DCC My learning and understanding so far . . .

Image: Bhavin Kotari in the DCC2008 class at NID Gandhinagar campus.

It has been great learning experience to have associated with DCC since last three years as co-faculty so as to say. But, I was more of a student without having to do any assignment etc. What I have observed and understand is the kind of enormity this course is offering . . . Kudos to Ranjan, the main course faculty at NID, Ahmedabad. Unlike few other courses, this has always been awaited by the students and particularly of Strategic Design Management ones. Though, the course title says ‘Design Concepts and Concerns’ (DCC), it invariably covers many other aspects like Design History, Design Thinking, Design Process (as it was known before probably), Design Advocacy, Design Politics, Design Entrepreneurship to name the few. In all, the potential and importance of design across the sectors may be as part of design advocacy. Apart from this you get to here about and from many people working in the field and industry (many of them are NID alumni, who are doing wonders) and also the experts visiting depending upon the luck.

It is very good to learn the teaching methodology, which is very well tested and more importantly accepted by the students. Also the ability to put them (student) to work . . . (I must share even during the festive seasons, be it monsoon fiesta or Garba at NID). The importance and connection of design with images / pictures / drawings etc and its role became quite clear to me. I could understand how one image conveys the meaning and is worth more than 1000 words, especially when Ranjan explains with the example of drawing the road map and explaining the same with words with long description.

It has been a great learning for the people like me to learn so much about design in such a short period and to be able to appreciate the design thinking and its association with user, confusion as good state of mind and likewise many other things.

This course also offers very good group dynamics and ability to work in a team . . . My best wishes and many congratulations to all the four groups of PG Gandhinagar the first batch of DCC 2008 to have put in great efforts working around the theme of ‘FOOD’ in broad areas of Panjab, Kerala, Gujarat and North East region through brain storming, generating scenarios, mapping the same with metaphor and at last coming out with design opportunities. Keep up the spirit; I am sure these learning would be quite helpful solving many other design problems at different levels.