PIONEERING DESIGN EDUCATION FORA BETTER WORLD

To commemorate the 10th Anniversary of The Design Village - India's first social design school, we talk to the leadership at the institute that carries its pioneering vision of education for social impact, winning the Don Norman Design Recognition for humanity-centered design, representing the Global South.

- Mudita Pasari, Vatsal Agrawal, Sagar Gupta,Pritesh Maru and Anusha Dhawan

The Design Village was initiated ten years ago by notable architecture firm Archohm in order to elevate the role of design in society. Academic Dean - Mudita Pasari [MP], Vatsal Agrawal [VA] - Director of Internationalization, Sagar Gupta [SG] Director of Growth, Associate Dean of Experiential Learning - Pritesh Maru [PM] and Head of Impact - Anusha Dhawan [AD], share the journey undertaken, the challenges faced to keep the unique philosophy of the school intact, its growing international reputation, student victories and future plans.

How is The Design Village different from traditional design schools? What were some key things you did differently and why?

MP: At The Design Village, we believe in providing avenues for developing each individual and their unique interests as well as inclinations. The journey of each learner is based on the learning manifesto by them and the itinerary chalked out to achieve it.

By the end of the first academic year, every villager is expected to make their learning manifesto. The manifesto is the personal vision of the student that serves as their north star. The Learning Manifesto can be altered any number of times during the journey as per the choice of the student. Therefore, the journey undertaken by every villager at TDV is unique, bespoke and everlasting.