School of Product design

School of Product Design offers Design Programs which are conceived strategically, looking at the lifestyle product market & Industry in Kerala as well as in India. Designing delightful Lifestyle & Utility Products, Furniture and Living Spaces to enhance the living experience will be the focus of these programs. School of Product Design offers programs that have been tailored to fit the need of local industries as well as user through local research and understanding the cultural social relevance in Indian context. School of Product Design has resources spread in 3 labs, namely:

Woodworking and Bamboo Workshop: Workshop with advanced machinery for prototyping various Products and Furniture Design

Plastic and Metal Prototyping Workshop: Workshop with advanced machinery for Prototyping various Products and Production Engineering

Computer Aided Industrial Design Lab: Computer Lab with High-end Graphic Workstations for training of advanced methods of Representation Techniques, Virtual Prototyping and Product Engineering

Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Lifestyle Product design

The Integrated Lifestyle Product Design Course is a 5 semester PG Diploma Program which involves an understanding of strong design fundamentals including Design Thinking, Design Representation, Elements of Colour and Form, Materials and Process, Interface Design, Applied ergonomics, Design Process, Socio-cultural Influences, etc. at various levels through the programme. The Main Projects will be conceived through various semesters in many levels, through functional products and lifestyle products where the user and use of local materials & elements becomes an integral part. There will be a few mini-projects which also can look in to the need of local craft sector requirements, through which we can build more sensitivity towards understanding the traditional crafts and local materials. Every project-based course follows the design process & methodology, which is essential for the student to arrive at creative and informed design directions.

At the same time, product designers need to be increasingly aware of technological advancements, and the social and ecological impact of their work. A wide range of inputs including System Thinking, Creative Problem Solving, etc. are essential in the product designer’s education. The Integrated Lifestyle Product Design programme will be a mix of theory and practice through lectures, research, various hands-on assignments and projects. Other areas of inputs will be Computer Aided Design, Space & Environment, Design Management, and Ethnography for sustainable Development etc. Field visits to diverse markets, manufacturing facilities and exposure to domain specific national events, lectures and interaction with Industry experts would be an integral part of the curriculum. The student concludes the programme with a 6 month, industry-lead live project, guided by an in-house faculty member and assessed by a jury of domain experts. Students after successful completion of this program have the ability to solve, conceptualize and realize design of lifestyle products in a creative, customer-centric, systemic approach with local as well as global sensibilities and nuances.

The career prospects of a Product Designer are excellent considering the rapid development of the domain that has been happening in India. Product Designers are an essential resource for any economy focusing in industrial production and leveraging of local infrastructure. The shift of manufacturing focus in India enables Product Designers to works with Railways, Defence, Automotive Industry, Electronic Appliances, Furniture, Crafts, Renewable Resources, Social Development, Design Services, etc. This course puts focus on industry-relevant skills during the course duration through Live Projects, Case Studies, Factory Visits and Industrial Training. This ensures that the course remains relevant and up-to-date, which will enable the students to have all the necessary skill sets to be a good professional.

Curriculum Flowchart for PG Diploma in Integrated Lifestyle Product Design

Employability

The career prospects of a Product Designer are excellent considering the rapid development of the domain that has been happening in the past few years. Product Designers are an essential resource for any economy focusing in industrial production and leveraging of local infrastructure. The recent shift of manufacturing focus in India enables Product Designers to works with Railways, Defense, Automotive Industry, Consumer Appliances, Furniture, Crafts, Renewable Resources, Social Development, Design Services, etc.

This course puts focus on strong ties with the industry during the course duration through Live Projects, Case Studies, Factory Visits and Industrial Training. This ensures that the course remains relevant and up-to-date, which will enable the students to have all the necessary skill sets to be a good professional.