Suggestions for Design Projects

 Many students get stuck when the stage comes, where project topics are to be finalised. I get lots of requests to give suggestions for Design projects.

I strongly believe that a design student should be able to find topics in society where good design intervention can contribute in improving a scenario or in creative problem solving. Unfortunately, as time goes by, more and more students despirately look out for spoon feeding.

So I am sharing some of the project topics I feel can make sense somewhere.

• Project 1: Title : Story of Indian Designers : A multi media system to introduce Iconic Indian designers and their work to school children.
  Description: This project aims at introducing Indian school children to design as a profession, works of indian designers like Yashwant Chowdhary, Sudarshan Dheer, R.K. Joshi, Shekhar Kamat, Bhumra, D Udayakumar, Pranav Mistry, Ashok Abraham etc  and how their designs have contributed to the country’s progress. The final output can be an affordable handbook, web site, mobile app, exhibition, Presentation, Video etc.

• Project 2: Visual guide to help students learn calligraphy in specific Indian script
  Description: This project aims at creating a step by step guide for school students (age 12 onwards) to learn calligraphy. Each module will focus on one Indian script. The final product will introduce the user to make their own tools and give a step by step tutorial on how to write each letter in that particular script.

• Project 3: Guide for non designers to use Typography for clarity in communication
  Description: This is mainly for non designers, (as well as designers who dont know typography) to learn how to use text, organise text, learn efficient ways to text compositions in various scenarios like project reports, presentations, office memos, thesis preparation, mathematical tables, annual reports, brochures, booklets etc. This also informs the users about common typographical mistakes and how to correct them

• Project 4: Great Indian design landmarks
  Description: There are several products/historical landmarks designed in India by Indian designers which are unfortunately not given the due respect, recognition or respect throughout the history. This project aims to document a select few of great iconic designs created in India and introduce them to school children.The final output can be an affordable handbook, web site, mobile app, exhibition, Presentation, Video etc. Example of such projects: Electronic Voting Machine, Z line petrol pump, Swarachakra Indian Language input etc.

• Project 5: Story of Indian inventions:
  This project aims to document and present important inventions of Indians which has contributed significantly to the world, and the current generation of school students are unaware of. For example, the concept of Zero is considered to be a very important contribution to the world of Mathematics. This project will introduce a variety of such snippets and facts to school children. The final output can be an affordable handbook, web site, mobile app, exhibition, Presentation, Video etc.

• Project 6: Indian Musical Instruments
  This project will introduce various Indian Musical Instruments to users with a short introduction, historical overview, photographs, diagrams, real music created by each instrument, names of musicians who are exponents of each instrument, their history, major works etc. Final output can be a web site, interactive exhibition etc.

• Project 7: Indian Artists:

This project aims to document important works of Indian artists with a brief biographical sketch. Output can be used in classrooms of Art and Design institutes.

 

Project 8: Module based design lessons for school children: Aimed at school students of Std 7, 8, 9, this project creates immersive knowledge sessions in small quantities for effective and enjoyable learning. For example, Art fundamentals like Symmetry, Positive and Negative space, Figure and Ground etc can be taught to school children in a multi media approach. Knowledge can be presented to the students through various channels like YouTube videos, Blogs, Interactive web interfaces, Posters, Handbooks, Leaflets etc.

 

Project 9: Legends of India: Aim is to introduce Indian legends in different subjects to school children. You may choose from a large number of legends in India and study deep into a few of them and present the knowledge in an interesting manner to children. Examples: Aryabhatta, Charak, Ramanujan, C V Raman, APJ Abdul Kalam, Meghnad Saha, Prafulla Chandra Ray, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, Subhramanyan Chandrashekhar, Birbal Sahni, Raj Reddy, SS Abhyankar, Har Gobind Khurrana.

Final output should be accessible to the poorest of the poor school student in India.

 

Project 10:  Guidebook for Design students: This is aimed at Std 11th, 12th and Bdes first year students who want to pursue a career in Design. Design aspirants face many problems, some of them are listed below:

a. Misunderstandings about Design due to contradictory advice from friends/well wishers/teachers/peer group.

b. There are so many specialisations in the design field, which are difficult to understand.

c. After getting admission, there is a tough task of getting adjusted to the new concept of "subjectivity" in design schools.

d. Parental pressure on finding and getting into the "highest paying" stream of design. Parents as well as society put a lot of pressure on students asking them to seek the specialisation which gives maximum salary (often described as "scope"). If this contradicts with the personal inclination of a student, then it becomes a very sad and frustrating experience for a student.

For example, as of 2022 January, Interaction, UI/UX is considered to be and publicised to be the highest paying specialisation in design. Students with sincere and true inclination towards topics like Animation are often forced by parents and/or peer pressure to take up a career in UI/UX. By the time they reach 4th or 5th semester, they go through a disturbing clash between 'What I want to do" Vs "What they want me to do". 

 

This guidebook should provide information/knowledge as well as real interviews with teachers and practicing designers to dispel the misunderstandings about design and encourage more school children to take up Design as a profession.