Shashank Mehta | National Institute of Design (original) (raw)

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Papers by Shashank Mehta

Journal of design service and social innovation, 2024

Design education is today fundamental to national prosperity. It is now considered a critical ele... more Design education is today fundamental to national prosperity. It is now considered a critical element of innovation strategy. Design education in India has witnessed exponential growth over the last fifteen years. Country's young population is now open to explore alternate career and design has today emerged as this much needed option for them. From only a handful of design institutes in the country till about 2004, many new design institutes have come up in the last one and half decades. And this trend is expected to continue in the near future. As design education expands in the country, efficiencies will have to be developed and maintained to uphold standards of quality. Variety of different programs with many variables involved--institutional approaches, curriculum, area of specialization, student faculty ratio, graduate profile, etc. creates sense of confusion among all its stakeholders. Over and above these, there is now growing sense of dissatisfaction among the industries with regards to the skills and capabilities of the upcoming graduates of these design schools. The curriculum needs to be revised and updated to meet the expectations of the new age digital and innovation economy. There is an urgent need to develop a broad framework and guidelines for design education in the country. Reforming and reinforcing design education would be the right beginning for India to maximize the benefits of design.

Generating new employment opportunities by utilising the existing skills and local resources to i... more Generating new employment opportunities by utilising the existing skills and local resources to improve the standard of people's living will be one of the important aspects of sustainability in the Indian context. The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in India employs over 60 million people and contributes to nearly 40% in terms of total industrial output of the country. Spread over the country, these industries provide employment opportunities locally, thus reducing migration. Serving the local needs, these industries are also the source of indigenous innovations. Thus, reviving these MSMEs would be an important step towards promoting sustainable growth and developing the country's economy. Design can play critical role in this process by improving their market competitiveness. The Design Clinic Approach, a unique and ambitious design intervention scheme for MSMEs, financially supported by the Government of India, combines design awareness programmes and project based design assistance. Through systematic design intervention and support, this approach is expected to create a sustainable design eco system for the Indian MSME sector. This paper discusses the issues related to the Indian MSMEs, the importance of customised design intervention efforts and the relevance of the design clinic approach in this context.

Application of novel design concepts and enterprising design practitioners are the need of the ho... more Application of novel design concepts and enterprising design practitioners are the need of the hour in contemporary India. As it is emerging as one of Asia's most prosperous economies, India must acquire a competitive edge over other nations by introducing specialised design inputs that cater to specific domains. However, India must also endeavour to nurture the skills of its design graduates, as the latter do not have enough opportunities to undertake specialisation in a particular design area of their choice. The present study focuses on arriving at suitable directions for establishing a comprehensive postgraduate programme in design. This programme would be at par with international standards. It must also offer design graduates in India, varied opportunities of specialisation. Such a postgraduate programme, would create a corpus of new knowledge in the field of design, design practice and design research; that is specific to the Indian context. It will help refine, improve and update a design student's problem solving capabilities, support design processes and help develop design tools and methods accordingly. Ultimately, this would elevate the standards of design education and design practice in India.

Industrial Health, 2011

Mechanics are exposed to varied work stressors such as hot noisy environments, strenuous postures... more Mechanics are exposed to varied work stressors such as hot noisy environments, strenuous postures, improperly designed tools and machinery and poor psycho-social environments which may exert an influence on their health and safety. The study aimed to examine the occupational injury patterns and identify work stressors associated with injury amongst automobile mechanics. A descriptive ergonomic checklist and questionnaire on general health and psycho-social issues were administered to male workers (N=153). The relative risk factors and correlation statistics were used to identify the work stressors associated with occupational injury. 63% of the workers reported injuries. Cuts were the chief injuries being reported. Poor work environment, machinery and tool characteristics, suffering from poor health and psycho-social stressors were associated with injury occurrence amongst automobile repair workers.

The present study aims at evaluation of the existing track maintenance tools like beater, shovel,... more The present study aims at evaluation of the existing track maintenance tools like beater, shovel, spanner, crowbar and the hand safety lamp, and their redesign and development from the view points of ergonomics and industrial design. The paper also describes in detail the experience of undertaking this unique project and the critical issues that the designers’ had to deal with to arrive at final solutions. Questionnaire study, direct observation and detailed activity recording were carried out to identify different problem areas with special reference to their work. Merits and demerits of each tool were studied from the view points of functionality, grips and comfort, materials used and manufacturing aspects. Thermal data were also recorded to analyse the existing work environment. Study revealed that none of the tools are provided with proper hand grips. The space between handle and body of the lamp is very small and most of the time, users get burn injuries on their hands. While w...

