About
Design education at IIT Kanpur is a transformative journey that fosters creativity and critical thinking. With a nice blend of theory and practice, our curriculum lays emphasis on user-centred approaches and incorporates human factors to ensure that designs effectively meet the needs and behaviours of users. Through hands-on projects, collaborative teamwork, and interdisciplinary learning, we prepare students for real-world challenges. We incorporate elements of social innovation, encouraging students to tackle pressing societal issues through the development of sustainable products, applications, and services. We utilize advanced tools, technology, and design thinking methodologies to cultivate a mindset focused on continuous improvement and adaptability. We empower students to experiment with ideas, materials, and technologies, addressing complex challenges in an increasingly visual and interactive world. Candidates with previous work experience are encouraged to apply. We also encourage students to place a strong emphasis on intellectual craftsmanship and personal expression in all their design endeavours.
Join us to transform your passion into expertise and make a meaningful impact in the world of design. Explore your future at the Department of Design!
Featured
IITK launches Kala Gram
IIT Kanpur has launched Kala Gram, a design development centre at the Ranjit Singh Rozi Shiksha Kendra to preserve and revitalise traditional crafts through innovation. Prof. Satyaki Roy has been closely involving with the centre since its inception. The centre will serve as a hub for artisans to explore new materials, techniques, and market.
Design potential of natural materials
Prof. Mainak Das works at the intersection of biomaterials and design. Most recently, his group has worked on innovative projects with silk cocoons. Water vapor increases the electrical conductivity of silk cocoons, human hair, jute, and corn silk. In the present study, XPS analysis of cocoons showed that water vapor reduces the surface presence of low-energy carbon species. This research presents directions for advanced biomaterials design that are useful for long-terms sustainability.
Flexible and hybrid manufacturing
The Smart Manufacturing and Intelligent Learning Systems Lab (SMILE Lab) is at the forefront of pioneering research and innovation in the fields of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and intelligent learning systems. By bridging the gap between traditional manufacturing and Industry 4.0, we aim to create smarter, more efficient.
HFSS Studios design researchers
HFSS studios designs for humans in complex systems. Under this banner it pursues three main lines of research: Human Machine Interaction, Human Factors and Human Systems Integration. Application areas include both technological and social sectors where human centred design can provide value addition and make it comfortable and productive for users.
News
- Design Foresight 26 Explores Agentic AI at IIT Kanpur: Hosted on March 19, Design Foresight 26 brought together industry leaders to examine the shift from screen-based interfaces to intent-driven, agentic user experiences, alongside the launch of the department’s 2026 brand and Master’s in Design outlook.
- Design Foresight 26 | Optum and Bharat Matrimony Leaders Say AI Cannot Replace Designers: Industry experts from Optum, Bharat Matrimony, and Interview Kickstart emphasized that while AI enhances efficiency, human judgment, taste, and design thinking remain central to meaningful and responsible design outcomes.
- Design Foresight 26 | Industry Experts Decode Inclusive Design for Next Billion Users: Panellists highlighted that designing for the next billion users—spanning rural, non-English-speaking, and first-time smartphone users—requires addressing challenges like low bandwidth, shared devices, and building trust through vernacular and cultural familiarity.
- Design Foresight 26 | IIT Kanpur Design Students Captivate Attendees with Story Pods: Immersive Story Pods created by students drew significant attention at the venue entrance, showcasing innovative projects and reflecting the depth of creative effort behind the department’s evolving design culture.
- Talk on Rural Net-Zero Mobility by Dr. Rajeev Jindal: Dr. Rajeev Jindal delivered a talk on the Super Cycle Model, exploring how sustainable mobility solutions can address rural commuting challenges through systems thinking and innovation.
- Distinguished IAS Officers Visit HIVE, IIT Kanpur: HIVE IIT Kanpur hosted IAS officers Diksha Jain and Anubhav Singh, who engaged with students on ongoing projects and explored collaborations for the upcoming Bithoor Festival.
- Industry Session by Snigdha Singh on Design Careers and Portfolios: Snigdha Singh shared valuable insights on building impactful portfolios and navigating design careers, connecting industry experience with student aspirations.
- DoD Sports Meet 2026 Begins with Football Finals: The departmental sports series kicked off with an exciting football final, where Tripod FC (M.Des First Year) clinched the gold medal in a closely contested match.
- Salesforce Hackathon 2026 Concludes Enterprise UX Course: A three-day Salesforce Hackathon marked the culmination of the Enterprise UX course, with students tackling real-world challenges through collaborative, industry-led design processes.
- Dr. Amar Kumar Behera Wins Distinguished Paper Award at IISc Conference: Dr. Amar Kumar Behera received the Distinguished Paper Award at the Industry 4.0 conference at IISc Bengaluru for research on AI-driven design thinking and prototyping.
- Professor Christopher Salter Engages with HIVE on Immersive Arts and AI: Professor Christopher Salter led an insightful dialogue on immersive technologies and embodied AI, fostering interdisciplinary discussions with students and researchers at HIVE.
