Department of

Design | IIT Hyderabad

PhD ADMISSIONS
2O24-25
 Introduction
IITH

Indian Institute of IITH enjoys a very special relationship with

Japanese Universities and Industries that goes
Technology Hyderabad beyond academic and research collaborations.
nd
is one among the 2 generation of IITs
In fact, some of the iconic buildings in IITH
started by the Govt. of India. Today IITH
campus carry the signature of Japanese
offers 11 BTech programs, 1 BDes Program, 3
architecture. IITH is creating a unique holistic
MSc programs, 18 MTech programs, 1 MDes
educational ecosystem that offers interactive
program, 1 MA Program and 15 PhD
learning, a highly flexible academic structure,
programs in all branches of Engineeing,
cutting-edge research, strong industry
Science, Liberal Arts, Design. The very
collaboration, and entrepreneurship. It is
foundation of IIT Hyderabad is based on
providing an environment wherein students
research and innovation. The vibrant
and faculty are not afraid to translate their
research culture is evident from the number
dreams into realities.
of patents and publications that IITH has.
Based on unique fractal academics, the
course curriculum is carefully designed to
keep the enthusiasm of the students and to
keep them in pace with the state of the art.
Department
of Design
The Department of Design offers a vibrant environment for
learning, practicing, research and exploring several facets of design. The department
envisions to creatively engage in the space between technologies and society. This
involves facilitating innovation in the key emergent areas such as Participatory &
Collaborative Design, Communication & Interaction Design, Professional Ethics &
Sustainability, Product Systems & Services, Design & Education, Wellness, Crowd Sourced
Design etc. “Design” calls for thinking “from-the-scratch,” thinking “Out-of-the-box” and
thinking in line with the needs of contemporary society and devising creative solutions.
“Design” is essentially aimed at enhancing the user experience. Improvement of any
process / service / equipment by incorporation of ingenious means is what defines
“Good Design.” The Department of Design is committed to the growth of design
education. To fulfill this vision, a joint PhD Programme with Swinburne University,
Australia and a Design Minor programme has been initiated.

VISION MISSION
The vision of the Design Department at IITH To prepare the new generation of designers to
is to be recognized for its leadership in the shape the quality of human experience
discipline and the profession by advancing in products, communications and system
design excellence in evolving themes of integrated solutions through design
design that positively impact daily lives and excellence. The Department of Design at IITH
inherits cultural values. Through its provides an inspiring, creative, collaborative,
interdisciplinary faculty strength, the excellent research and student-centered
department is keen to tackle social & global learning environment while preparing
challenges, towards a more sustainable responsible and thriving new generation of
future, developing entrepreneurial mindsets, designers who apply their knowledge, skills
and aims towards academic and and abilities to enrich the profession, the
research excellence. society and the global community with
socially relevant design solutions keeping
future perspective and sustainability in mind.
 Programmes at
DOD IITH

