NID Discipline Selection

Use this document to dive into your likes and dislikes about the stream. Use the video discussed along with this document to understand better.

TANGIBLE STREAMS

Industrial / Product Design

  • When a bottle leaks or a chair hurts my back, do I get curious about why it failed, or do I just move on?

  • Have I ever opened up a gadget, toy, or appliance just to see how it was put together?

  • Am I okay with my idea being changed ten times because of cost, materials, or the factory's limits?

  • Would I enjoy visiting a factory and talking to engineers about materials and manufacturing?

  • Do I enjoy working with my hands (sketching, foam, clay, workshop) as much as working on a screen?

  • Am I okay with a slower field that has fewer openings but is evergreen and stable?


Automobile / Transportation Design

  • Is my love for cars about driving and owning them, or about their form, proportion, and how they are built?

  • Can I sketch the same car a hundred times with small changes and still enjoy it?

  • Would I be happy designing just one part, such as a headlamp, seat, or dashboard, for months?

  • Am I willing to relocate to wherever the few big auto companies are?

  • With the shift to EVs, am I interested in vehicle interiors and in-car digital experiences too?

Toy & Game Design

  • Do I actually observe how children play, or do I only remember enjoying toys myself?

  • Can I design for a user who cannot tell me what they want, like a four-year-old?

  • Am I interested in the boring-but-critical parts: safety standards, learning value, and cost at mass scale?

  • Do I enjoy designing rules and play, or only the look of the game?

  • Do I want physical games or digital games? These may point to different streams.

Furniture / Lifestyle Product Design

  • Do I notice how a chair, table, or space makes me feel and behave?

  • Am I drawn to materials and craft, such as wood, metal, cane, and joinery?

  • Many furniture designers end up building their own brand. Am I open to the business side?

  • Am I comfortable designing mostly for premium or custom clients?

Kaphal Studio NID Crash Course

TANGIBLE STREAMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Ceramic & Glass Design

Question 1
Three objects were given: a glass bottle, a shoe, and one additional item. Choose any one of these objects and redesign it (in use), taking inspiration from nature.

Question 2
Show the step-by-step process of making a paper plane for a 7-year-old child in 5 frames.

Question 3
Design a tea set for a visually impaired person to ensure a good sensory experience.

Question 4
Design an advertising hoarding for a fair featuring contemporary and futuristic design.

Design for Retail Experience

Question 1

  1. Draw a retail display section for small potted plants in a shop, keeping in mind that the target customers are elderly people.

  2. Draw and explain 4-5 specific features/pointers showing how this display section is accessible and elderly-friendly.

Question 2

Four icons of retail/food carts were provided.

  1. Choose two icons: draw one in a street view perspective scenario and the other inside a mall scenario.

  2. Describe the primary differences between both scenarios and the design requirements for the carts in each environment. (image was given)

Question 3

  1. Design a vending machine selling basic items, snacks, and water to be placed in a hospital space for all age groups. Show a person using it.

  2. Draw and explain the step-by-step process (in 4-5 frames) of completing a transaction with this vending machine.

Question 4

It is the year 2030, and drones are widely available for public and commercial use.

  1. Design a brand identity (brand name, logo, and tagline) for a drone manufacturing company.

  2. Draw and describe the drone's purpose for 2 different user/market segments.

  3. Write 2-5 marketing strategies for this drone company to cater to businesses.

Furniture and Interior Design

Question 1

  1. Design a futuristic classroom for students aged 5-7 years (an isometric grid space/cube of approx. 6x6 was provided).

  2. Select 3 special elements from your design and draw them with dimensions and material details. Explain why you incorporated them. (image was given)

Question 2

  1. You are provided with specific raw materials: Hollow MS Pipe (1400 mm length), MS Sheet (600x600 mm), and Birch Plywood of specified thickness. Design a workstation/desk with laptop space for university students, intended for use in a semi-open space. (You may cut, bend, or join materials). Include dimension and material details.

  2. Sketch 3 joinery details used in your design.

Question 3

Create an annotated neighborhood map of your area.

  1. Render it volumetrically in isometric view.

  2. Write a brief note about your experience and spatial observation.

Question 4

Create a story and storyboard based on the given characters/objects: a farmer, a terracotta horse, a mortar and pestle, and a village lady.

Textile Design

Question 1

An image similar to a Mughal miniature painting was provided. Using this image as either the first or the final scene, create a 4-panel comic strip with an imaginative narrative. (image was given)

Question 2

As a design graduate teaching 1st-grade students, explain how you would use a single saree as a prop to teach the school's core values:

  1. Collaboration

  2. Compassion

  3. Courage & Perseverance

Illustrate and write an explanation for each concept separately.

Question 3

  1. Design an Environmental Science textbook cover for 8th-grade students inspired by any ONE of these traditional Indian craft forms: Kantha, Kalamkari, Phulkari, or Ikat. Include the subject title and class on the cover.

