Design Innovation Projects to be followed in all academic programs

The Chakku’s 7Cs of Design Thinking for Innovation for undertaking any innovation project is as follows

• 1^st C The Cause: The resolve to solve a problem
  Every design project is initiated by a need which becomes the ‘cause’ of the entire journey that follows. This need may be a commercial requirement, a social necessity or a specific niggling problem with an existing product. The recognition of such a need is a key trigger for the project and it can be identified by any of the stakeholders connected to the product – a product manufacturer or marketer, a user or a product designer.
• 2^nd C The Context: Understanding the problem space and the environment
  To study and understand an existing product or similar products in the market, it is critical that the environment in which the product is used is understood comprehensively. This means that a designer must study the users and their perspectives on the product. Often this involves several rounds of interaction and observation
• 3^rd C The Comprehension: Arriving at design insights
  At this stage, the designer analyses all the information gathered and methodically lists out their observations and perceptions of any notable issues in the use of the product. Such analysis results in the thorough, all-round comprehension of a product as it functions within the contexts of its use. The design insights thus arrived at give rise to creative ideas and form the basis for the intervention that follows.
• 4^th C The Check: Creating a project brief
  The check is an essential step in understanding what requirements the product should ultimately meet and what problems the design intervention should address. The check, which is often a document in the form of a product brief, is created from the design insights and must be approved by the client. The product brief is an important point of reference throughout the journey as concepts and prototypes are created and evaluated.
• 5^th C The Conception: Generating ideas and concept
  Using the product brief, the designer arrives at multiple ideas to come up with solutions for the problems listed. At this crucial stage, ideas are proposed and grouped into clusters. This makes possible the consideration of multiple concepts. Finally, the team zeroes in on one all-encompassing concept that best addresses all aspects of the product.
• 6^th C The Crafting: Building mock-ups and prototypes
  Using the product brief, the designer arrives at multiple ideas to come up with solutions for the problems listed. At this crucial stage, ideas are proposed and grouped into clusters. This makes possible the consideration of multiple concepts. Finally, the team zeroes in on one all-encompassing concept that best addresses all aspects of the product.
• 7^th C The Connection: Delighting the user
  The last but critically important concern is the connection the new product makes with the user. This connection or the bond between the user and the product is formed only when the user is satisfied with the product’s performance and begins to cherish it, which in turn creates an increased demand for the product. In fact, it is the customer’s satisfaction that makes a winning product and functions as the most important criterion for innovation.

The School of Design Innovation will be mentored by the best design brains from across the world. This pursuit of design excellence is bolstered by a partnership with the Pininfarina Design Academy in Torino, Italy and Shenoy Innovation Studio IDC IITB.

The studios across Mahindra University are well equipped to address all concerns of design innovation. The 7 concerns of design thinking are employed as a project management template and collaborative tool to work across disciples for innovation.

The design studio project from the third semester onwards will follow the seven concerns of design thinking for innovation. The project design methodology will follow the Innovation by design paradigm where design Thinking is used for innovation and the innovation process is designed to meet the project goals.
Problems will be sourced from Industry or society at large and students from all Schools and centres of Mahindra University will work on this by making collaborative teams. Each school will champion and lead the concerns of Design Thinking, the first three concerns will be nurtured by the department of humanities to motivate students and take up the cause, understand the context and come up with insights and form teams across schools to work collaboratively. The next concern is that the check will be spearheaded by the centre of entrepreneurship and the conception will be the domain of School of design of Innovation , then comes the crafting that will honed by the school of engineering and finally the connection where the School of design of Innovation will champion it with support by all the departments of the University and industry partners.

The Mahindra University School of Design Innovation cultivates an interactive and collaborative learning environment. Students will learn from esteemed professors through both online and offline lectures and project mentoring will be one-on-one. Students will be taught to work collaboratively in teams from the first year onwards. Additionally, the program will be enriched with field visits, cross-cultural art, and design boot camps across all the semesters.

Gain a solid foundation in design fundamentals, including sketching, engineering labs, prototyping, and digital tools.

Sem 3 to 6 : Branch out into Three Disciplines- Industrial Design, Communication design  and Experience design

Communication Designs 

Communication design encompasses the creation of visual messages that effectively convey information, ideas, and emotions. This discipline combines principles of graphic design, typography, and information architecture to produce compelling branding, marketing materials, and user interfaces.

Communication designers work closely with clients and stakeholders to understand their communication needs and develop coherent, visually engaging solutions that resonate with their target audience.

Industrial Design

Industrial design focuses on creating functional, aesthetically pleasing products for mass production. From everyday household items to complex machinery, industrial designers blend form and function to enhance the user experience.

Key aspects include ergonomics, material selection, and manufacturing processes to ensure products are efficient, durable, and appealing :

1. User centered : Deep understanding of user needs and behaviors to create intuitive and ergonomic products.
2. Aesthetics : Crafting beautiful, visually appealing designs that elevate the user experience.
3. Material and manufacturing : Leveraging the latest materials and production techniques to optimize design and functionality.
4. Sustainability : Incorporating eco-friendly materials and practices to reduce environmental impact.