Design Minor
Department of Design
This provides an opportunity for students
currently offers:
from different streams of Bachelor students of
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) IITH to engage in a design oriented course.
Master of Design (MDes) MoE
and Self Sponsored, Note -
Visual Design For those students who are inclined towards
Product Design Academia & Research, the Department offers
Interaction Design a Direct BDes to PhD with few criterias as per
MDes by Practice Institute Norms.
MDes by Project
Mdes by Project program is based on
Bachelor of Design (BDes) availability of the projects in the Department.
PG Certificate Program in Visual Design
and UX (Online) with collaboration MDes Applicants from MoE and Self
with Talentsprint Sponsored can apply for only 2 specializations
out of 3.
PhD
in Design
A regular full time PhD (Doctor of Practice-led Research is concerned with the
Philosophy) in Design provides a platform to nature of practice and leads to new
pursue practice based and practice led knowledge that has operational significance
research in art, design and culture. for that practice. The main focus of the
Practice-based Research is an original research is to advance knowledge about
investigation undertaken in order to gain practice, or to advance knowledge within
new knowledge partly by means of practice practice. In a doctoral thesis, the results of
and the outcomes of the practice. practice-led research may be fully described
Practice-led Research is the nature of in text form without the inclusion of a
practice that leads to new knowledge that creative outcome.
has operational significance for that practice.
Research
Areas
Architectural Design & Sustainability | through multiple approaches which include
Artificial Intelligence & Art | Augmented think-aloud protocol studies,
Reality | Computer Aided Design | Design phenomenological studies, new media
Education | Design Theory and approaches of Virtual reality, Augmented
Methodologies | Digital Heritage | Drone & reality, mixed reality experiences. Studies also
Mobility | Game Design | Human Computer include neurocognitive approaches with EEG,
Interaction | IoT Design | Photography & Art EMG, GSR and other physiological
and Design | Ai and Art | System Design & measurements | Usability and user experience
New Media Design | Typography & Type of advanced interfaces with different
Design | Virtual Reality and Haptics | Visual & modalities of interaction, specifically in the
Animation Design | Design education for Indian context. To develop applications for
schools and colleges | Teaching learning different user contexts like geriatric care, rural
methods through AR , VR and MR for school education, interactive design applications,
education | Game based learning for school Analyse the data to gain insights and provide
education | Urban aerial mobility design | design guidelines for effective engagement
Design and development of autonomous with the stakeholders | Digital Heritage and
urban vehicles | Tangible and Intangible Preservation for traditional craft |
heritage | Chat GPT and Design Documenting and Designing Folklore and
AI and Design | Understanding the role of Culture for Future Generations
affect and cognition in Design processes |
Film and Animation | Communication Design
| Digital Narratives | User Experience Design
| Design Thinking | Systems Design | UX
Design Strategy | Emerging Technologies
(AI, IoT, AR/VR) | Usability Engineering |
Game design | Designing for accessibility
and inclusivity | Cultural and contextual
influences on user behavior
Funded
Projects
“Creating Digital Immersive Heritage Heritage preservation, AI in Design,
Experience, Risk Assessment and Indigenous Crafts and the practices,
Vernacular Architecture Analysis of Five architectural ornaments, Design Ethics - The
Historically Significant Temple Marvels* of project aims to explore and study the
Kashi” architectural heritage sites of Northeast India.
PI: Dr Shiva Ji The study shall provide a structural and
Number of seats: 02 elemental framework for visual compositions
Post 1: of these motifs and patterns present in these
Qualification & Eligibility: heritage sites. Exploring visual semantics of
M.Arch/M.Des/M.Tech the architectural ornamentations is part of
Mandatory: methodology, this defines and documents the
Candidates with knowledge in Virtual probable influences of the artisans of that era.
Reality and Augmented Reality / Digital The study will unfold new insights into India's
Experience Design OR Game Developer cultural influence and evolution. The
