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Prototyping for Experience Design in India

Prototyping for Experience Design in India
Location:
India - Gandhinagar
Term:
Maymester/Summer
Dates:
Fri, Jul 31 - Sun, Aug 16 2026
School/Department:
School of Applied and Creative Computing
Credits:
3 credits (UG:TECH 38155, Grad:TECH 58100)
Estimated Cost:
$1,100

Program Description

While technological solutions dominate our world today, peoples lives are full of sounds, sensors, textures, spaces, other people, smells, chaos, dreams, surprises, motors, jokes, and more. And we can use all of these as materials to design experiences - to affect people's emotions, behaviours, and even lives.

So, in this course, you'll learn how to build experience-prototypes using anything- yes, anything!-you find in the world around you.

The course will be run at the National Institute of Design (NID) in India, and Purdue students will work with about 15 students from the 'New Media Design' programme there. You can read about previous versions of this course, here: https://setwrite.in/teaching/202104-nid-nmd-staging.html.

You will experience different sights, sounds, smells, tastes, materials, people, lifestyles, markets, museums, and likely some annoying peacocks. This is, after all, India. You will live, eat, and play with students on the host institute's campus, and this will better-equip you to work anywhere the world (and work with international teams in multi-national companies).

Learning Objectives-Undergraduates

In this course, undergraduate students will:

  • learn to think about problems as being 'holistic experiences'.
  • prototype their ideas (in public-spaces; using software, electronics, tangible materials, performance, storytelling, and a range of other tools/techniques).
  • exhibit their work in public.
  • document their projects, and include them to their portfolios.

Learning Objectives-Graduates

In this course, graduate students will:

  • learn to think about problems as being 'holistic experiences'.
  • prototype their ideas (in public-spaces; using software, electronics, tangible materials, performance, storytelling, and a range of other tools/techniques).
  • exhibit their work in public.
  • document their projects, and include them to their portfolios.
  • reflect on their work, and write about the value of such work from moral, inclusive or commercial lenses.

Tentative Program Itinerary

Schedule:

  • July 31, Fri - Depart US for India
  • Aug 2, Sun - Arrive in Gandhinagar, and settle into the stay.
  • Aug 3, Mon - Orientation, introduction to the institute, faculty, staff and students at National Institute of Design (NID) India
  • Aug 4–7, Tue–Fri - General coursework*
  • Aug 8–9, Sat–Sun - Free time*
  • Aug 10–13, Mon–Thu - General coursework*, leading up to (and including) a final project.
  • Aug 14, Fri - Documentation, publicly posting all work completed (online)
  • Aug 15, Sat - Leave Gandhinagar, and head to Bombay/Delhi
  • Aug 16 - Depart India for US

*Notes:

  • “General coursework”: lectures, activities with Indian co-students, morning class time followed by studio/project time, workshops, pop-up exhibitions, tutorials & crit sessions; plus visits to local architectural sites, museums, eateries, design studios, etc.
  • “Free time”: Visits to local markets, attractions, etc. Time to explore on own.

Global Leaps Scholarships

Program flyer

Click here to apply

Contact program leader Shobhan Shah via email with your questions.