Application of novel design concepts and enterprising design practitioners are the need of the ho... more Application of novel design concepts and enterprising design practitioners are the need of the hour in contemporary India. As it is emerging as one of Asia's most prosperous economies, India must acquire a competitive edge over other nations by introducing specialised design inputs that cater to speci c domains. However, India must also endeavour to nurture the skills of its design graduates, as the latter do not have enough opportunities to undertake specialisation in a particular design area of their choice. The present study focuses on arriving at suitable directions for establishing a comprehensive postgraduate programme in design. This programme would be at par with international standards. It must also offer design graduates in India, varied opportunities of specialisation. Such a postgraduate programme, would create a corpus of new knowledge in the field of design, design practice and design research; that is specific to the Indian context. It will help refine, improveand...

2013 IEEE Tsinghua International Design Management Symposium, 2013

Industrial Health, 2011

Reflections on design education and challenges faced by us as a design institute… A compilation o... more Reflections on design education and challenges faced by us as a design institute… A compilation of my replies as part of email exchanges within the faculty group here at NID.

Case Studies of Design Projects under Design Clinic Scheme

A Compilation of 51 student design project outcomes.

In the context of India, design itself is research. Designerly way of knowing, through curiosity,... more In the context of India, design itself is research. Designerly way of knowing, through curiosity, observation and analysis as it's tools, leading to actions is the profound approach of design research. With an objective to identify opportunities for improvements, design research provides holistic and systemic understanding of the situation / business.

Design Clinics is one such unique design research approach developed for the country's large micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs. Majority - over 94% of Indian industries, being MSMEs, and most issues here being intertwined, this approach of design research provides the much needed platform for different experts and stakeholders to interact, clearly identify the opportunities and develop remedial solutions. And in this process help develop holistic roadmap for the industry as well as the cluster to move up the value chain. Launched countrywide as Design Clinic Scheme for MSMEs by the government of India in the year 2010, this ambitious scheme is implemented by the National Institute of Design.

This research paper is an attempt to share the experiences of implementing this unique design research approach throughout the country and scale it up for its wider applications, systemisation, quality benchmarks and effective outcomes.

As India embarks on its aspirations to transfer herself into a global manufacturing hub through t... more As India embarks on its aspirations to transfer herself into a global manufacturing hub through the recently
announced national programme ‘Make in India’, the focus is now firmly shifting to labor intensive
manufacturing. Over 94% of the Indian industries comprise of micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs,
spread across the country. The workers, the laborers, the artisans, majority of them from the lower economic
strata of the society, and many of these industries operating either from small places or from individual homes,
spend most of their time with poorly designed hand tools, machine tools, equipment, lighting, workstations,
thereby exposing them to serious health hazards. Ergonomically designed tools, equipment and workstations
that are contextual and appropriate will thus be the critical step for the government, towards embarking this
ambitious journey.
The Design Clinic Scheme for MSMEs, a unique and ambitious design intervention scheme launched by the
Government of India aims to bring the designers and experts to the doorsteps of these industries to discuss,
analyze and identify such opportunities to then develop remedial solutions.
While sharing the experiences gained over the last four years of implementing this scheme, the paper attempts to
sensitize the young designers and engineers to look at this critical issue that needs immediate attention.

Journal of design service and social innovation, 2024

Industrial Health, 2011

Application of novel design concepts and enterprising design practitioners are the need of the ho... more Application of novel design concepts and enterprising design practitioners are the need of the hour in contemporary India. As it is emerging as one of Asia's most prosperous economies, India must acquire a competitive edge over other nations by introducing specialised design inputs that cater to speci c domains. However, India must also endeavour to nurture the skills of its design graduates, as the latter do not have enough opportunities to undertake specialisation in a particular design area of their choice. The present study focuses on arriving at suitable directions for establishing a comprehensive postgraduate programme in design. This programme would be at par with international standards. It must also offer design graduates in India, varied opportunities of specialisation. Such a postgraduate programme, would create a corpus of new knowledge in the field of design, design practice and design research; that is specific to the Indian context. It will help refine, improveand...

2013 IEEE Tsinghua International Design Management Symposium, 2013

Industrial Health, 2011

Case Studies of Design Projects under Design Clinic Scheme

A Compilation of 51 student design project outcomes.

The customer today wants an experience and not the product. The quality of experience now decide... more The customer today wants an experience and not the product. The quality of experience now decides the price and the premium for the products sold. The product is expected to engage its user in a personal way and in the process create a series of memorable events for her. With each experience unique to the user, customization is the core of the experience. Making an individually customized physical product turns it into a service and customizing a service turns it into an experience. The entire activity of using the product, with all its touchpoints have to be designed and choreographed. These call for changing the approach from designing static elements/objects to a dynamic process.

Product Design, as a professional discipline, shaped our physical world over the years. However, Product Design is today much more than just the humanization of technology. Its emphasis has now shifted from technological to human considerations. Products need to be designed to make sense or be meaningful to their stakeholders. A coherent and consistent product language helps create an aesthetic experience, the ‘wow!’ moment for its viewers. The conventional product design process is inadequate to address this dynamic nature of challenges. These call for a new specialist genre of design that can create an emotional and aesthetic resonance between people and products.

