About Designin Schools in A-104, Shiv Chambers, Sector 11, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai)

The word design has many meanings. Commonly design is understood as a pattern or a composition in a visual form as we see in the design of a book or a garment. It can also acquire a fairly complex structure as seen in the design of a software, bridge or machine. In any form, design can be stated as process of recognising a problem & finding solutions to it. It is a process that is fundamental to any individual & her/his every-day life. Design incorporates our social, cultural, scientific & aesthetic values to create solutions. It is human-centred, collaborative & experimental in nature. It is also optimistic in nature with a belief that there are answers for all problems.

Design & K-12 education
Does design have a space in K-12 schools?

A subject like design can add several dimensions to a learning environment. There are various methods & processes in the development of a new design, idea or solution, collectively referred to as design thinking. As educators, one can apply design thinking to facilitate innovative approaches to existing methods of teaching and learning. For students, design based programs will be a dynamic & cross-disciplinary learning experience. It will encourage curiosity, inquiry, problem-solving, communication & collaboration.

Designin Schools hopes to facilitate the above through design programs & workshops.

For educators we have two programs
•Design Thinking
•Cross-pollination

For students we have programs under the following domains
•Design
•Humanities

At the centre of any design process is a human-centred approach. Our program in Humanities will enable the study & appreciation of culture. Identifying with different cultures will enable the children understand themselves & others better. Learning from structures like these can be invaluable in today’s global context.

Designin Schools is a concept developed by DesignWorks, a cross-disciplinary design practice offering services in Architecture & Communication Design.

The concept has evolved from our dual roles as design professionals & educators. As a practice we have had a long & on-going engagement with the education & child-care with clients like Educomp Solutions, Little Millennium, Eurokids, Euroschool, DAV School, Mahatma Education Society, Hindi Vidya Bhavan etc. Our interests in design also extend itself as educators with institutes like PICA, NIFT, AIKTC, Manipal University etc.

Following its inception in 2008, the concept took a stronger shape through presentations in conferences, public forums & interactions with peers & academics. In 2011, Designin Schools formally launched its programs for K-12 schools.