Design is a rapidly growing, and challenging industry, specifically for professionals who have an aptitude and skills of design thinking. Experts suggest that the Design industry is likely to become an INR 18,800 CR by the end of 2020. Businesses that hire design experts are in high demand as ‘out-of-box’ and ‘creative’ thinking has become mainstream today implicating many important aspects of our lives ranging from clothes to cars and products we use.
This is the reason why students are opting for design courses more than the STEM courses. Looking at the industry demand World University of Design has introduced a number of courses with specialized modules like Experiential learning, Student Exchange Program, in house Industry Training Session, etc.
Medianews4u spoke with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice-Chancellor, World University of Design, on why design is important and how has the design industry evolved over the years, design trends that stood out for him and much more:
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Why is design important in the digital age?
Design has become an integral part of our daily life today and it is how you make a product bring life-long experience to the users. Earlier, the concept of design was associated only with its visible forms like graphic designing and fashion designing, but it is way more than that.
As the Indian economy continues to grow rapidly, it has become the need of the hour to produce exceptional products to deliver superior customer experience. In the digital era, the design is playing a significant role in fueling today’s competitive global environment and has become an integral part of any profession or business. Technology and design are going hand in hand. The apps for example that we use in our daily life are designed keeping in mind the varying needs of the users. Today design is impacting every sphere of life and this is why design education and research have grabbed a special place in this digital era.
What are your growth expectations for the design industry for the next year? The Design industry is said to grow rapidly in the coming year, how would you comment on that?
It is believed that the next five to seven years are extremely vital for the Indian design industry, there has been a drastic change in career choices in the past few years and with the emergence of the digital era, students are now increasingly engaging themselves in the creative sector. The extraordinary growth in demand for design can be seen in past few years and it is expected that the design sector will achieve a notable position in the industry over the next few years.
According to a CII Report – Design Industry may grow to Rs 18,800 cr by 2020. Thus, World University of Design- India’s first and only university dedicated to education in the creative domain makes sure that each and every student is prepared well for a professional career ahead. WUD is committed to encourage and motivate young creative minds so that they can add value to the growing Indian economy.
How is design-based thinking getting incorporated across the new-age business?
Since independence, Indian industries have made vast development in all spheres. Design is the horizontal across all verticals. Be it manufacturing or service industry, the design is adding value and finding solutions everywhere. As digital technologies are coming in, as energy usage is changing from petro-based to solar-generated, as artificial intelligence is changing the way every business was being conducted, the profiles of manufacturing and service industries are changing; becoming more customized and user-oriented. Design, therefore, becomes critical in every sector.
Design thinking is the new trend in the service sector and even in governance. If we explain Design based thinking in simple words, it actually focuses on problem-solving in a creative way. It allows one to understand the user and their challenges so that appropriate strategies and solutions can be curated. We at WUD are aimed at promoting ‘out of the box’ thinking so that students do not hesitate when they meet any career-related challenges in the future.
How are you innovating in design courses?
A good design is a mix of technology, creativity and innovation, and this formula applies to almost every domain of life. Thus, the demand for design-related courses has been increasing over the past few years. Students are giving priority to creative courses over traditional ones, or are supplementing traditional courses with post-graduation in creative courses. The World University of Design was established with a motive to help young creative minds excel in the respective design fields of their choice. We are thus focused on implementing the right courses for our students and that is why we keep coming up with innovative and futuristic design courses.
Looking at the future demand, the University has launched five new courses across Fashion, Technology, Animation, Design, and Performing Arts from the upcoming academic session. Our main aim is to make each and every student industry-ready so that they can face any future challenges in the industry.
We have introduced a course in Computer Science & Design and another in User interface and interaction design because we feel these students will graduate just in time for the digital revolution that is creeping ahead on us. This course will particularly focus on developing interdisciplinary skills among the students. Bachelor/ Masters of Performing Art is another course that we are taking on board from the next academic year. As we know that the diverse cultures and performing arts industry in India is growing rapidly and going global. Thus, the demand for this course is gaining popularity amongst the students. Through this course, the students will be able to realize their passion by participating in different seminars, surveys, and stage performances.
What are the overall global design trends that you witnessed this year?
India is experiencing a great demand in the design sector and as per Industry reports; it is believed that approximately 60,000 designers will be needed every year by 2020. Design is a valuable asset for any business and thus it must be nurtured well. Overall trends indicate that the fashion industry continues to do well even as new ways of doing business emerge and the domestic industry takes preference over exports.
WUD has introduced fashion business programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The demand for digital graphic designers and illustrators is escalating besides other fields in media like AR, VR, and Animation and Gaming. As the scenario of the Indian economy is changing, design trends are also changing at a great pace. As compared to the last years, design trends are just going bigger. For instance, animation and animated logos have become an important way to make the product look more attractive.
Another trend that can be taken into consideration is the packaging. Both colors and big fonts are much more into use. Also, looking at the current environmental scenario, sustainable and recycled materials are being used more in design. It would not be wrong to say that 2019 has witnessed some excellent trends in designs as UX and UI have come a long way as well.
How far behind is India with respect to design technology and design trends?
The Indian design sector is growing at a rapid pace. New design technology and trends are being developed keeping in mind the growth in the design industry. Although the path is full of challenges, it brings out the opportunities as well. Design as a subject is now more focused on spreading out its roots to newer trends as per the consumer needs.
As far as design technology and design trends are concerned, India has managed to secure key improvements in design techniques such as visualization, multimedia, graphics, etc. As India continues to grow across sectors, it is focusing on creating indigenous products and hence, the design industry is being looked upon as an important field to meet the needs of the nation.