  2. Explain your design concept and describe 3 unique characteristics of any TWO of the mentioned craft styles.

Question 4

  1. You are part of an eco-tourism group organizing a tour for business professionals and craft enthusiasts. Plan and illustrate an end-to-end itinerary showing visitors the complete craft-making process in a village. Define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

  2. Design a promotional brochure/catalog page to market this eco-tourism experience.

Toy & Game Design

Question 1

Design an inclusive play space that is inviting and accessible for visually impaired children (a full-page frame was provided).

Question 2

Given three raw materials—a wooden comb, a rubber band, and an A4 sheet of paper—design toys for any TWO of the following target age groups: 2 years, 10 years, 15 years, or 40 years. Draw and explain your designs across 2 frames.

Question 3

Draw a 5-frame storyboard illustrating the journey of a 3-year-old child traveling from school to home.

Question 4

A profile description was provided for a 70-year-old retired schoolteacher who loves gardening, reading, and socializing. It is the year 2050, and a machine exists that can instantly generate prototypes of any object or material from textual prompts. Her family wants to gift her a physical toy and a VR game without making her feel overwhelmed or isolated.

  1. Write text prompts for the AI machine to generate the physical toy across 5 different design attributes (form, function, tactile feel, etc.).

  2. Write text prompts for the AI machine to generate the digital VR game across 5 different interaction attributes.

Transportation & Automobile Design

Question 1

A picture of various kitchen tools was provided. Design a defense/military vehicle inspired by the forms and functions of these tools. (image was given)

Question 2

A picture of two young girls was provided. Design the interior of an autonomous, Gen-Z-focused vehicle around their needs and interactions. (image was given)

Question 3

Two outline sketches of a public transport bus were provided. Design exterior decals, graphics, and visual branding for it based on your local state transport buses. (image was given)

Question 4

An image of Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine was provided. Modify and redesign the vehicle to suit personal urban transport needs in the year 2047. (image was given)

Question 5

The government has legalized the private use and custom modification of commercial drones. Annotate the key design challenges and operational opportunities presented by this decision.

Question 6

  1. Draw 3 reasons why traffic police officers struggle to catch traffic offenders on roads.

  2. Write practical design and technical solutions to resolve these issues.

Question 7

The government opened a portal to collect feedback on public transport safety and convenience for women. List 5 major problems faced by female commuters when using public transport.

Universal Design

Question 1

  1. Four incomplete outline figures were provided. Complete these shapes to form recognizable everyday products.

  2. Select one product and draw it in context being used by a person.

  3. Explain how a specially-abled person can creatively use this exact same product (without changing its form) to solve a daily life problem. (image was given)

Question 2

  1. List 5 causes that lead to elderly people slipping or falling in bathrooms.

  2. Choose 1 major cause from your list, then sketch and annotate a design solution to prevent it.

Question 3

  1. Identify 2 major physical obstacles or difficulties faced by wheelchair users in indoor and outdoor environments.

  2. Illustrate both problematic scenarios in 2 separate frames.

  3. Sketch and explain design solutions for both identified problems in 2 separate frames.

Question 4

  1. Select a specific disability/impairment and describe the usability barriers faced by these users when booking a cab/auto via mobile apps.

  2. Design and sketch a 5-frame screen sequence illustrating your solution and showing how the user will navigate through the app.

INTANGIBLE: COMMUNICATION DESIGN

Graphic / Visual Communication Design

  • The market is saturated. What would make me different from someone who learned Canva in a month?

  • When I see a poster or ad, do I think about the idea behind it, or only how it looks?

  • Can I handle a client rejecting my work and asking for a tenth revision?

  • Do I enjoy words, typography, and reading? Communication design is thinking first, visuals second.

  • Where do I want to grow from here: branding strategy, motion, editorial, or information design?

Animation

  • Have I ever finished even a 10-second animation? Did I enjoy the patience it took?

  • Is my interest from watching anime and Pixar, or from making things move?

  • Which part pulls me in: story and storyboarding, characters, movement, lighting, or the technical pipeline?

  • Am I okay with studio deadlines, long hours, and average starting pay in exchange for creative work?

  • Which animation tasks will AI likely automate, and which role would I want that AI can't easily replace?

Film, Video & Media

  • Beyond director and actor, can I name five people who make a film happen?

  • When I watch something, do I notice the edit, the sound, the colour, or the story?

  • Would I be happy being one of 200 people on a project whose name appears in the credits and not on the poster?

INTANGIBLE: COMMUNICATION DESIGN: QUESTIONS

Animation & Film Practice Questions

Question 1

Imagine you are making an animated film where your characters are inanimate objects that have no correlation to each other (e.g., a cactus and a cloud, a pencil and an eraser, etc.).

