By Dr Sanjay Gupta, Sonipat: With the admissions in progress in Delhi University, many students may have already decided the career path that they want to take, based on the courses they have applied for. Well, not everybody gets admission to Delhi University, and the fact remains that it is not all that is on offer for students to choose from, even if they do get in. There are a lot of new courses and options that have sprung up and are popular due to a growing demand in the industry, many worthwhile options beyond DU that students can explore. Ultimately, it’s not just about the college, course or subject; it’s has to do more with you, the way you recognize yourself and your interests and how you prepare yourself to face the future and the challenges that might come with it.
Design Education is one such fast emerging option that students can explore. Though it has been 50 years since the inception of India’s first design Institute- NID (National Institute of Design), design is still a relatively new field for India but this scenario has seen a drastic shift over the past decade. Today, design applications can be seen all around us- in physical spaces, virtual spaces, electronic devices, mechanical devices, apparels and accessories. These are all designed to fulfil specific needs more efficiently than ever, by drawing upon logic, imagination, intuition, and systemic reasoning. Owing to the growing awareness and design consciousness among people, design is often the differentiator when it comes to making a purchase decision, thus creating a tremendous scope for the Design Industry to thrive in India.
According to a report by FICCI on “Skill Development for Industry 4.0”, the world is witnessing a decline in the mid-level, repetitive and rule based jobs and an increasing demand for creative, design oriented, higher order skills. As per another report by British Council on “Future Education in India”, the potential market for Industrial Design in India is , expected to grow to INR 110 billion (GBP 1.34 billion) by 2020. Hence, a degree in design is now being considered as a mainstream career option.
So, if you are looking forward to a career in design, there are many certified design institutions in India offering 4-year Bachelor programs—B.Des and B.FTech to design aspirants. But if you want to pursue a course where self expression is more important than functionality, then visual arts and applied arts offer a good option. The correct choice would then be a Bachelors program in visual arts (BVA). Also on offer are 1-year Diploma programs in fashion design, graphic design, and web design etc, which offer a quick route to placements after 12th -grade qualification.
About the Author: Dr Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor, World University of Design, Sonipat. WUD offers high quality trans-disciplinary education with a design foundation at the undergraduate and postgraduate level with a view to build a generation of creative professional designers, capable of serving as agents of change for the growth and development of the diverse and decentralized sectors of various industry segments.