only should apply. Knowledge of 3D deliverables will create a contemporary space
modeling, VR&AR and skills such as C#, using modern digital tools for the untapped
C++, Unity, Reality Capture, Cinema 4D, resources of ancient monuments, relics and
Unreal Engine, Blender, Oculus, etc., is ruins of Northeast India.
required.
Desirable: PI: Dr Saurav Khuttiya Deori
Conservation and/or research experience Number of seat: 01 (Fulltime)
and knowledge of Indian vernacular Qualification & Eligibility: MDes / MFA
architecture and heritage would be an Desirable:
added advantage. Photogrammetry, 3D modelling, Information
architecture, Web Based Design (UI, UX,
Post 2: front-end and Back-end), illustration, motion
Qualification: M.Arch/M.Des/M.Tech graphics, AR/VR/XR/ MR.
Mandatory: Funding Agency: IIT Hyderabad
Candidates with knowledge in Conservation
/ Disaster Management / Risk Assessment
only should apply. Knowledge of GIS,
Heritage is required.
Desirable:
Knowledge of Digital tools, mapping and
documentation, 3D modeling would be an
added advantage.
Funding Agency: DST
Funded
Projects
Digital Video Technologies and Women Virtual recreation & digital preservation of
Filmmakers: An Exploration of the cultural heritage Temple sites of southern
Emergent Narratives in Indie cinema states of India
PI: Dr Sonali Srivastav PI: Prof. Deepak John Mathew
Number of seat: 01 (Fulltime) Number of Seats: 02 (Partime/Fulltime)
Qualification & Eligibility: MDes / MArch / Qualification & Eligibility: MDes / MArch /
MTech / MPhil / MFA / MA / MSc / MTech / MPhil / MFA / MA / MSc /
Postgraduate Diploma in Design of NID, Postgraduate Diploma in Design of NID,
Ahmedabad and equivalent Ahmedabad and equivalent / B.Des (CFI or
Desirable: Government Statutory Institute), For External
Candidates with knowledge in Film/video Direct PhD: At least 2 years of relevant
production, storytelling, narratives experience with NOC is eligible for admission
Funding Agency: IIT Hyderabad as External Direct PhD.
Desirable:
Empowering Digital Literacy in the Photogrammetry, Information architecture,
Banking Sector of Rural Telangana Graphic Design, Web Based Design (UI, UX,
PI: Dr. Anusmita Das front-end and Back-end), illustration, motion
Number of seat: 01 (Fulltime) graphics, AR/VR/XR/ MR, Digital Preservation,
Qualification & Eligibility: MDes / MArch / Cultural Heritage, Temple Architecture, Virtual
MTech / MPhil / MFA / MA / MSc / recreations, 3D digitalisation, Geo-tagging
Postgraduate Diploma in Design of NID, Funding Agency: DST
Ahmedabad and equivalent
Desirable: Candidates with knowledge in
User Experience Design, Design Thinking,
Systems Design, UX Design Strategy,
Emerging Technologies
(AI, IoT, AR/VR), Usability Engineering,
Game design, Designing for accessibility
and inclusivity, Cultural and contextual
influences on user behavior Funding
Agency: IIT Hyderabad
Eligibility &
Selection Process
Eligibility only should apply. Knowledge of 3D modeling, VR&AR
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and skills such as C#, Unity, Reality Capture, Cinema 4D,
M.Des. / M.Arch. / M.Tech. / M.Phil. / MFA / M.A / M.Sc / Unreal Engine, Blender, Oculus, Conservation / Disaster
Postgraduate Diploma in Design of NID, Ahmedabad Management / Risk Assessment only should apply.
and equivalent, B.Des (CFI or Government Knowledge of GIS, Heritage is required.
Statutory Institute), For External Direct PhD:
At least 2 years of relevant experience with Selection Process
NOC is eligible for admission as External PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Direct PhD. The selection procedure depends upon the applicant’s
interest area and topic of interest and the suitability
For general category students and/or for students with the respective guide. Please write to the
where no concession in academic performance is department/ faculty with your Ph.D. proposal and see if
called for, eligibility requires the following criteria as the guide is interested in the area. Admission is based
regards to performance in the qualifying degree: on the candidate’s area of interest and performance in
Personal Interviews, Academic qualification, and Design
(1) A minimum of 60 percent marks (55% marks for Portfolio. All candidates are required to upload one zip
SC/ST) in the final academic year of the program. file containing the following: Ph.D. proposal | Portfolio
of work/publications | Copies of certificates
(2) Candidates with MA/MSc should have qualified
CEED/GATE/NET or equivalent examinations to be
eligible for Teaching Assistantship.

