Indian Design Thinking

Syllabus

• Unit I: Foundations of Design Thinking
• ● Understanding Design Thinking: Explore Conceptual Foundations, Stages, and Global Relevance of Design Thinking
• ● Atma Bodha / Svadhyaya (Understanding Self): Learn Reflective Practices from IKS to Integrate Self-Awareness, Ethics, and Resilience into the Design Mindset
• ● Sandharbha (Context) and Lok Dharma: Study Context-Mapping and Dharmic Responsibility in Framing Design Problems
• ● Samvaada (Dialogue): Engage in Dialogic and Ethical Conversations as Design Practice
• ● Sadhana (Dedicated Practice): Cultivate Design as Inner Discipline, Integrating Mindfulness, Resilience, and Transformation through Practice

• Unit II: Empathy and Defining the Design Brief
• ● The Importance of Empathy: Apply Empathy and Indic Ethics like Ahimsa in Research and Mapping User Needs
• ● Personas and Journey Maps: Develop Holistic User Personas and Journey Maps Enriched with IKS Concepts like Saṃskāras, Bhāvas, and Lok Dharma
• ● Viveka (Discerning Intelligence): Use Discernment to Diagnose Root Causes and Ethically Frame Problems
• ● Samasya Lakshanam (Problem Identification): Apply Problem Characterization and Root Cause Analysis with Indic Sensitivity
• ● Framing the Design Challenge: Craft Clear, Context-Sensitive Problem Statements and POVs Guided by IKS Principles

• Unit III: Generating Ideas and Testing
• ● Pratibha (Creative Intelligence): Integrate Maker’s and Experiencer’s Intelligence with Mindfulness and IKS Creativity Practices
• ● Intuition and Inspiration (Pratyabhijña): Harness Intuition, Recognition, and Playfulness (Līlā) to Enrich Ideation
• ● Vikalpanam (Generating Options): Generate Multiple Possibilities and Elegant, Non-Harming Solutions Aligned with Dharma
• ● Modern Creativity Techniques: Explore Brainstorming, Visual Thinking, SCAMPER, and TRIZ while Aligning with IKS Values
• ● Evaluating Ideas: Use Discernment, Saptapadi, MoSCoW, and IKS Ethics to Refine and Prioritize Ideas Responsibly

• Unit IV: Prototyping and Testing
• ● Building Prototypes: Apply Low- and High-Fidelity Prototyping Using Indic Principles like Roopam–Pratiroopam, Tala-Māna, and Rasa
• ● Testing Prototypes: Conduct Reflective and Ethical Prototype Testing through Dharma, Ahimsa, Seva, and Pramāṇa Frameworks

• Unit V: Iteration and Holistic Design
• ● Vishleshan (Analysis) and Chikitsa (Evaluation): Transform Feedback into Structured, Ethical Insights, Evaluating Design as an Act of Healing and Responsibility
• ● Iterative Design Process: Practice Iteration as Sacred Craftsmanship, Guided by Viveka, Lok Dharma, and Temporal Awareness
• ● Holistic Thinking (Sarva-Bhūta Hita): Embrace the Well-Being of All Beings, Integrating Sustainability, Ethics, and Community Well-Being into Design Frameworks