Curriculum

The curriculum at Anant National University Ahmedabad's Product Design program is meticulously structured to provide a comprehensive educational experience across eight semesters. The program includes core courses, departmental electives, science electives, and laboratory components designed to build both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Advanced departmental electives include:

• Advanced Prototyping and Materials: Students explore advanced manufacturing techniques, including additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and composite materials. This course focuses on understanding material properties and their applications in product design.
• User Experience Research: This elective teaches students how to conduct in-depth user research using qualitative and quantitative methods. It covers ethnography, usability testing, and data analysis techniques.
• Smart Systems and IoT Integration: Students learn about integrating sensors, microcontrollers, and communication protocols into products. The course includes hands-on projects involving Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and cloud-based platforms.
• Design for Accessibility: This course emphasizes creating inclusive designs that cater to users with diverse abilities. It explores accessibility standards, assistive technologies, and universal design principles.
• Digital Fabrication Techniques: Students gain proficiency in using digital tools for fabrication, including laser cutting, 3D printing, and CNC milling. The course includes project-based learning where students design and build prototypes.
• Product Lifecycle Management: This elective covers the entire lifecycle of a product from ideation to end-of-life. Students learn about design for sustainability, lifecycle analysis, and regulatory compliance.
• Design for Social Impact: Focused on using design as a tool for solving social problems, this course encourages students to think critically about their role in creating positive change through innovation.
• Advanced Interaction Design: Students explore advanced interaction design patterns, including voice interfaces, gesture control, and immersive experiences. The course includes prototyping with tools like Figma, Adobe XD, and Unity.
• Emerging Technologies in Design: This course introduces students to emerging trends such as AI-driven design, blockchain applications in product development, and quantum computing's impact on innovation.
• Design for Global Markets: Students learn how to adapt products for different cultural contexts, considering factors like language, customs, and regulatory frameworks. Case studies from international companies provide practical insights.

The program emphasizes project-based learning through mini-projects and capstone projects. Mini-projects are typically completed in teams of 3-5 students over one semester and involve solving real-world problems with clear deliverables. These projects are evaluated based on creativity, feasibility, and impact.

Final-year thesis/capstone projects are undertaken individually or in small groups under the guidance of faculty mentors. Students select their projects from a list of industry-sponsored challenges or propose their own innovative ideas. The process includes initial research, concept development, prototyping, testing, and final presentation to industry experts.

Faculty mentors are selected based on expertise and availability, ensuring that students receive personalized attention throughout their project journey. The evaluation criteria include innovation, technical execution, user feedback integration, and presentation quality.