For Heritage Architecture & Digital Experience Design

Project, Candidates with knowledge in Virtual Reality
and Augmented Reality / Digital Experience Design
Facilities at
DOD IITH
The Department of Design offers a vibrant Publication Lab
environment with state of the art technology Equipped with two large format printers and a
and facilities such as Photography Studio, screen printing machine, this lab has facilities
Animation Studio, Clay Studio, Wood & Metal to perform all processes from printing up to
Workshop, Printing Lab, IT Labs, 3D Printing the finishing. Lab provides in-house facilities
Facility, Book Binding, Silk Screen Printing such as trimming, binding and thermal
and a library. lamination to the students to explore and
carry out their work more efficiently in one
Photography Studio place. A 3D printer capable of printing
Photography Studio at Department of finished working models provides
Design provides state of the art facilities for opportunities to the students not only to print
professional photography and videography. the prototype but also develop the
Studio also provides audio-video editing and working products.
colour correction facilities for professional
production. Here, students and researchers Wood and Metal Workshop
are encouraged to use modern inhouse The wood and metal workshop is equipped
facilities to innovate and experiment in the with high standard machines, power
field of photography and filmmaking. tools and hand tools to facilitate working with
different materials such as metal, wood,
Animation Studio acrylic, bamboo etc. Some of the highlights
The Department of Design’s philosophy on are Wood Carving CNC machine, Laser
animation is "the narrative inspires the Cutting machine, Vacuum Forming machine,
medium." The Animation lab blends Panel saw, Table Saw, Spindle Moulder, Chain
traditional and modern techniques, and Chisel mortiser, Wood lathe, Metal Lathe,
encouraging students to explore various Tig Welding, Arc Welding, Paint Booth etc.
methods like using paper, pencil, puppets, Students use this in-house facility for model
clay, and oil paint on glass. Advanced making and fabrication with high precision.
technologies such as 360-degree cameras,
Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), and digital Clay Studio
tools support creating works in 2D/3D, Unique to IIT Hyderabad, clay studio is
motion graphics, VFX, AR, and VR. equipped with high-end tools and machineries
required for both traditional potter making
and specialized automaotive design.
Facilities at
DOD IITH
VR Cave / AR-VR Lab Design for Sustainability Lab
VR cave at IIT Hyderabad is a virtual reality Sustainability is a holistic approach which the
space; primarily an empty room in the shape lab intends to engage for issues to handle
of a cube in which each of the surfaces with research, development and educational
comprising the walls, floor and ceiling may activities. The lab intends to take-up local /
be used as projection screens to create a regional / national challenges and strive for
highly immersive virtual environment. strategic sustainable solutions. It’s objective is
Furnished with modern equipment and to foster a balance between people, society
technology such as stereoscopic eyewear, and economy and regenerate the carrying
wands, data gloves, joysticks etc., lab capacity of life-supporting ecosystems. The
provides an ideal immersive virtual reality proposed lab would take up research projects,
environment for the students consultancy projects, and academic
and researchers. assignments, etc., in a leading role to inculcate
attentive minds towards causes serving three
Design Innovation Centre (DIC) - Nodal aspects of sustainability in real life.
DIC at IIT Hyderabad is supported by MoE,
Government of India. It serves as the nodal Digital Heritage Lab
hub also for all DICs synergy and growth. The lab intends to explore virtual dimensions
DIC projects involve innovations in of perception and visualization for research in
government, private, and academic sectors, architecture and design. The lab will connect
including national heritage preservation, academics and research for fresh and
autonomous passenger drones, detailed innovative ideas into this domain. The output
product designs, design education, cultural could be in the form of virtual reality,
heritage, and temple architecture. Key augmented reality, mixed reality for an
research areas cover photogrammetry, immersive experience to the user. The lab
information architecture, graphic design, would look for fitting applications for virtual
web-based UI/UX, motion graphics, architecture experience & projection
AR/VR/XR/MR, virtual recreations, 3D computations for optimization of system,
digitalization, AI in art, and art and design form, material and processes.
education for schools. DIC aims to foster
creativity and innovation through
multidisciplinary research and collaborations.
Faculties at
DOD IITH

Prasad Onkar, PhD

Associate Professor & Head, Department of Design
Research Interests: Virtual Reality, Haptics, Interaction Design,
Product Design, 3D Printing, Affect- Cognition Interaction and
Design Innovation

Prasad Onkar completed his PhD in Computer-Aided Conceptual Design from

Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM), IISc Bangalore. He holds
Master of Technology (M. Tech.) degree in Product Design and Manufacturing
from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, Karnataka, and Bachelor of
Engineering (B. E.) degree in Mechanical Engineering from Karnatak University,
Dharwad, Karnataka. Prior to joining IIT Hyderabad, he was Assistant Professor at
Department of Design at IIT Guwahati. He was also a Visiting Researcher at
Virtual Prototyping Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at
Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy. He is also the convener of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
(UBA) and member of Rural Development Centre of the Institute.

