This document summarizes the work done by five design graduates to address gaps between industry/public perceptions of design and what designers are capable of. They developed models of designed change at four levels - product, service, organization, and societal transformation. Through workshops with peers, communities, and universities, they aimed to demonstrate how design can enable different types of impact. Their goal was to empower more people with design thinking and foster a more design-led economy in India by bridging misunderstandings around the full potential of the design profession.

1. The
of Design
design
Uttishta Varanasi
Akshay
Kamana Marwah
19/10/2017
RSD6 Symposium
AHO, Oslo
Deergha Joshi
Aparajita Tiwari
Praveen Nahar

2. After 4 years as design students,
we wondered where we would
begin post our graduation.
designers x 5

3. short
summary of
why we took
it up
Existential crisis
looking at the
change in a
designers role
contextual
theory of design
understanding the
creative economy

4. moving through messes...

5. ...& complexity

6. design
motifs and
aesthetics
industrial
design
digital
design
design for
systems
?design for
business
designing
experiences
+ + + + + +
expanding portfolio of design

7. context of
India
There has been a thrust in the recent years for boosting
entrepreneurship in India. Multiple schemes ranging from
enhanced credit facilities for new ventures, to government
aided incubator and accelerator programs. From aiming to
obtain skill development for 500 million people to expanding the
manufacturing capacity of India.
However, the role of a designer in this massive change making
movement is still unacknowledged.

8. indian design
scene

9. Perceptions from a start up fair:
Design is a luxury we cant afford;
perception of aesthetic beautification rather
than function
Meeting with corporate organisations:
Designers are an idea generation fraternity
Resistance to flexible ways of design;
lack of acknowledgment for qualitative
improvements due to design
industry
what is
design
thought of

10. what is
design
thought of
designers
The projects that students take up fall
under a very conventional, traditional
idea of design. This raises some questions,
about
the skillset
the creative confidence
utilisation of creative potential
Most design professionals take up
executional roles, and a only a few are
involved in planning, and decision
making.

11. what is
design
thought of
community
“ I’m a designer”
“No, product designer”
“Oh, fashion designer?”
Ah, engineer.
A typical conversation with a relative:

12. “ I’m a designer”
“No, graphic designer”
“Oh, fashion designer?”
Ah, artist.
A likely alternate:what is
design
thought of
community

13. indian design
scene
Lack of clarity
communication
connect

14. secondary
research
What we liked was the clarity that such a
structure could bring about.
Realised the need for some structure for
our purposes of communicating the types
of change design can achieve.
Richard Buchanan
4 orders of design
GK Van Patter
Design Futures
MP Ranjan
Three orders of
Design

15. model of designed change

16. model of designed change

17. model of designed change
importance
• Wanted to address designers as well as non-
designers to foster understanding
• No hierarchy, or levels.
• Same basic designerly skills can be applied for all
kinds of change.
• No scale; each kind of change can affect 1 or
10,000 people
• Product refers to not just a physical product, but
also be a logo, film,space, application etc.

18. To help understand the point, an
illustrative example was created using 4
simple, lasercut MDF toys.

19. The aesthetic, functional
development of a product.
CMF
Form
Packaging
Narratives
Functionality
Aesthetics
Decoration
Ergonomics
product
development

20. Moving onto more intangible
changes through service
development and models.
Retail systems
Manufacturing
Branding
Communication systems
Customer relations
Services
Product ecosystem
information ecosystems
product as service
service
development

21. This change is bought about
at a management level; it also
involves the intersection between
design and business.
product management
work environments
business strategies
facilitating processes
behavioural economics
design audit
creative frameworks
creative strategic leadership
organisation
transformation

22. This change can bring about
changes in behavior, or in
environments.
Social and cultural responses
systemic reformations
social transformation
social innovation
policymaking
sustainability
societal
transformation

24. evaluating change
The ground reality is that design is still done mostly at
the product development level. Its a reflection on both the
designers taking up such projects, as well the industry giving
designers very conventional and traditional roles.
It’s the duty of both the institute and the students to ensure
that its understood that design can bring about all levels of
impact; and in turn the industries to come to the realization
and allow for it.
evaluating 190 graduation projects on the
basis of the models of designed change

25. industry public
designers

26. industry public
designers
gap
lack of opportunities and
creative confidence

27. industry public
designers
gap
lack of understanding the
scope of design

28. industry
designers
public
gap
Misconceptions on what
change design can bring about

29. peer to peer
workshop
A workshop with our peers to
map out our journeys as design
students, mapping out the change
we bought about in our classroom
projects and internships.

30. design student
toolkit
A resource for design students
to aid them in moving beyond
regular design roles.

31. village revitalisation
workshop
Tried to take designers out of
their comfort zone, by making
them design for a context they
were unfamiliar with.

32. industry public
designers
An increased understanding
of the extent of change that
designerly skills can bring
about

33. university
workshop
Presented our work and tried to
educate them of the benefits of
collaborative approaches with
designers, through a dialogue and
interactive session.

34. industry public
designers
A scope of collaboration
based on a greater
understanding of a
designers skills

35. community
workshop
Empowering members of a
building community with design
to solve their issues using a
collaborative framework.

36. community
toolkit
A basic framwork for
communities to aid them in using
design to solve local issues.

37. industry public
designers
a greater understanding
for the extent of work a
designer can do.

38. industry public
designers
the ideal:
a design led
economy

39. bridging the gap

40. conclusion
what roles do
designers need
to take up?

41. conclusion
indian design needs
more
designers?
better
designers?
more people
empowered
with design?

42. conclusion
indian design needs
publication and
documentation

43. conclusion
indian design needs
to be designed.