 8. She first learned about the program through Instagram, where its reputation as a world-class initiative dedicated to developing future digital talent through hands-on, project-based learning immediately captured her interest. Motivated by its global standard and industry relevance, Devina decided to apply. The selection process was highly competitive. Out of more than 12,000 applicants, only around 200 participants were selected. Being accepted into the program was not only an achievement but also the beginning of an intensive and transformative learning journey for Devina.

An Immersive Journey in Digital Product Development

From Devina’s lens, participating in the Apple Developer Academy was an immersive experience that fostered both professional and personal growth. She worked in multiple projects, mainly serves as either Product Designer or Product Manager, which allow her to explored the end-to-end process of building meaningful digital products and gain hands-on experience from multiple perspective.

Supported by mentors and surrounded by diverse peers, the experience strengthened Devina’s understanding of product thinking, UI/UX principles, cross-functional collaboration, and essential soft skills such as communication, leadership, adaptability, teamwork, and problem-solving, while emphasizing the importance of empathy, iteration, and a deep understanding of users’ needs.

Selakata: Designing an Auditory Training Solution

As a culmination of the program, Devina and her team deiced to develop Selakata as their final project. Selakata addresses challenges faced by individuals with partial hearing loss, who often struggle to communicate effectively due to difficulties in distinguishing background noise from a speaker’s voice. Selakata is designed as an auditory training solution that helps users improve their ability to recognize and understand speech, particularly when communicating with their loved ones. One of its key features is voice cloning, which allows users to train using the voices of people closest to them. This personalized approach makes the learning experience more relatable, engaging, and effective.

Selakata was presented at Talent Spark, an event organized by the Apple Developer Academy to showcase final projects. Presenting the project allowed us to share our solution with a broader audience, receive valuable feedback, and reflect on how technology can be used to create inclusive and meaningful impact.