Deepak John Mathew, PhD

Professor
Research Interests: Digital Heritage Preservation, AR/
VR, XR, Photography and Imaging, Design Education, Design
Innovation, Autonomous Passenger Drones, Art and Design
Education for School, AI and Art

Deepak John Mathew is involved in setting up the design Department at IIT

Hyderabad. He has been instrumental in designing and developing the dual
postgraduate programme in Photography Design. He also set up the
Photography Design discipline and started an International Postgraduate
Certificate Programme in Photography at the institute in collaboration with
University for Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. Deepak has curated a number of
exhibitions at NID, including those featuring the works of the famed
photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Anne Maniglier, and Raghu Rai. He
had five solo shows in the UK and India, exhibited his work at many international
and national exhibitions and has authored several papers and a book titled
“Principles of Design through Photography”. He is a regular contributor and
columnist to magazines like Indian Architecture and Builder and
Better Photography.
Faculties at
DOD IITH

Neelakantan Keshavan, PhD

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Architectural Design, Space Design,
New Media Design, Aesthetics, Urban Studies, Visual Design,
Visual Culture, Performance Studies

Neelakantan’s critical and creative enquiries, instead of rooting within

domains tend to be more in the form of lines of thinking which pass
through Architectural and Design Theorization, Embodied Knowledges
and Practices, Aesthetics, Urban Studies, Space, Place, Visual Culture
and Performance Studies. These lines tend to be particularly attracted
to in-betweens and inter-disciplines and look forward to encountering
Anthropology, Literature and Philosophy.

Delwyn Remedios, PhD

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Animation, Illustration & Film Making,
Narratives, Visual Design, 360 Degree Animation,
Character Design, Colors

Being an international award winning experimental animation

filmmaker, his animation work explores a variety of mediums such as
Traditional, Digital, Sand, Whiteboard, Explainer Videos, Motion
Graphics, Stop-motion, GIFs, Projection Mapping and 360-Degree
Virtual Reality animation. He has worked in the eLearning industry as a
Visual Designer and has contributed to areas of Visual Storyboards,
Character Designs, Illustrations, Motion Graphics, Info Graphics and
Animation Production. Other industry projects include Children Book
Illustrations, Book Cover Designs, Visual Representation of Oral
Traditions, Graphic Novels, Comics, Caricatures, Mascot Design, Mural
Art and Graffiti. He is the author and illustrator of a web comic series
Shayne’s World. At IIT Hyderabad, he teaches courses in Animation,
Filmmaking and Illustration.
Faculties at
DOD IITH

Shiva Ji, PhD

Associate Professor
Research Interests: Design for Sustainability, Sustainability,
Assessment, LCA, New Age Products/Services, Virtual &
Augmented Reality, Architectural Heritage Reconstruction

Shiva Ji is a practicing Architect, and Assistant Professor in

Department of Design and Department of Climate Change at IIT
Hyderabad. He has attained B.Arch, MDes, MBA and PhD in
sustainability assessment methods in built environments from IIT
Guwahati. He has over 13 years of cumulative experience in industry
and academics. He has accomplished several projects in the field and
has over 39 designs launched in the market. He is involved with many
research projects using state of the art technology in domains of
architecture and design. He is a member with several national and
International organizations and has chaired various technical sessions
and conferences.

Seema Krishnakumar
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Visual Storytelling, Data Visualisation,
Information Design, Interaction Design, Interactive Narratives,
Multimedia and Photography

Seema has more than a decade long experience as a visual

communicator, documentary photographer and design faculty. She has
worked for several government and non- governmental organisations
as a designer. Earlier she worked with DJ Academy of Design, Kerala
State Institute of Design and National Institute of Design. Currently she
is pursuing her PhD at IDC, IIT Bombay. She holds a Masters in
Communication Design from Pratt Institute, New York where she was
also a Fulbright – Nehru fellow for the same.
Faculties at
DOD IITH

Ankita Roy
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Typography, Ancient Scripts, Geometry
& Tessellations, Kufic Calligraphy, Architectural Decoration,
UX-UI, Paper Engineering and Book Design

Ankita did her graduation from the prestigious National Institute of

Design, Ahmedabad and Masters in Visual Communication from IDC,
IIT Bombay including a brief stint as Research Assistant at Nanyang
Technological University in Singapore. Ms. Roy has over a decade long
experience in the Design and Publishing Industry. Her research works
have been published and cataloged at prestigious libraries in India and
the World over. Her work - “Brahmi -Rediscovering the Lost Script” has
been widely acclaimed for its ingenious approach with lucid but
engaging visual story-telling. She is currently researching the painting
traditions of Bundelkhand.