The workshop aims to introduce its participants the concept of service. Through its three assignm... more The workshop aims to introduce its participants the concept of service. Through its three assignments, participants are systematically initiated to explore, experience, and understand the field of service design.

The workshop is offered now for over two decades. Its pedagogy has been constantly refined and revised, resulting into a unique framework for its effective delivery and outcomes. The participants in small groups study one of the existing services to understand its key elements and attributes. The learnings and understanding would then be applied to design a new service.

The methodology adopted for delivering the module takes the students through intense discussions, brainstorming, process of analysis, creative synthesis, scenario development methods, business model and strategy development, prototyping and testing methods. For each assignment, the participants are first asked to experience the context and the complexities, followed by intense discussions, explorations, and presentations, thereby helping them develop their own understanding.

The presentation is the framework of the three assignments to be used as guide/template by the participating groups.

..an introductory lecture to the PhD Scholars in Design

It is now more or less certain that the education for the major part of the next semester will be... more It is now more or less certain that the education for the major part of the next semester will be "virtual" and the schools and universities will have to resort to online teaching. The design institutes will need to explore and adopt digital technology to reach out to their students. Its pedagogy founded on studio-based learning depends heavily on face-to-face teaching and constant interactions. Primarily a project-based education, it emphasizes learning with experience. Creating such a studio-based model online would require strong technical support and administrative assistance for the faculty member/s to guide and mentor each student as per her individual needs and pace. It demands to combine creativity with state-of-the-art computer programs. Each student will need to be provided with her own online studio space to upload and document the work. The online mode of education offers the students the required flexibility in terms of time and the pace of study. For successful online outcomes, it is important to develop a sense of community among its students. The design institute needs to explore a variety of online platforms, applications, and tools available to encourage and facilitate effective interaction. The institute and its faculty members may have to rewrite the content and develop new approaches to teaching.

Industrial Design scenario in India saw a tremendous transformation in the last three decades. Th... more Industrial Design scenario in India saw a tremendous transformation in the last three decades. The large spike in technology development and vibrant entrepreneurial business climate has seen disrupters driving the need for Industrial Design. Industries are now ready to invest in design. Clients now understand the importance of research, usability, and innovation. Every step of the design process is being followed to a large extend. Design is now accepted here as a thought than merely a skill. The size of a typical design project has grown multifold. Product development cycles have reduced and project deadlines have halved. And the projects are more and more systemic. Industrial Designers are today sought to deliver solutions to platforms, critical red ocean challenges, and future scenarios. There is a growing sense of dissatisfaction among the industries concerning the skills and capabilities of the upcoming graduates of the design schools. Lack of practical knowledge among these fresh graduates is the main concern of the industries. The transition for these young design graduates, from their academics to professional life is still 4-5 years. The small and medium scale industries, the main source of employment for the industrial design graduates in India, prefer performers from the word go. The design here is a high-speed creative thought process, and it can be learned only through hard work. Design institutes need to revise and update its curriculum to meet with these increasing and changing expectations of the new-age digital and innovation economy. Designers are now expected to bring in some innovation or technological change in their projects. Sharper understanding of new materials, technology, shop floor based processes as well as business concepts are now critical to Industrial Design. And with the large portion of the product development process being digital, intense knowledge of the digital development phase is essential to project execution. UI, UX, Service Design, Experience Design, are the areas of demand and popular career options for industrial design students. With the emphasis now on elements and process of design, a deeper understanding of design research is crucial for these budding industrial designers.

The key to the success of the design education is the quality of its faculty members, the design ... more The key to the success of the design education is the quality of its faculty members, the design educator/s. Its pedagogy based primarily on project-based education and professional orientation demands higher contact hours, continuous interaction and face-to-face teaching. Faculty member's understanding, experience, personal knowledge, capability, and cognitive style form the key to the success of the programs. The emphasis here being on developing design attitude, design ability, maturity and the confidence to take up independent design assignments as design professionals, the design education depends heavily on its faculty member/s. The faculty member here is the mentor, the facilitator and equal partner in the journey undertaken by each student. She shapes students' views and develops design culture among them. The faculty member/s is thus the major influential factor in design education. Besides the knowledge of the subject matter, the design educator would possess the knowledge of its teaching and learning processes. The course that she conducts needs to be designed, in terms of its content, intended learning outcomes, assignments, teaching methods, modes of delivery, and assessment methods, etc. Design teaching is thus a specialized job. One needs to be trained to be a design educator. With the rapid upsurge of design education in India, the shortage of well-qualified faculty is the major area of concern today, hindering both the development of well-trained graduates as well as more design institutes to come up in the country. There is an urgent need for a well-structured program to train design educators in India.