  • Write a concept in 150 words. Make sure to relate the film to human emotions.

  • Illustrate in 5 frames a conversation between the two characters from your story.

Question 2

A passage was provided discussing 'care is not love' and 'censorship of imagination.'

  • Write an essay on 'Care is not love' in 150 words.

  • Draw a poster relevant to the passage on 'Censorship of imagination.'

Question 3

Three images were provided:

  • A hand with a glass/cup under a tap with a single droplet falling.

  • A girl sitting on a swing attached to a tree branch, facing away from the camera.

  • An astronaut fish floating in space.

Create a story combining all three images.

A1. Start the story in 35 words.

A2. Write the 1st plot twist (25-35 words).

A3. Continue the story (35 words).

A4. Write the 2nd plot twist (25-35 words).

A5. Finish the story (25-35 words).

  • What message or theme did you want to convey through your story? Describe in brief. (image was given)

Question 4

A poem was given describing a person's bitter experience while sitting in a dentist's chair:

"One thing I like less than most things is sitting in a dentist chair with my mouth wide open...Because some tortures are physical and some are mental, but the one that is both is dental..."

Pick important keywords and illustrate a cinematic composition expressing the essence of the poem, keeping in mind compositional harmony, camera angles, and line quality. Use of color and shading was compulsory.

Graphic Design

Question 1

Create an infographic poster/illustration addressing the theme/phrase: 'Why India has more mobile phones than toilets.' Supplement your infographic with data, and apply key design principles such as scale, proportion, and hierarchy.

Question 2

Match the slogans with their respective brands from the two columns given (Brands included: Pepsi, Apple, HDFC Bank, LIC, Asian Paints, and one airline company). (image was given)

Question 3

Three icon styles were provided alongside 8 fruit names: cherry, dragonfruit, grapefruit, kiwi, papaya, pear, coconut, pineapple. Choose 6 fruits and render 2 fruits in each of the 3 given icon styles (total 6 icons). (image was given)

Question 4

Illustrate a storyboard in 5 frames based on the provided story: A fisherman goes to the shore before sunrise in the dark and finds a bag of stones. Out of boredom, he starts throwing them into the water one by one. As the sun rises, he realizes the last remaining stone in his hand is a precious gem, and he repents throwing the others away.

Question 5

A pictogram representing a river was shown as an example. Inspired by that design style, draw 3 other water bodies: a lake, an ocean, and a waterfall. (image was given)

INTANGIBLE: IT-RELATED DESIGN

Interaction Design

  • Pick one app you use daily, such as Swiggy, Zomato, or your bank app. Can I list three problems and suggest fixes right now?

  • Am I more curious about people's behaviour (UX) or about how the screen looks (UI)?

  • Am I comfortable with my design being judged by numbers, like clicks, drop-offs, and conversions?

  • Can I explain my idea to a developer and to a business person in their language?

  • Am I okay with work that is invisible when done well and constantly tested and changed?

  • Am I choosing UX because I enjoy it, or only because everyone says it is safe and pays well?

  • Am I ready to keep reskilling as AI changes the tools every year?

Information Design / Data Visualisation

  • Do I enjoy turning messy information into something clear, like notes, tables, or charts for friends?

  • Am I comfortable with numbers and accuracy? A beautiful but wrong chart is a failure.

  • Would newsrooms, fintech, analytics companies, or government projects excite me?

  • The job title will often say "UX Designer" or "Visual Designer." Am I okay searching by skill rather than title?

New Media / Emerging Tech (AI, AR/VR, Voice, Smart Devices)

  • Am I excited by technology that has no fixed rules yet?

  • Do I tinker, trying a bit of code, Arduino, Unity, or new AI tools, just for fun?

  • Could I design a conversation, like a chatbot, and not just a screen?

  • Am I comfortable with uncertain job titles, where I may have to create my own path?

INTANGIBLE: IT-RELATED DESIGN: PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Digital Game Design

Question 1

You are about to eat ice cream from the refrigerator, but all of a sudden you shrink into a miniature version of yourself and get trapped inside the fridge.

  1. Design a casual/adventure game interface based on this scenario, showing the gameplay, character, and UI elements.

  2. Illustrate 1 frame showing the easiest level of the game.

  3. Illustrate 1 frame showing the most complex/hardest level of the game.

Question 2

Write about an important or memorable event from your high school life that left a lasting impact on you. Express it in a thematic/sequential story format (approx. 10 lines).

Question 3

Write about your favorite video game character. Describe their personality, motivations, and why they inspire you (approx. 10 lines).

Question 4

  1. Write the concept, gameplay, and rules for an original world-building game.

  2. Draw its interface and gameplay across 5 frames.

Question 5

Draw a 5-frame storyboard highlighting an issue related to child labor.