Mohammad Shahid, PhD

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Design Research, Experimental Typography,
Visual Culture, Visual Branding, Graphic Design,
Indic Script, Communication Design

Mohammad Shahid has a diverse design background with

a Bachelor of Design (BDes) in Textile Design from National Institute of
Fashion Technology (NIFT), Master of Design (MDes) and PhD in
Design, both from Department of Design, IIT Guwahati with core
specialisation in Visual Communication/Graphic Design. His PhD thesis
is based on “Understanding the visual vocabulary of the title design
and its role in Bollywood movie posters.” His current research area is
experimental typography where he is exploring different ways of
making alphabets (especially Indic Script) learning more
playful and engaging.
Faculties at
DOD IITH

Srikar AVR
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Product Design, Furniture Design, System
Design, Advanced Materials, Workplace Design and Ethnography,
3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping

Srikar is an Architect and an Industrial Designer by profession. He is an Product

Design, PG alumnus of National Institute of Design. He also did another Masters in
Strategic Design and Innovation from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Srikar has led global
consulting assignments with Iconic furniture manufacturing brands like Herman Miller
and Steelcase. With 13 years of industry experience, he also worked in various
capacities as a Design leader with brands like Kohler, DuPont, Godrej and Nokia in
the areas of R&D, Design and Innovation, Advanced Materials in Design, CSRs,
Sustainability, Analytics, Workplace Strategy. With his passion for research and
teaching young minds; he travelled widely and been an active visiting faculty in
leading design and architecture Institutes in India and abroad. He has been
nominated as India design ambassador for Scandinavia (Norway and Sweden)
representing Godrej for the company’s efforts in the field of Healthcare design
innovations. He is also a member of CoA, WDO, IADRA, CII etc.

Saurav Khuttiya Deori, PhD

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Visual ethnography research,
Heritage preservation, Branding- identity designs and
print publications, Graphic Design

Saurav Khuttiya Deori has pursued his master’s and Ph.D. programs at the Indian
Institute of Technology Guwahati with interest in Visual communication. His Ph.D.
research include studies on architectural ornamentations of the early monuments
of the Ahom dynasty of Assam. For his Ph.D. work, Saurav was the recipient of
the ‘Best Thesis Award’ for the year 2021-2022 of the Department of Design,
IITG. He was also associated with a thematic project under the Design Innovation
Centre (DIC), IIT Guwahati, funded by the Ministry of Education, Govt. Of India.
The project aims to develop various promotional tools to uplift the tourism
industry of Assam. Saurav has worked on multiple branding, print and publishing
projects for IIT Guwahati, Directorate of cultural affairs, Govt. of Assam and Govt.
of Bodoland Territorial Council, India.
Faculties at
DOD IITH

Anusmita Das, PhD

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Design Thinking, User Experience Design, User
Experience and Cultures, Research Methodologies, Visual Culture,
Visual Identity, Urban Semantics, Temporal Urbanism and Cultural
Heritage

Anusmita is an alumnus of the Department of Design, IIT Guwahati where she

pursued her Master’s and Ph.D. in Design. As one of the founding members of NID
Madhya Pradesh, she played a crucialrole in establishing the Foundation Studies
Department of the institute. Anusmita has also worked extensively with Tech startups
as a UX Designer, designing software applications that focus on user needs. Owing to
her diverse experience in academics and industry, her interests lie in domains that
allow her to explore design and research inquiries rooted in the Indian cultural
context.

Sonali Srivastav, PhD

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Film and Media production, storytelling,
Visual Cultures

Dr. Sonali Srivastav has worked in the media production industry in various
capacities such as a camera person, scriptwriter, editor and producer for
documentaries, TV shows and news. For her Ph.D., she worked in the area of web
narratology and market dynamics of OTT platforms in India and attended the
Summer Doctoral Program at the Oxford Internet Institute, Oxfordshire on
scholarship. A Gold Medallist in M.A. Mass Communication from AJK MCRC,
Jamia Millia Islamia, she attended Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi
University for her Bachelors in Mass Media and Mass Communication.Currently
she is exploring the areas pertaining to audio visual art forms and building
narratives.
Adjunct Faculties at
DOD IITH

Ajith Abraham George

Research Interests: Sound Design & Mixing and
Sound Engineering, Innovation in Sound and Music, Intervention
in Sound, Multi Language Sound and Music

With 25 years of experience in the field of Audio engineering, Ajith has

been involved in many films as a Mix Engineer or Sound Designer
across many languages. He was instrumental in setting up the KR
Narayanan National Film Institute in Kottayam Kerala the third National
film Institute in India, and a consultant at SJCC college of
Communication the first multimedia
institute in Kerala.

