How a Liberal Arts Programme sits in a Design Institute in India: Historical trajectories and Identity Politics
In the evolving landscape of design education in India, the intersection of historical context, theoretical perspectives, and liberal arts integration has been critical in shaping both education and practice. This paper explores the development of the National Institute of Design (NID), India’s premier design institute, tracing its journey from the post-independence era to the present day. By examining historical influences, theoretical contributions, and the incorporation of liberal arts, this paper seeks to understand how NID has navigated the complexities of design education. The institute’s ability to integrate global design values with local traditions, alongside embracing a holistic liberal arts perspective, has fostered critical thinking, social responsibility, and a transdisciplinary approach.
A particular focus is placed on the role of NID’s Science and Liberal Arts (SLA) programme, which emphasizes foundational courses conducted in a spirit of free inquiry and self-learning. The SLA programme reinforces that design does not exist in isolation but is embedded in a broader socio-cultural and economic context. This approach encourages students to connect with their immediate and wider environments, fostering a sense of history and enabling them to view their actions from diverse perspectives. By cultivating generalist, lateral thinkers, NID prepares students to explore new relationships between ideas and emotions, rather than producing narrowly focused specialists.
The paper also highlights the SLA’s emphasis on liberal arts, identity, and social justice, particularly in reconceptualizing identity in Colonial and Postcolonial contexts. Ultimately, NID’s approach underscores the importance of equipping designers to function effectively as members of interdisciplinary teams, prepared to address the challenges of a globalized world and future crises.
This paper argues that NID’s transdisciplinary and liberal arts-infused model offers a robust framework for shaping socially conscious and critically engaged designers.
Shilpa Das
National Institute of Design, India
Shilpa Das heads Education, Interdisciplinary Design Studies, and the Liberal Arts Programme, at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. An alumnus of JNU New Delhi (MA) and TISS Mumbai (PhD), she brings three decades of experience across education, publishing, and the voluntary sectors.
Shilpa serves on the Editorial Board of The Design Journal and was the Founding Editor of two key publications from NID: The Trellis, a research-based publication, and D/signed, a design magazine. She edited and visualized 50 Years of the National Institute of Design: 1961–2011 and co-edited Indian Crafts in a Globalizing World.
Her role as a Visiting Faculty spans renowned institutions globally, including HTW Berlin; Royal College of Art, London; Politecnico di Milano, Milan; HSLU, Lucerne; Swinburne University, Melbourne; Tokyo University of the Arts, and IIT Bombay, among others.
Shilpa has received prestigious research grants such as The Wenner-Gren Foundation, The Swiss Leading House South Asia and Iran, and the British Council’s Going Global Grant. She has collaborated with institutions such as Konstfack University, Sweden; Swinburne University, Australia; Central St Martins, UAL, London; and Lucerne School of Art and Design, Switzerland.
At NID and other institutions, she teaches a variety of courses, including Comparative Aesthetics, Semiotics, History of Design, Narrative Theory, Indian Storytelling Traditions, and Design for Disability.
Her consultancy work includes outreach projects with Indian government ministries and advisory roles with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Missing Billion Initiative, and the Design for Good initiative. Shilpa has authored several papers, books, and textbooks, especially in the areas of disability studies and design.