Experience Design

1. Intuitive Interfaces
   Experience designers focus on creating seamless, user-friendly digital experiences that anticipate and meet user needs.
2. Human centered approach
   They adopt a holistic, empathetic approach, closely observing users to inform the design of intuitive, delightful experiences.
3. Emerging Technologies
   Experience designers leverage cutting-edge technologies like AR, VR, and AI to craft innovative, captivating experiences.

Sem 7 to 8 : Specialisation through the Capstone Project :

Culminate your studies with a comprehensive capstone project, where you’ll apply your skills to solve real-world challenges and the project area and the industry sector you represent will lead to your specialization.

Specialty Disciplines for Capstone Project:

The specialty disciplines will be as per the student’s interest and skillset across all the industry sectors:

Communication Designs

Communication design is a broad field that encompasses various specializations. Here are ten key specializations within communication design:

1. Graphic Design: Focuses on visual content creation for print and digital media, including logos, brochures, posters, and websites.
2. Branding and Identity Design: Involves creating a cohesive visual and thematic identity for businesses or products, including logos, color schemes, and overall brand guidelines.
3. User Interface (UI) Design: Centers on designing the interfaces of digital products such as websites, apps, and software, ensuring they are visually appealing and user-friendly.
4. User Experience (UX) Design: Focuses on optimizing the overall experience of users interacting with a product, considering usability, accessibility, and pleasure in the interaction.
5. Motion Graphics Design: Involves creating animated visual content for use in videos, presentations, websites, and other digital platforms.
6. Environmental Design: Concerned with the design of physical spaces, including signage, wayfinding systems, and exhibition design, to enhance user experience in those environments.
7. Advertising Design: Focuses on creating visual content for advertisements across various media, including print, digital, and outdoor advertising.
8. Illustration: Involves creating original artwork for use in books, magazines, advertisements, and digital media to visually convey messages or stories.
9. Information Design: Specializes in presenting complex data and information in a clear and understandable manner, often through infographics, charts, and diagrams.
10. Packaging Design: Focuses on creating the visual and structural design of product packaging to attract consumers and communicate the brand’s message effectively.

Industrial Design

Industrial design is a multifaceted field focused on creating and developing concepts and specifications for products that optimize function, value, and appearance for both the user and the manufacturer. Here are ten key specializations within industrial design:

1. Product Design: Involves designing consumer products, from electronics and household items to furniture and appliances, focusing on usability, aesthetics, and manufacturability.
2. Transportation Design: Centers on designing vehicles such as cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trains, and aircraft, emphasizing both function and style.
3. Furniture Design: Specializes in designing functional and aesthetically pleasing furniture for residential, commercial, and public spaces.
4. Packaging Design: Focuses on creating packaging solutions that are not only visually appealing but also functional, sustainable, and protective of the contents.
5. Exhibition Design: Involves designing displays and fixtures for exhibitions, trade shows, museums, and retail spaces to enhance the presentation and interaction of products or artifacts.
6. Medical Device Design: Specializes in designing medical and healthcare products, ensuring they are user-friendly, safe, and effective for both patients and healthcare providers.
7. Lighting Design: Focuses on designing lighting products and systems that provide effective illumination while also considering aesthetics, energy efficiency, and user comfort.
8. Toy and Game Design: Involves creating toys and games that are not only entertaining but also safe, educational, and suitable for their intended age group.
9. Sustainable Design: Emphasizes designing products with a focus on environmental sustainability, including using eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient processes, and promoting product longevity and recyclability.
10. Ergonomic Design: Specializes in designing products that optimize human well-being and overall system performance, ensuring that products are comfortable, efficient, and safe to use.

These specializations often require a combination of creativity, technical knowledge, and an understanding of user needs and market trends to create successful and innovative designs.

Experience Design:

1. User Experience (UX) Design: Focuses on the overall experience users have with a product or service, ensuring it’s intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable.
2. User Interface (UI) Design: Concerned with the visual elements of a product, such as layout, typography, color schemes, and interactive elements.
3. Service Design: Involves planning and organizing people, infrastructure, communication, and material components of a service to improve its quality and interaction between service providers and customers.
4. Interaction Design (IxD): Centers on creating engaging interfaces with well-thought-out behaviors and actions, focusing on how users interact with products and systems.
5. Visual Design: Deals with the aesthetics of a product, including graphics, illustrations, branding, and overall visual appearance.
6. Content Strategy: Involves planning, creating, and managing content to ensure it meets user needs and business goals, making sure the right content is delivered to the right audience in the right way.
7. Motion Design: Focuses on creating animations and transitions that enhance the user experience, making interactions more dynamic and engaging.
8. Voice and Conversational Design: Involves designing voice user interfaces (VUIs) and conversational agents (like chatbots) to provide seamless and intuitive user interactions through speech and text.
9. Information Architecture (IA): Organizes and structures content and information to help users find what they need and navigate a product or service effectively.

Design Research: Conducts user research to understand user behaviors, needs, and motivations, providing insights that inform design decisions and ensure the end-product meets user expectations. These specializations often overlap, requiring collaboration among different experts to create cohesive and effective user experiences.