- List of Selected Candidates for PhD (AY - 2025 - 26, Even Semester, Summer Intake) New
- List of Shortlisted Candidates for Ph.D interview (AY - 2025 - 26, IInd semester)
- Mr.Rajamanohar Somasundaram, CEO and Co-Founder AquaConnect will be the Guest of Honour for the Convocation 2025 at the Department of Design. He is a pioneering batch student of the Design Programme at IITK.
- Ph.D. Admissions Interview : May 19–20, 2025. (Candidate List)
- M.Des. Admissions Interview : May 26–30, 2025. (Candidate List)
- Workshop on clay organized at DoD, IITK, May 2025 photos of the workshop
- MDes admissions are now open for the academic year 2025-2027. Information Brochure can be accessed here. Apply now!
- Patent awarded to Vishwaraj Shrivastava
- Rolling advertisement for new faculty can be found here
- We are grateful to our esteemed alumnus Shoubhik Dutta Roy (Associate Professor at MIT Institute of Design) for leading an inspiring workshop on...
- A huge thank you to our alumni Piyush Belchandan (Interaction Designer at Google) and Kirti Ahlawat (Senior Designer at Microsoft) for leading...
- Design meets play at IIT Kanpur! Our Department of Design students showcased their board game masterpieces during the Annual Foundation Day celebration on Nov 1st & 2nd 2023.
- Selected candidates for Ph.D Admission - Dec 2024
Workshop Photos
ACADEMICS
Masters in Design
Unlock your potential in the dynamic world of design with our master’s program tailored for aspiring innovators, entrepreneurs and researchers. M.Des at the Department of Design in IIT Kanpur broadly has three themes: Design Entrepreneurship, Design Research, and Design Practice.
1. Design Entrepreneurship
Prepares you to launch and manage design-driven ventures, blending creativity with business acumen. As a design entrepreneur, you can be a strategic changemaker for an organization by combining entrepreneurial thinking with design principles to drive innovation, influence culture, and create sustainable value.
2. Design Research
Emphasizes critical inquiry and analytical skills, fostering the development of ground- breaking ideas and methodologies. As a design researcher, you can position yourself as an academic and industrial researcher. You will create value for organisations by leveraging your research skills and insights to drive innovation, improve user experiences, and inform decision-making.
3. Design Practice
Focuses on hands-on experience, empowering you to create impactful design-led solutions. As a practicing designer, you can be a societal changemaker by harnessing your creative skills and design thinking principles. You will grow creatively as an expert designer and bring about a change by your design principles and values.
Under these themes, students can pursue their academic and research interests in Product/Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Human Machine Interaction, New Media, AR/VR/XR Design, HCI in sound and music, Design History & Theory, Visual Communication, Visual Culture, Typography, Animation & Films, AI/ML Design, Human Robot Interaction, Design for Sustainability, Crafts, System and Service Design, Strategic Design and Design Policy, Human Factors and Ergonomics (Physical & Cognitive), Speculative Design, Design Futures, Design Fictions, Spatial Design, Design for Industry 4.0/5.0, Agro-Ecological Design etc. We encourage dynamic minds to work on the above design streams to create the next generation of designers and design leaders.
PhD in Design
The PhD program in the Department of Design enables the research scholars to address complex societal problems that create value with advanced design scholarships. Potential candidates are encouraged to contact the faculty to align their research interests. We engage in teaching and research in areas like Product/Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Voice User Interactions, Interactions with Smart Agents, Human-Machine Interaction, New Media, AR/VR/XR Design, HCI in sound and music, Design History & Theory, Visual Communication, Visual Culture, Cultural Semiotics, Visual Ethnography, Typography, Animation & Films, AI/ML Design, Human Robot Interaction, Design for Sustainability, Crafts, System and Service Design, Strategic Design and Design Policy, Human Factors and Ergonomics (Physical & Cognitive), Speculative Design, Design Futures, Design Fictions, Spatial Design, Design for Industry 4.0/5.0, Agro-Ecological Design, Agricultural Anthropology, Social Agrodesign, Food Systems Design, Agromaterial Design & etc. The list is not exhaustive, and we are always open to exploring newer and more relevant topics for research across design domains.
Facilities
Agro-Bio-Design Lab
Mainak Das
PAL (Print Art Lab)
Shatarupa Roy
Design for Emerging Interactions
DIC PDP Studio (Design Innovation Center Product Design & Prototyping Studio)
J Ramkumar, & Girish Ishwar Lone
Digital Design Studio
Satyaki Roy
HEL (Happy Earth Lab)
Rajeev Jindal
HIVE Lab (Harmony, Interaction, and Versatile Exploration Lab)
Gowdham Prabhakar
KARYA – Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory
Ashish Singh
Media Technology Center
Satyaki Roy
MoM Studio (Meaning over Medium)
Nilutpal Borgohain
Nature Biodesign Lab
Himanshi Jangir
Type.lab
Faculty
Amar Kumar Behera
Associate Professor
Ph.D (KU Leuven)
Product design, Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, Engineering informatics, Multirobot systems, Smart manufacturing, Flexible sheet metal forming, Bio-medical devices, Complex engineered systems.
amarkb@iitk.ac.in
Ashish Kumar Singh
Assistant Professor
Ph.D (MNIT Jaipur)
Human Factors and Ergonomics, Occupational Health and Safety, Product design.
