Design for future course

DESCRIPTION

The course aims to ignite students’ creative potential and harness their ingenuity by encouraging them to think critically and innovatively. Through the exploration of cutting-edge technologies, design processes, and future scenarios, it inspires students to envision disruptive, unconventional futures and contribute to shaping humanity’s path toward a better tomorrow.

When

July- October 2024

Who

Guided by: DR. Sugandh Malhotra

As part of the Design for Future course, students were tasked with envisioning future technologies, policies, and scenarios that could shape the world ahead. The process began with a brainstorming session involving more than 20 students. This collaborative activity encouraged them to explore diverse possibilities and creative ideas about the future.

Following the brainstorming session, the students were divided into six groups, each assigned specific keywords representing critical themes or areas of interest. Each group conducted an in-depth study of technological advancements and developments related to their assigned keywords. This phase aimed to help students understand the current trends and potential future trajectories within their designated focus areas.

To deepen their understanding and enrich their ideas, multiple discussion sessions were organized with the instructor of the course and their research scholars. These interactions allowed students to build narratives around their technologies and explore how these innovations could be leveraged in the future. The discussions also focused on how designers, using their unique skills, could contribute to society, humanity, nature, the world at large, and domains like health and hospitality.

As a culmination of their research and discussions, students were tasked with constructing scenarios for the future. Using the storyboarding technique, they visualized their ideas and narratives, crafting detailed scenarios that illustrated the potential implications and applications of their technological visions. These scenarios were then presented in the form of posters, combining visual storytelling with strategic foresight to communicate their future-building activities effectively.

Through this comprehensive process, students not only honed their skills in speculative and strategic design but also gained valuable insights into how design can be a transformative force in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future.