Designing for India from IDC, IIT Mumbai
Found few amazing reports from IIT, IDC Website. Thought of sharing. Have taken few excerpts based on individual judgement. I am not associated with IDC :)
Design as a Strategy for a Developing Economy of India — 1989 (updated 2009)
Cultural differences and living style demand different kinds of products for our conditions. Designs prepared in other countries are not necessarily suitable here. Similarly, limitations on resources, technological capabilities and purchasing power, demand that the design activity must retain its value orientation in India. Design projects need a serious and exhaustive research approach. It is unlikely that such research projects can be funded by industries.
One example, typical to rural India, is the use of bicycles. Bicycle in the advanced countries is no more used for carrying loads. The Indian villager carries milk, vegetables, hay, cloth, grains, etc. on bicycles which were not designed for carrying loads. Such problems need basic ergonomic and engineering research to innovate new products. A project, ‘Design of a load carrying cycle’, sponsored by DST, was successfully turned into a prototype of new design of the bicycle, on which a variety of loads could be easily carried.
Proposed curriculum for ‘Empowering Communication/Graphic Design Education’ in India (September 2008)
There is need to have a curriculum which has a balance between the three design curriculum models namely –
Art and Aesthetics
Technology
Interdisciplinary studies
Introduction of ‘Art, Culture and Design’ at school level. Just adding another subject to their syllabus is not a solution. Student’s interests should be kept alive with their complete involvement in projects and visits. Teachers should play am important role in developing a poor student to bright student. They should see the capability of the student and nurture that ability to develop or enrich his/her literacy.
Introducing ‘Design and Innovation’ in school curriculum (February 2010)
Notice, a lot of emphasis is given to development on teachers. A well rounded teacher can help elevate the quality of teaching and there by student.
20 to 25% time given to design in the current curriculum should be integrated with the core curriculum.
Methods of teaching should improve: Remove the mental block of Art and Craft from Design thinking.
Design and Creative thinking should be included in teacher education program.
Creation of resource material for design teachers.
Design Manifesto — For a Design Enabled Technical Education 2014
Design education and practice should be transformative in terms of both problem perception and definition in the search of equitable and sustainable solutions.
Few highlights of the manifesto
Design for equitable negotiation of contested terrains
Design for enabling Rights-based development policies
Design for Resilient skillful population
Design for tapping the productive potential at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’
Indian Design often requires forward and backward integration of user operated technologies:
Manu-services or Servicing Manufacturing
Repositioning Traditional Indian Design
Developing a Design spine in Engineering education
Situate engineering problems in an ecosystem
Real-world concerns are design concerns
Embrace collaborative and participatory methods of problem solving that span across disciplines and courses
Augment problem based learning with project based experiential learning
Tinkering Laboratories
Field Trips and Case Studies
Encouraging analogical problem solving in technical education
Asynchronous teaching platforms for increased accessibility to diverse information
National Knowledge Network
Conclusion
This transformation of the education process in the institutions of technical education based on design pedagogy will require the active participation of all sources attached to education in India. Such a vision engages into design as an overarching framework for steering education and research towards social goals and economic aspirations, making the CFTIs active partners in the development of the country.
Project findings and recommendations by Prof. A.K. De and Prof. Sudhakar Nadkarni in 1989