Girish Ishwar Lone
Professor of Practice
Product Design, Design strategy, Technology Integration, Stakeholder management, Innovation management
Gowdham Prabhakar
Assistant Professor
Ph.D (IISc Bangalore)
Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Robotics, Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Music Technology, Creative Technology, Inclusive/Assistive Technology, New Media/Interactive Arts
gowdhampg@iitk.ac.in
Himanshi Jangir
Assistant Professor
Ph.D (IIT Kanpur)
Agroecosystem Design, Food Systems Design, Agromaterial Design using Biorobots, Agricultural Anthropology, Social Agrodesign.
J Ramkumar
Professor
Ph.D (IIT Madras)
Micro/Nano Manufacturing and New product/process development, Tribology, composite, Manufacturing Process modelling, Medical Device Development.
Mainak Das
Professor
Ph.D (University of Central Florida)
Bio Design & Biomimetic.
mainakd@iitk.ac.in
Nilutpal Borgohain
Assistant Professor
Ph.D (IIT Guwahati)
Visual Communication Design, Cultural Semiotics, Visual Culture, Conceptual Metaphors in Design, Motion Design, Visual Ethnography.
Rajeev Jindal
Professor of Practice
Ph.D (IIT Delhi)
Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Innovation through design
rajeevj@iitk.ac.in
Satyaki Roy
Professor and Head
Ph.D (Visva Bharati University)
Communication Design, Films and Media
satyaki@iitk.ac.in
Shatarupa Roy
Associate Professor
Ph.D (IIT Guwahati)
History and Theory of Art and Design, Visual Communication, Visual Culture, Graphic Art, Research Methods, New Materialism, Folk Art and Craft.
stroy@iitk.ac.in
Vivek Kant
Associate Professor
Ph.D. (University of Waterloo)
Human Machine Interaction, Human Factors, Human Systems Integration, System Design, Strategic Design, Speculative Design.
vkant@iitk.ac.in
Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Ashutosh Khanna
Strategic Management, Strategic Innovation
Dr. Avinash Shende
Industrial Design
Dr. D. Udaya Kumar
Graphic Design, Typography, Type Design, Information Graphics, Motion Graphics, Design Research, Exhibition Design, Architecture
Dr. Jhumkee Sengupta Iyengar
User Experience Design
Dr. Nishant Sharma
Automotive Design, Vehicle Design Process, Product Form and Aesthetics, Participatory Innovation
Mr. Prantik Banerjee
Industrial Design, User Experience
Ms. Saloni Borar
User Experience & Product Design
Mr. Sandip Paul
Industrial Design
Dr. Sreekumar GV
Visual Design, Typography, Publication Design, Magazine Design, Information Graphics
Mr. Sudhir Sharma
Brand Design, Design Thinking, Communication Design
Dr. Sugandh Malhotra
Design for future, Design for marginal societies, Sustainable design, Bio-inspired design, Mobility design
Ms. Suhasini Paul
Toy design & Development, Logo and Identity Design, Character Design, Packaging Design
Prospective Faculty
The Department of Design welcomes applications from both Indian and Foreign Nationals who have outstanding academic and research credentials for full-time faculty positions across all levels. Selected individuals will engage in teaching and research across various design disciplines, with a particular emphasis on one or more of the following areas.
Agro-Bio-Design and Sustainability
- Agro Ecological Design
- Eco-System Design
- Food and Nutritional Security
- Biomimetics and Nature Inspired Design
Communication Design
- Visual Communication
- Graphic Design
- Branding and Identity
- User Interface (UI) Design
- Typography
Design Management
- Design Thinking and Innovation
- Project Management in Design
- Strategic Branding
Design History and Theory
- Critical Studies in Design
- Cultural Impacts of Design
- The Evolution of Design Practices
- Visual Ethnography
Industrial Design
- Product Development
- Ergonomics, Human Factors
- Sustainable Design Practices
- Packaging Design
Interaction Design
- User Experience (UX) Design
- Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
- Interactive Media Design
- Behavioral Design and Human Experience
- Applications of AI/ML for Design
Motion Graphics
- Animation and Visual Effects
- Multimedia Storytelling
- Game Design
- Virtual/Augmented Reality
Placements
Ankush Kumar Gagat
Student Placement Coordinator
+91 7984825725
ankushg24@iitk.ac.in
Ishita Srivastava
Student Placement Coordinator
+91-7388504183
sishita24@iitk.ac.in
Rajeev Jindal
Faculty In Charge
rajeevj@iitk.ac.in