Nina Sabnani, PhD

Research Interests: Animation, Illustration & Film Making,
Narratives, Visual Design, Storyteller, Character Design, Colors

Nina Sabnani is an artist and storyteller who uses film, illustration and writing to inform
and enlighten her audience. Graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara she
received a master’s degree in film from Syracuse University, NY, which she pursued as a
Fulbright Fellow. Her doctoral thesis on the Kaavad tradition has been published by Niyogi
books; Kaavad Tradition of Rajasthan, a Portable Pilgrimage. Her animated films are often
rich collaborations with artists and folk fablers and have earned critical acclaim. Her film
Hum Chitra Banate Hain won the National Award in 2016. In 2018 she received The Big
Little Book award: a lifetime achievement award for Illustration at the Tata Lit Live Festival,
Mumbai. In 2021 she was conferred with The Legend of Indian Animation award from
Toonz Media Group. Nina’s research interests include exploring the dynamics between
words and images in animated films and book illustrations. She taught at NID Ahmedabad
for 22 years and retired from IDC, IIT Bombay in 2021. At present, she is associated with
Srishti Manipal Institute of Art Design, and Technology, Bangalore; and School of Design
UPES, Dehradun, IIT Bombay and IIT Hyderabad. Nina currently lives in Chennai.
Adjunct Faculties at
DOD IITH

Ambarish Kulkarni, PhD

Research Interests: Design Research,
Product Development, Engineering Design & VR, Design
Education, Innovation by Design

Ambarish has been a Senior Lecturer in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) in

the School of Engineering (SOE) at the Swinburne University of Technology
(SUT) since 2017. He has over 12 years of industry experience in conducting
applied research and over 10 years of academic experience in Product/ Process
Development, Engineering Design/Virtual Reality (VR) and contributed over 40
papers, articles and reports.

Shuhita Bhattacharjee, PhD

Research Interests: Victorian Literature and Culture, Postsecular
Theory, Gender, Sexuality, Postcolonial Studies, Posthuman Theory,
Thing Theory, Cinema of the Diaspora, Graphic Novels, New Woman
Literature, Anglo-Indian Literature

Shuhita interests have been in the areas of Victorian Literature and Culture,
Postsecular Theory, Studies on Religion and Secularism, Gender, Sexuality and
Queer Theory, Postcolonial Studies, Posthuman Theory, Cultural Studies, Thing
Theory, Literature and Cinema of the Diaspora, Graphic Novels, Popular
Literature and Culture, New Woman Literature, Discourses of the Hijab, and
Anglo-Indian Literature. A significant aim of her first monograph is to complicate
the predominant geopolitical assumption of a modern 'crisis of faith' and
'decline' of religiosity. She is currently working on second monograph in which
she examine the representations of colonial idols in fin-de-siècle literature and
culture. A particular interest area is the notion of dark humour and subalterity in
contemporary cultural discourses and performances.
Design Team at
DOD IITH

Vijay Kumawat
Technical Superintendent
Research Interests: Graphic and Visual Design, History of
Graphic Design, Design Interventions, Deep Learning and AL,
Digital conservation and preservation, Signage Systems, Identity
Design, Design Strategy, Print Making, Book Design, VR/AR/XR

Vijay Kumawat is a Design Graduate from NIFT Himachal Pradesh. He has worked
with various organizations and institutes like NID Gandhinagar, NID Bangalore,
D’source – Ekalpa by MHRD – Government of India, GMR Group, Elite Techno Groups
by Formula one Racing Marshalls, Wacom Design Challenge, Vivaran/Tabledege,
Archaeological Survey of India, Action for India, GSEB, CII, Hyderabad Runners, Airtel,
AICTE and National Stock Exchange Report Design. He is working for the Design
Innovation Centre supported by the Ministry of Education, IIT Hyderabad (Hub).
His interest area includes Graphic and Visual Design, History of Graphic Design,
Design Interventions, Design Prototyping, Digital conservation and preservation,
Signage Systems, Identity Design, Design Strategy, Printing and Bindings, Book
Design, and Organising Design Events. In upcoming years he wanted to learn deep
learning, VR, and Metaverse Technologies.