Business growth and job creation are among the priority concerns of the government in India. The ... more Business growth and job creation are among the priority concerns of the government in India. The country today has the largest number of working-age people in the world, and it is expected to remain so for the next one and a half decades. The Indian economy offers a unique scenario. The majority of its industries comprise of micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs and are spread across the country. Its service sector is today the backbone of the economy and offers huge potential for growth and creation of jobs in the country. And it is expected that India will remain largely a rural country during the next decade. Industrial designer's creative problem-solving approach coupled with technical expertise will help these industries improve their existing products, processes, and productivity, with a minimum of investment and resource allocations. Her user-centric approach would help the industries align their offerings with the contemporary market demands and expectations. Thus improving their manufacturing competitiveness, the design will help these MSMEs move up in value chain, from OEM to ODM. With her ability to take a holistic view designer would help the country's service sector improve its complex systems and services to create cohesive experiences. She would facilitate and coordinate various efforts and expertise to develop tomorrow's smart products, services, and systems. For the next decade, the industrial design would be crucial for the Indian industries to transit into the Industry 4.0 era and the digital and experience economies of tomorrow. The industrial design would thus be a critical component of the strategies for economic reforms in India.

Design is now seen as a strategic asset that can make a critical difference between success and f... more Design is now seen as a strategic asset that can make a critical difference between success and failure of enterprises. In the innovation-driven global economies of today, the design is increasingly recognized as the core of the innovation process. And the design will be the driver of tomorrow's creative economies and their mass-customized markets. Design is now established as an independent discipline. Began with a restricted objective of beautification of objects, messages, and environment, design now deals with interactions, services, experiences, and strategies. With creative execution, design now encompasses creative definition. Today the designer deals with the challenges that are complex and exist within larger systems having their elements interconnected and in constantly changing relationships. The traditional product-centric design approach has changed to the human-centric design approach and further to the humanity-centric design approach. From design as an outcome, the profession has expanded to utilize the design process and design thinking to all spheres of economy and life. Started as a generalist discipline, design now encompasses a range of specialization within the discipline.

Design Education Institutes across the world are today facing the critical challenge to keep pace... more Design Education Institutes across the world are today facing the critical challenge to keep pace with the fast--changing economies. The profile of the design graduates has undergone a sea change. And on the other end, the profile of the incoming students has changed considerably. In India also, the design has undergone major changes and rapid transformation over the last two decades. A gap is being felt between the industry and societal expectations and the skills and capabilities of the design graduates. To address this critical concern, the National Institute of Design, India's premier design institute, initiated a comprehensive exercise to review curriculum and pedagogical approaches of all its educational programs. The complex system of education at NID required the development of a customized, multi--pronged and systematic process to obtain a holistic perspective on the status of design and design education in India. The framework for the exercise was developed around some of the institute's already established best practices and involved all its stakeholders. Each element of the design pedagogy practiced at the institute was taken up and reviewed thoroughly. This comprehensive exercise culminated in the development of a Vision Document, Curriculum Framework, revised Flowcharts and Course Abstracts. It helped revise and improve each course in terms of its effective delivery, outcomes and connect with the overall objectives of the program. The exercise helped revise and realign the programs with contemporary demands and future expectations.

With the 'Digital Services' expected as the third major digital wave that will revolutionize the ... more With the 'Digital Services' expected as the third major digital wave that will revolutionize the businesses and societies of the future, the Indian IT industries need to utilise these opportunities to move up the value chain. The increasingly mass-customised markets of tomorrow demand industries to focus on understanding customers; their unmet needs and expectations. And the customer requires, not the product but the service-the essential function that the product/solution provides. Combining hardware, software and humanware to humanise the interface/s to create positive, pleasurable and aesthetically enriching human-product interactions would be the critical challenge. All these would call for change in approach-from the currently practiced 'inside-out' approach to 'outside-in' approach, primarily a service design approach, to enhance customer experiences and identify new business opportunities. Design will be the driver of tomorrow's digital and innovation economies.

NID Publication, 2019

As multi-layered accounts, the publication ‘Design at the Doorstep; Design Approaches for MSMEs’ ... more As multi-layered accounts, the publication ‘Design at the Doorstep; Design Approaches for MSMEs’ brings to the fore the typical characteristics and concerns of the Indian MSMEs and scope for design intervention in this crucial sector of the economy. While demonstrating the design intervention approaches that are appropriate and contextual to this sector, it highlights the role of academia in developing such sector specific solutions and approaches. And it portrays the design journey to scale up this unique approach across the country.

Through this publication, the author informs the wider audience about the advantages of adopting design as a business strategy, and above all, the role of design and professional designers to raise the bar of quality of products of MSMEs to create better value in international business.