In Memory of ndondo_, our Topcoder designer and friend

A Tribute to Arnando: Friend, Colleague, and Inspiration

In 2016, I first met Arnando at a Topcoder Onsite event in Medan. The event was organized by Adam Morehead, Vice President, Topcoder Community, who came to conduct a workshop on UI/UX Design at Politeknik Negeri Medan. Coincidentally, Arnando[ndondo_] and Dinil [Dinilyoviethra]—his then-girlfriend, now his wife—were part of the organizing committee for the event.

Topcoder UX Workshop 2016 at Politeknik Negeri Medan

From there, we became close friends, sharing a mutual passion for pursuing a career in UI/UX Design. At the time, we were both still local developers in Medan, trying to dive deeper into the world of design. Juggling our busy schedules as developers, we actively participated in various UI/UX events held in our city, eager to learn more.

One of the pivotal moments was when we decided to travel together to TCO18 in Yogyakarta. There, we met many renowned designers such as iamtong, Yoki, Chendika, fajar.mln, Lunarkid, Ravijune, riopurba and the late Gheablo. That event broadened our perspectives on the UI/UX design profession and motivated us to work harder on the Topcoder platform.

Arnando and I at TCO Regional Indonesia 2018

A few weeks after the event, I was thrilled to hear that Arnando had achieved a checkpoint placement in one of the contests. He was eager to share his tips with me. Although I didn’t succeed at first, his encouragement and support kept me motivated to keep trying. Together, we continued building our careers while remaining active on the platform, dreaming of becoming one of Topcoder’s elite designers and participating in Topcoder Open.

In 2019, Topcoder Bootcamp was held in Medan, marking a turning point in our careers. After the bootcamp, we frequently won challenges and even joined private task pools for several major projects. 

Participants and Mentors of the Topcoder Design Bootcamp 2019

I still vividly remember Arnando being involved in large-scale projects alongside Daniela, Mahestro, fajar.mln, and Erianto Ongko. One of the highlights was our work on Project Odyssey—the highest-valued project on Topcoder at the time.

We visited Seeta's farm when Adam came to Medan in 2019

The year 2022 became Arnando’s greatest achievement. He won Stage 2 and earned a spot at TCO22. I was incredibly proud to see him as a speaker at the TCO22 Southeast Asia Regional event, where he shared his success story.


Arnando officially became one of the top members in Topcoder’s design community. Although TCO22 was eventually held online, Arnando still managed to become a finalist and finished in 7th place globally—an extraordinary accomplishment.

TCO22 Design Round 1 Rank

TCO22 Design Final Round

However, the joy was short-lived. In 2023, Arnando began sharing his struggles with gastric acid disease. His condition worsened, and he became noticeably thinner. At the beginning of 2024, his health seemed to improve slightly, although he still had to frequently visit the hospital for treatment.

Sadly, fate had other plans. Exactly one week ago, I received the heartbreaking news from his wife that Arnando had passed away. In a soft and sorrowful voice, his wife recounted that, even in his final moments, Arnando was wearing his TCO18 shirt in his hospital bed.

The news left me devastated. We have lost a dear friend, colleague, and talented designer.

Arnando, your work and contributions will forever remain in our hearts. Farewell, brother, friend, and the best rival. Until we meet again in eternity.

starck181995: 

I didn't knew Arnando personally, but sure know he was a great person and designer, as if i remember correctly he also participated alot along with me in the challenges and won them with his consistent and persistent hard work which is obviously rare (else everyone would be successful) the world has lost a great designer and a soul. I hope his family is okay and able to bear such a great loss”

rolix:
Nando, honestly, I don't quite remember when I first met this handsome guy, but as far as I can recall, he was more focused on developing his frontend engineering skills than his design skills back then. I also remember that I joined and competed in Topcoder before him, but I could feel his persistence, consistency, and hard work. Although I no longer compete in Topcoder, Nando has kept his focus and continues to strive. Our journey in Banda Aceh was our last meeting, and I clearly remember Nando's words when we watched the sunset at Sahoo Coffee in Lhoknga at that time: "So this is the atmosphere I’ve been looking for." Nando, the sunset will continue to shine on you now. Throughout my time knowing Nando, I never once saw him angry—only a smile that was always present. Being around him added a warm, positive impression. Hearing the news of his passing brings great sadness to us, his former comrades. It’s hard to believe that there will be no more meetings. Nando, may we feel the spirit of those days again in the days to come, bro.

Arnando, rolix, iqbalhood, watching sunset at Lhoknga Beach


abedavera:
I was shocked to hear the news of Arnando's passing. I remember him as a humble person who was always open to feedback. He was always proactive in greeting everyone at every meeting, and he showed great enthusiasm and dedication in every TopCoder member gathering in our city. Last December, we even had a phone call discussing potential collaboration plans for 2025, and he was eager to help. I never expected that would be our last conversation. Rest in peace, my dear brother. May God give strength to the family he has left behind.

Erianto Ongko, Djackmania, Lunarkid, Arnando, Rio Purba, Fajar, Izhari Aksa, thinkcreeper, abedavera, nofear

lunarkid:
I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, colleague, someone I had the privilege to work with on several projects. 

Arnando was incredibly kind, talented, and easy to connect with. Just a week ago, I offered him a job, and we discussed it with hope for the future. When he shared that he couldn’t start yet, I encouraged him to focus on his recovery. 

