Mumbai: Riidl Academy, a constituent college of Somaiya Vidyavihar University and KHAKI Lab have partnered to develop an innovative education model that will help students become compassionate Product Designers who can build sustainable solutions using Design Thinking philosophy that focuses on User Experience and Business Viability.
Design, Innovation and Entrepreneurship has always been integral to the culture at riidl. The 4-year undergraduate program – Bachelor of Design in Product Design will help take the zest of building wonderful solutions for the people and planet. Hetal Mundra the Program Coordinator at Riidl Academy said “Guided by the best in the industry, the curriculum at Riidl Academy will enable students to own their learning journey, in an environment characterized by collaboration, and learning outcomes assessed by ‘Real Impact.”
KHAKI Lab is a leading Heritage tour company in Mumbai and their partnership with Riidl Academy will provide students with opportunities to make observations and form their unique perceptions of the world around us. They can explore various stakeholders in our society, explore their own city which is so rich, diverse and full of interesting stories and opportunities. Commenting on the association Bharat Gothoskar Founder of KHAKI Lab said “Mumbai is a living museum with history and heritage that comes alive at every nook and corner. It is high time that we leverage what Mumbai has to offer by unlocking the inherent tourism potential of our heritage precincts. The students will be working on this problem statement for 2 months, focusing on the precincts of Banganga and Fort, both of which they’ll visit and learn about through carefully curated sessions by Team Khaki”.
Working in groups, the students will seek to address the challenge and aim to make the precincts tourist-friendly while enabling flourishment of local residents and businesses. On the partnership with KHAKI Lab, Hetal Mundra said “Requiring extensive usage of tools and strategies of Design Thinking, knowledge of Society and Culture as well as Systems thinking, this Design Challenge is the perfect way to kickstart the students’ design Journey under continuous mentorship of KHAKI at Riidl Academy”.
Working on real Design Challenges given by Industry Partners like KHAKI Lab can be an enriching learning experience. Understanding the ground challenges of our country can give students a reality check into the skills they must develop in the classrooms.