Question 6

List 5 points explaining how video games can evoke feelings of empathy and social awareness. Mention specific examples of games if you know any.

Information Design

Question 1

When receiving an incoming call on a mobile phone, a new feature is introduced that displays the caller's live location.

  1. Draw 5 mobile screen frames demonstrating the UI for switching this feature on/off in settings, map views, and 2 additional supporting features/functions.

  2. Identify the target users for this feature and describe the specific contexts or scenarios where it would be most useful.

  3. List 5 pros and 5 cons of this feature for a general user.

Question 2

  1. Match the following 10 data visualization tools/charts with their correct descriptions/definitions: Bar chart, Pie chart, Line graph, Tree map, Mind map, Pyramid chart, Concentric diagram, Bubble chart, Venn diagram, Circadian diagram.

  2. Draw thumbnails/visual representations for any 5 of these charts in the provided boxes. (image was given)

Question 3

Create an infographic timeline showing the historical progression of programming languages from the 1940s to the present day, tailored for undergraduate design students. Annotations, tooltips, and year data were provided.

Question 4

  1. Draw the vertical cross-sectional view of an onion bulb and label its parts.

Interaction Design

Question 1

  1. Identify 5 current gaps or problems in existing LED digital displays used on city buses (showing route number, destination, ETA, etc.).

  2. Redesign the bus display interface across 3 panels to improve clarity from a distance. Annotate your use of typography, color, icons, and layout structure for simplicity and functionality.

Question 2

  1. List 5 design flaws or human error factors in conventional bathrooms that lead to slipping and falling accidents among elderly people.

  2. Draw a redesigned layout of a bathroom for an elderly couple, incorporating physical and digital assets/safety interventions to prevent accidents.

  3. Illustrate and annotate 5 specific physical or digital interaction features introduced in your bathroom design.

Question 3

Recall your favorite science-fiction movie or series where futuristic technology plays a key role.

  1. Write the plot line in 5-10 sentences, focusing on how the technology influenced or shaped the protagonist's journey.

  2. Storyboard the narrative in 5 frames with accompanying written explanations for each frame.

New Media Design

Question 1

It is the year 2050, and an AI Technology Conference is taking place in Bengaluru.

  1. Concept design an interactive installation to raise awareness and spark curiosity among youth and adults about the event.

  2. Draw the installation and its physical spatial layout, detailing the theme, visual interactions, and concept behind it.

Question 2

  1. Create an original fictional character by filling out their persona details: Name, Age, Gender, Occupation, Favorite Food, and Favorite Newspaper.

  2. Write a short story continuing from the prompt: 'The character walks up to a newsstand, picks up a newspaper, and is astonished to read that...'

  3. Draw your fictional character wearing/carrying 5 distinct items or accessories that reflect their personality and background.

Question 3

Senior citizens above 65 years must submit an annual life certificate to receive their pension.

  1. List 5 key usability and accessibility factors to consider when designing a self-service kiosk for this demographic.

  2. Draw the front elevated view of the kiosk design.

  3. Detail the step-by-step user journey for completing the process in 5 to 10 clear interaction steps.

BUSINESS-RELATED DESIGN

Strategic Design Management / Business Design

  • Do I enjoy asking "should this exist, and who will pay for it?" more than "how should it look?"

  • Do I read about startups, brands, and business news without being told to?

  • Am I comfortable spending more time on research, presentations, and spreadsheets than on making things?

  • Am I okay being the one who guides the makers instead of being the maker?

  • Many strategy roles prefer experienced people. Have I checked what freshers from this course actually get?

BUSINESS-RELATED DESIGN: QUESTIONS

Strategic Design Management

Question 1

Create 5 billboard artwork/storyboard designs for a digital display board installed along a busy road. The sequence should raise awareness about the current environmental crisis and its future consequences.

Question 2

  1. Describe what an Indian vegetable market will look like in the year 2047/2050.

  2. Identify 5 core cultural/traditional elements of Indian markets that will remain unchanged.

  3. Illustrate the overall scenario combining parts A and B into a single detailed scene.

Question 3

A short paragraph about the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was provided. As a Strategy Designer tasked with planning AIM 2.0:

  1. State your strategic vision and review for AIM 2.0.

  2. Identify one core sector you would focus on and explain why.

  3. How would you leverage technology and innovation in this strategy?

  4. How will this strategy impact the school education system?

  5. How will this initiative transform the startup ecosystem?

  6. Design a pitch poster targeting stakeholders/committees to present your AIM 2.0 strategy. (image was given)

Question 4

  1. Define a circular economy in a business context and explain how it enhances manufacturing processes.

  2. Illustrate and explain a circular economy business model using an existing Indian brand as an example.

  3. How does circular economy differ from basic sustainability practices?

  4. Draw a diagram mapping out the circular model for a brand.

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