BITS Design School

Meet , the newest faculty member at BITS Design School!

Nayan received a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, India (2013), and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Manipal University, Manipal (2016). He served as a Project Research Scientist at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay from 2021 to 2024. Prior to this, he worked as a Research Associate at Manipal University, where he contributed to the development of rehabilitation products, including a smart walker for children with cerebral palsy. His research interests span medical device design, biomedical signal acquisition and processing, 3D modeling, 3D printing, embedded systems, and the Internet of Things.

At BITS Design School, Nayan will play a key role in shaping courses and projects that inspire students to explore the fusion of design and technology to tackle complex challenges.

We are thrilled to have Nayan as part of the BITSDES community!

shared her approach to integrating design and technology for creating educational content during the recent DDC session. Drawing from her work with organisations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, and WHO, she discussed her efforts to develop digital platforms that support interactive and accessible learning.

The session included a challenge where students addressed specific problems through proposed solutions. Teams presented their ideas, receiving feedback from Anurati and their peers to refine their approaches and explore different design strategies.

The Design Discovery Club is a structured mentorship programme for the first year where students are matched with industry professionals according to their areas of interest.

We will host an online webinar with Dean Nandita Abraham and Mandar Kale, Design Faculty on 12 Jan. They will explain how the BITSDES curriculum speaks to the five Career Pathways, and the professional landscape that graduates can look forward to.

The Career Pathways are:
+ Physical Product Design​
+ Digital Product Design (UI/UX)​
+ Design Research & Insights​
+ Experience Design​
+ Visual Design​

This will be followed by and Admission Process at BITS Design School. Members of the Admissions team will also be on the call to take questions on the process.

The 5-day workshop on interaction design, led by Nilay Kachalia focused on blending design theory with practical application. He is a UX Researcher and Designer with over 5 years of experience delivering end-to-end human-centered design solutions across diverse domains, including banking, investments, and education.
Students learned principles of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), cognitive psychology, and systems thinking, alongside UX research techniques like heuristic analysis and ecosystem mapping. They practiced wireframing and prototyping using Figma, progressing from low to high-fidelity designs with iterative feedback.

The program emphasised problem-solving, user-centric design, and creating effective task flows. Students concluded with group presentations, integrating storytelling and communication to convey their ideas. The workshop provided a comprehensive learning experience, highlighting the importance of usability testing and design refinement.

The "Introduction to Designing Interactions" module was conducted by Vijaybahu Joshi. With 24 years of industry experience, Vijaybahu is proficient in Experience Design, Creativity Automation, and Branding, specialising in Enterprise Digital Products, UI Design Systems, and CX Governance.

He engaged with the students through various group activities and discussions. The sessions covered topics like the role of designers, interaction design, sensory analysis, branding principles, and the central features of product interactions. Practical activities included dissecting brand interactions, analysing spatial mapping, and ideating on product concepts.

Each day concluded with meditation and energy sessions for interested students. The final presentation involved setting up an exhibition space and receiving feedback on their concept

Our students participated in the “Introduction to Designing Interactions” module with Designer and entrepreneur by profession, Aditya specialises in information and interface design. He is the founder of FOLO, a design studio, and is involved in ventures like Ragya, an Indian classical music streaming platform.

Aditya provided an interactive approach to design thinking. Students began by experimenting with everyday actions and then explored personal growth areas using the "Wheel of Life" - which helped them identify gaps in areas such as relationships, career, and personal growth.

Over several days, they worked in groups, refining problem statements, ideating, and presenting their work. Peer reviews, feedback from Aditya and constant iterations helped students refine their ideas. On the final day, students showcased their work through creative formats, marking the culmination of a productive learning process.

Our students, under the guidance of took part in the "Introduction to Designing Interactions" elective. The module introduced theatre practices, focusing on building immersive experiences. Activities included circle discussions on shared imagination, the game Hi Hu Ha to understand bodily presence, and script reading of "White Gold," a surreal narrative.

Students divided into teams, analysed sections of the script, and worked on expressing emotions through dream-inspired exercises. The module included building cave-like installations, experimenting with lasers, audio tracks, and lighting to create a collective dreamscape. The final installation represented a shared narrative experience.

"Designing the Now" module focused on equipping students with the ability to develop user-centric design solutions grounded in real-world applications. Over four weeks, students engaged with communities in Powai, including small eatery owners, rickshaw drivers, and vegetable vendors. They identified practical challenges, prototyped solutions, and refined their designs based on user feedback.

The module emphasised iterative problem-solving, cultural contextualisation, and collaborative engagement, providing students with foundational skills to navigate constraints and address user needs effectively. These design projects can be implemented in a short time span of a few months, hence the name being Designing the Now. The outcomes, while local and in early stages, demonstrated the potential for design to create tangible value within a community framework.

Students got the opportunity to choose between one of two elective modules: Introduction to Experience Design and Introduction to Designing Interactions. These modules, designed to provide practical experience, are led by , Vijaybahu Joshi, Nilay Kachalia, and

The aim of these modules is to equip students with skills to design interactions that connect technology, art, and human experiences. Through practical engagement with sound, visual art, graphic design, and interactive media, students will develop dynamic interfaces and immersive user experiences.

Watch this space for more on these two electives.

presents Design Darshan, a podcast where students converse with leaders from diverse industries to explore how their work intersects with design. Discover new insights, innovative ideas, and the design principles that shape our world. Get ready to rethink design!

The students working on this project: .gautham .joshii .13 .narrates siaaaa._.23

And the faculty advising them:

Eric Zimmerman, a game designer, theorist, and educator, led an interactive session on campus. Having over 30 years experience in the industry, Eric has designed award-winning digital and tabletop games, authored key texts like Rules of Play, and co-founded The Institute of Play. His work highlights the potential of games to enhance systems thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.

He demonstrated how play can enhance systems thinking and problem-solving. Through activities like the "Eclipse" game and modifications to Tic Tac Toe, Zimmerman showed students how game design can reshape thinking and strategy.

Our students attended a session led by Adobe Expert Alicia Faleiro, focusing on leveraging Adobe Generative AI to enhance creativity and build career skills. The session covered practical applications of Adobe's Gen AI tool - Firefly, Creative Cloud, Adobe Express and Adobe Substance 3D.

Participants explored how these tools can be applied in higher education, 3D design, and industry collaboration, concluding with a Q&A session that facilitated knowledge exchange.