Scaling Up Design Education In India: Importance Of Higher Education In Design.

Abstract

Design, in the Indian society and culture has still not gained the prominence that students are taught in design schools. The question is, “Is design actually considered a subject”? This paper shall discuss the prominence of design as an individual subject in higher education for the design students. Design has always been misinterpreted to be a subject of Visual arts by the Indian Societal norms of education even by the University Grants Commission- National Eligibility test Examinations. However, not many people in India know the translucency of the two subjects that is between “Art” and “Design.” As a design student it is onerous to single out the elective for higher studies in obedience to the UGC/ NET examination subject list. UGC/NET examination list holds 102 subjects including Visual arts (which includes sub electives as applied arts, drawing/painting, sculpting, History of arts, fine arts, and graphics) ¹. Design is a boundless subject to be categorized under visual arts. This option of “Visual Arts” defalcates the students from their own skill, knowledge, and hard work they have put so far to set foot at this level of higher education (PhD.) in the field of design. “Design solves problems while art raises questions. Design motivates, art inspires. Design is understood, art is interpreted. Design typically starts with a message; art starts with a blank canvas. Design should leave audience with one clear action, sentiment or idea, art should leave audience with a multitude of impressions. Design joins function with aesthetics, art uses aesthetics and self- expression. Design is all about taking business need and finding a solution in a creative and compelling way. whereas, art is all about expressing an inner feeling and showing that to the world,” says Dale Addy in an interview at Rasmussen University (Kristina Ericksen, 2017)² . In the frame of reference of this conversation with Dale Addy, it is of paramount importance to discrete Design from Visual arts and provide it an autonomous identity as a subject under UGC/NET examination list. Parallel to the design curriculum that is followed by most of the design schools in India, this paper shall further ventilate the structural pattern of the design syllabus for the design subject and the electives of design. The paper shall also examine the records related to design education and discuss the literature review of the previous researchers and educators on the same. With the flourishing future of design education and the sky rocketing demand of students to opt for this subject as their career, it has become predominant to structuralize the subject of design under UGC/NET examination list.