Rajkumar Bejjanki
Technical Superintendent
Research Interests: Transmedia Branding, Instructional Design,
Art & Illustration, Calligraphy, Photography, Filmmaking

Rajkumar Bejjanki is a Post Graduate in ‘Mass Communications’ from the ‘University

of Hyderabad’ and also holds a ‘Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting)’ from ‘Potti
Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad’. He has more than a decade of work
experience in visual communications with high-profile organizations and start-ups,
and some professionally stimulating organizations like Tech Mahindra, ICRISAT,
Ubiquus, Trianz Holdings, and the National Institute of Open Schooling. He has also
worked closely with communication designers and marketers in companies such as
Glaxo Smith Kline, ICRISAT, Biocon and Tata Steel. His primary areas of interest are
transmedia branding, instructional design, art & illustration, calligraphy,
photography, and filmmaking.
Design Team at
DOD IITH

Vivekananda Chary
Junior Technician
Research Interests: Design Thinking, Wooden Work,
Prototyping, Metal Work, Intricate work, Mechanical
Interventions

Vivekananda Chary is a Diploma holder in Interior design from ‘Lakhotia Institute of

Design Hyderabad’ currently pursuing graduation from Prof. G Ram Reddy Center for
Distance Education Osmania University Hyderabad. He has ten years of experience in
the home interior and has worked on several projects in Hyderabad. His primary areas
of interest are furniture design, mechanical innovations, conceptual product design,
prototyping, laser cutting, engraving, and CNC products. He holds a design patent
for Rethinking the design of an electric truck carrier, while another patent
is under examination.

Priyadarshan Borra
Junior Technician
Research Interests: Stores and Purchase, Architecture,
Space Design, Photography

B R Priyadarshan has completed his bachelor’s in Architecture from Jawaharlal Nehru

Fine arts and Architecture University, Hyderabad. He has worked in various
architectural firms involved in designing buildings, churches, and commercial
projects. His area of interest includes Architectural design for commercial and
residential projects. At IITH he is involved in designing the entrance gate tower, bus
stops, foot over bridge near the faculty and staff towers.
Design Team at
DOD IITH

Gopal Manthuri
Junior Assistant
Research Interests: Stores and Purchase, Administration,
Procurement, Inventory Management, Department Management

Gopal joined IIT Hyderabad in 2024 and continues to be a valuable member of our
department. His working expertise are Stores and Purchase, Administration,
Procurement, Inventory Management, Department Management.

P Jagadeesh
Assistant - Workshop
Research Interests: Carpentry, Metal Welding, Prototyping,
Machine and Equipment Maintainence

P Jagadeesh has a diploma in carpentry from Word and Deed ITI. He joined
Department of Design at IITH in 2016 and has experience in welding and
woodworking. He supports student projects in product design.
Dates &
Information

FOR IMPORTANT DATES

ABOUT ADMISSIONS,
Visit the department website
design.iith.ac.in

FOR GENERIC AND

APPLICATION DETAILS
Visit institute website
iith.ac.in
 Map & Transportation
~ Secundarabad - IIT Hyderabad Campus
- 3 Hours approx (buses, MMTS till
lingampally,
cabs - auto accessible)

~ Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

7
Hyderabad - IIT Hyderabad Campus

6 - 1 Hour 30 Minutes approx (buses till

patancheru, cabs - auto accessible).
5

~ Lingampally - IIT Hyderabad Campus

- 1 Hour approx (buses, cabs - auto
accessible)

4a
~ People coming by bus/cab/self-driven
4b
3 modes can easily access IIT Hyderabad as
Campus is on Mumbai - Hyderabad highway
(NH 65) - 2.5 kms from Kandi Junction
2
1
1. IIT Hyderabad Main Entrance
2. Estate Office
3. Labs
4. a/b - Housing
5. Refreshment Canteen
6. Hostels/ATM/Bank
7. Dining Hall (LDH/UDH)
 Reach Out
to Us

For general enquiries: [email protected]

Head of the department: [email protected]
MDes admissions: [email protected]
PhD admissions: [email protected]

Department of Design,
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi,
Sangareddy, Telangana – 502284

design.iith.ac.in