ACADEMIC
PROJECTS
As a design faculty member, I am passionate about exploring the intersection of play and design in various domains, from gaming to education and beyond. With years of teaching experience, I have developed engaging courses and workshops that foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Through my work, I aim to inspire students to think beyond traditional design methods and embrace play as a catalyst for innovation and experimentation.
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PLAY FACTOR
LECTURE SERIES
To prepare a lecture series for mentoring the finalist of the national "Toycathon" event to improve their designs. Under the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ initiated by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi, Toycathon-2021 is conceived to challenge India’s innovative minds to conceptualize novel Toy and Games based on Bharatiya civilization, history, culture, mythology and ethos.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION. INDIA
ROLE
Play
Expert
Part of the team formulating training sessions for Toycathon participants
Prepared a video lecture on the topic of “Play factor in toys and games”
Youtube videos
Lecture series
What is play?
Design for play
National level event
PROJECT
PLAY
This was a collaborative initiative between the Toy and Game Design Department (National Institute of Design, India) and the UNICEF Global team to repurpose millions of RUTF boxes, initially holding essential food supplies for children, into access points for nourishment and developmental by converting these packaging into development centric toys.
UNICEF
GLOBAL
Designing for children demands that we make them co-designers
ROLE
Project
Head
Guiding a team of 9 design students who designed the end product.
Managing the project from proposal making, design planning, execution, testing to final delivery
~ 50 toys
Cardboard
Make yourself
Sensory
Guidelines
Age appropriate
TOY INNOVATION SYMPOSIUM
This was an E-symposium held at National Institute of Design, India. It was organised in conjunction with the Virtual Toy exhibition on Play, Learn and Design; celebrating the spirit of mapping innovative approaches in six themes covering various areas in the domain of toys and games for creating joyful childhood experiences.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN
ROLE
Core Org. Team
Curated talks in one of the 6 thematic tracks.
Planned for a hybrid exhibition at the institute for virtual experience
Talks
Presentations
International speakers
Hybrid Exhibition
Toy designs
Industry Experts
Educators
Design Professionals
PLAY ELEMENT BASED LEARNING
The workshop explored play-based learning, human development, and pedagogy. It was designed for Aga Khan Foundation facilitators. It included presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities. These sessions aimed to equip facilitators with the knowledge to create engaging learning environments, which they can then pass on to Anganwadi teachers.
AGA KHAN FOUNDATION. BIHAR
ROLE
Play
Expert
Conducted a workshop in a team of two for a group of 15 teachers.
Done in two modes - Online and offline.
Ended with the creation and testing of teaching aids.
Learning through play
Human development
Pre-primary education
Playful learning mediums
Hands on
BOARD GAME DESIGN WORKSHOP
Conducted a 3-hour Board Game Design workshop at Ahmedabad Design Week (ADW), a non-commercial festival focused on networking and knowledge exchange among designers, academicians, and students. ADW debuted as a three-day festival in 2018, with the second edition scheduled for 2021, themed 'Toy'ing with Design, aligning with the 'Make in India' initiative to promote 'Design in India'.
AHMEDABAD DESIGN WEEK. GUJARAT
ROLE
Play
Expert
Conducted the workshop.
Introduction to elements of game design.
Design+Ideation process.
Board games
Game design
Ideation
Game mechanics
Game dynamics
AVGC - SUB TASK FORCE (EDUCATION)
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting asked me to join a sub-task force to align AVGC-specific policies with the National Education Policy. This sub-task force is part of the AVGC Promotion Task Force, established by the Government of India to advance the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector.
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING. INDIA
ROLE
Task Force
Member
Policy recommendations for the AVGC sector.
Suggest innovations in education pedagogy.
Identify capacity-building interventions.
Strategies to scouting rural talent for AVGC education
Gaming
Policy
Systems thinking
Capacity building
Government
DESIGN THINKING WORKSHOP
The workshop, tailored for the HVPN team of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited, introduces design thinking principles to enhance their work. HVPN is a state-owned power transmission company in India. The session includes case studies, discussions, and hands-on tasks to explore diverse design approaches and their practical application in problem-solving.
HARYANA VIDYUT PRASARAN NIGAM LIMITED. INDIA
ROLE
Workshop
Facilitator
Conducted for a team of 10 people.
Conducted in online mode.
The workshop duration was of 5 days with 3 hr sessions on each day
Design thinking
Problem-solving
Tools and techniques
Design process
Sensitization to design
PLAYFUL HAND WASHING CAMPAIGN
This was a project on creating an awareness campaign through board games on the importance of handwashing. As part of the project, my role was to review game concepts, approve testing methodologies/questionnaires, and promote the campaign. This project was a collaboration between Imagimake and Hindustan Unilever where I was taken on board as a Play Expert
HINDUSTAN
UNILEVER + IMAGIMAKE. INDIA
ROLE
Play
Expert
Review game concepts.
Conducted in online mode.
Approve testing methodologies.
Board game
Co-Designing
Design through play
Awareness campaign
Learning through play
GOING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP EXPLORATORY GRANT
I was part of a six-member team representing the National Institute of Design in the Going Global Partnership Exploratory Grant with the University of Arts, London, initiated by the British Council. Our proposal, "Creativity and Global Challenges: Creating Change through Making," was to leverage UAL and NID's strengths to propose innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges.
UNIVERSITY OF ARTS.LONDON + NID.INDIA
ROLE
Design
Faculty
Team member representing the National Institute of Design, India.
Transnational teaching & learning framework.
Toolkits for students and teachers.
Transnational education model
International collaboration
Social impact
Global challenge
TOOL TO PROMOTE LANGUAGE ART & CULTURE
The Ministry of Education planned to develop fun-based learning (Student appropriate) tools in multiple languages to promote and popularize Indian languages, arts, and culture. A Planning Group was identified for the same to work on the identification of themes, techniques, and tools, designing events, etc., to be open for participation by students across the country.
NCERT Department of Education in Arts and Aesthetics. INDIA
ROLE
Planning
Member
I suggested a playful gamified platform to encourage student engagement.
Created a Design Document for the same.
Educational tool
Design document
Online play experience
Gamification
Online engagement