Hearing the shocking news of his passing in the TC WhatsApp group left me heartbroken. 

He will be truly missed, and my thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

H-1 Preparation before TCO22 Regional in Medan

Riopurba:
Nando was my friend, even like a little brother to me. We both came from Medan. Early in his career at Topcoder, Nando often asked me questions, and we shared a lot of things together. Even last year, we were still in touch, discussing a project we planned to work on together.

With Nando's passing, we have clearly lost a dear friend, especially among the Topcoder members in Medan. To me, Nando was someone who was eager to learn and worked hard. He proved that he could become one of the Top Designers at Topcoder.

Rest in peace, my little brother.

Our Dinner after TCO22 Regional Event

wahyu.ts:

Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un.

Few days ago, I opened Topcoder Discord and was sad when I read a post from Iqbal that Arnando had passed away. We are from Indonesia but from a different Province.

Even though we haven't had the chance to interact in an offline meetup, Arnando's passion and dedication to the Topcoder Community made a memory that I personally felt. His commitment and kindness will be missed. I remember he shared how feedback grew his positive path as a designer: Arnando's Topcoder Thrive Article.

I pray for strength and patience for his family during this difficult time. Allahumma aamiin.

basuki

As a fellow Topcoder member I could tell from his works that he was a great designer and also a good person. All I could do was pray for the best for him in the afterlife and may God give strength to his family.

yoki

It is a sad moment that we say goodbye to Arnando (Ndondo), our Topcoder member family. Though my time knowing him was brief, it was enough to recognize his unwavering fighting spirit in design competitions. Arnando was not just a competitor but also a generous mentor, always willing to share his experiences with anyone eager to learn about design and topcoder.

mahestro

We always these fun talks about trivial things after we completed important milestones in the projects we worked together. It was our way of celebrating our success.

He cared about work but he knew what bonded us was the fact that we liked chocolate ice cream and chilling with comedy movies. In other words, we were just humans having fun at work, that's what it felt like working with such as talented and responsible designer as Arnando, way out of this league.

It's incredibly painful to have to talk about him in past tense. I will always miss him.

fajar.mln

I first met Nando at TCO16 workshop in Medan. Back then, I had no idea that this chance meeting would spark a friendship that would leave such a lasting impact on my life. Nando was more than just a friend; he was an inspiration. A kind soul with a sharp mind and an infectious smile that could light up any room. What I remember most about Nando was his passion. Whether it was about work, his dreams, or simply sharing his thoughts whenever he can when we met. Rest in peace, dear Nando. You will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Our Dinner With Adam in Topcoder Member Gathering Medan 2019

Aizenanhar
I got to know Arnando through iqbalhood (Mohammad Iqbal). We were part of many of the same communities, particularly IT-related communities in Medan. We were also alumni of the first Topcoder Bootcamp in 2019. I can say that Arnando was one of the two best and most successful alumni of that Bootcamp.

Arnando was a friendly, cheerful, and kind friend. He was someone who gave his all and stayed incredibly focused on whatever he worked on—qualities I admire and aspire to emulate. What I remember most is that, in 2019, we often hung out together at a place called Piacevole (PV). Iqbal, Arnando, and I worked on our respective design jobs there. At that time, Arnando was deeply committed to his career at Topcoder; it was clear that he truly loved Topcoder. In fact, as far as I recall, the last time I met Arnando was at a Topcoder Ambassador event held in Medan.

It has been a pleasure to be your friend and colleague at Topcoder, Arnando. May Allah grant you His love and mercy in your new realm.

Our Meetings a month after Topcoder Bootcamp 2019

Molderacs
I met Arnando during the Topcoder Event at Cradle Space Medan in 2022. We had a brief conversation about his achievement as a TCO finalist at that time. He shared advice and tips on how to reach that position.

I remember he gave quite detailed and comprehensive guidance. For me, it was very memorable and extremely beneficial.

May Arnando be granted the most honorable place by Allah SWT, and may the knowledge he shared become a continuous charity for him.

chekspir

In loving memory of Arnando, whose light touched so many lives in our community. Though your presence is no longer with us, your kindness, laughter, and spirit will forever remain in our hearts. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace brother.

DaraK

I was very sad to hear about Arnando’s passing. I vividly remember when he first started competing at Topcoder, eager to learn and passionate about design. As he began winning competitions and we worked on tasks together, I saw him consistently give 110%—always striving for excellence, which is admirable. In 2019, we created a Topcoder design pool and ran a 6-round challenge to select designers for upcoming projects. I was glad to see Arnando as one of the few who made it through together with other veteran designers, as the competition was not easy at all.

I had witness his growth on Topcoder and was always happy to offer advice or tips whenever I could about design or his submissions on challenges. What stood out most was his kindness and his generosity in sharing his knowledge, always encouraging others to improve. From his early days as a junior designer, he grew to become a speaker at Topcoder’s regional events in Indonesia, inspiring many others along the way.

Arnando speaking at the Topcoder Regional Meetup

His contributions, kindness, and spirit will always be remembered. Rest in peace, Arnando. You will forever be remembered as both an incredible designer and a true friend and will always be part of the Topcoder community.

Thank you for everything Arnando! 

If you would like to share your condolences or memories of Arnando , please do that here.