Public Space Design
(B.Des 4 Year UG Program)

Public spaces, both inside and outside, offer the opportunity for shared experiences and should be accessible to all members of a community regardless of demographics. There is an increasing focus on interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary design approaches in spatial design that address global challenges like climate change, sustainable development, and urban inequality. The Public Space Design (PSD) program equips aspiring spatial design professionals with the skills to facilitate dialogue between stakeholders in development projects and create socially responsible public spaces. This includes understanding planning, policy, community perspectives, participatory and co-design methods, and critical thinking. As a student, you will have the opportunity to work on various projects, contexts, and clients involving spatial design and placemaking, advocacy for communities, and the development of policies and guidelines. Upon graduation, you will be well-prepared for professional opportunities in fields such as architecture and interior design, product design, government and government-related consultancy, community consultation and placemaking practices.

Public spaces, whether interior or exterior, are places of collective experiences that, in theory, are open and accessible to all members of a community – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, or socio-economic background. Great spatial design opportunities exist in planned, unplanned, temporary and permanent spaces across diverse scales ranging from chai points to cafes, neighbourhood shops to retail hubs, everyday meeting spaces to community centres; bus stops to places of mass transit, reading rooms to public libraries, from healthcare spaces to hospitality spaces, creative set designs to exhibition spaces to mention a few.

On a global scale, in the recent past, there has been a marked shift in spatial design practice and pedagogy towards interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary design approaches and attitudes. The Public Space Design program at SMI aligns with this ethos and cultivates a capacity to draw from diverse fields of knowledge, contextualize, and develop creative visions for inclusive and sensitive spatial responses.

Since inclusivity and interdisciplinary learning are core ideologies of the PSD program, it does not insist on having any subject-specific prerequisites and welcomes applications from students pursuing diverse subjects and streams.

The vision of the B. Des in Public Space Design aligns its graduates with diverse professional opportunities in architecture and interior design, product design, governmental and government-allied consultancy, community consultation and place-making practices, and many more. This program equips aspiring spatial design practitioners to facilitate dialogues between stakeholders in developmental projects that address challenges of global relevance, such as climate change, sustainable development, urban inequality, and many others.

The following are the core values that the program aims to instill in its aspiring practitioners:

The curriculum comprises of different ways of learning as follows:

1. Foundation introduces students to basic principles and tools of Art, Design and Technology as methods, tools and processes. Read more >>
2. Disciplinary Studios are learning spaces where students develop core disciplinary capabilities, while navigating a trans-disciplinary environment
3. General Studies is a common and compulsory programme of study that integrates Humanities, Sciences, Maths, business and finance. Development and Policy Studies and also offers Languages (Spanish, French and German) Read more >>
4. Interim is an immersive introduction to practice in new and emerging areas of art and design and environmental exposure
5. Electives are of three kinds – this program allows students to expand their skills, develop the interests as well as provide opportunities for travel exchange
6. Internship/Apprenticeship is compulsory work experience done over the summer-break between the 6th and 7th semester
7. Project based learning involves the application and synthesis of capabilities acquired. Two projects, pre-thesis and thesis, is culmination of the 4-year undergraduate program, which allows for demonstration of an integration of values, positions, capabilities and practice. Read more >>

In this course, students will improve their ability to observe, analyze, and design public spaces. They will develop spatial thinking skills, practical design tools, and communication skills. Hands-on learning opportunities such as digital making, physical modeling will be encouraged. The course will cover concepts including anthropometrics, universal design, sustainability, and participatory methodologies for collaboration and co-design with peers, practitioners, and the community. By the end of the course, students will be able to effectively communicate and represent their spatial design concepts and ideas to a wider audience while understanding the complexities of multifaceted contexts.

CAPABILITIES

Upon successful completion of this course graduates will have developed the following capabilities:

1. To empathize, interact, collaborate & co-design with communities to understand and design for their needs and well-being.
2. To effectively visualize, communicate and represent spatial design concepts and ideas to a larger audience.
3. To give shape and form to ideas and concepts, make, prototype, and intervene.
4. To work in professional environments with integrity and competence.
5. To understand, explore and creatively work with materials, services, and systems.
6. To understand complexities of multifaceted contexts and develop an integrated and comprehensive approach to design.
7. To be able to think critically through reflection and identify patterns to independently develop one’s practice

What is Public Space Design?

Public Space Design is a discipline focused on designing spaces that are used by various living beings and come in various forms, including those used for recreation, knowledge, care, commerce, temporal and pop-up events, and public infrastructure and amenities. It combines spatial design with various contextual factors to create equitable, inclusive, just, and resilient spaces.

Is this course suitable for me?

This course is designed for individuals who possess strong collaborative skills, as well as critical and analytical thinking abilities. Students from all academic backgrounds who are interested in community and culture, spaces and places, living systems, and sustainable placemaking are welcome to apply.

What opportunities do I have after completing this course?

Professional Practice:

With Public Space Design as a major and allied minor & electives, Srishti Manipal equips and prepares the graduates to be contemporary design practitioners, entrepreneurs, and design consultants for a wide range of career opportunities:

• Spatial design fields such as architecture & interior design,
• Urban design
• Heritage conservation & management
• Landscape design
• Place-making Initiatives
• Public policymaking
• Development sector opportunities with government and government-allied agencies, consultancy and advocacy firms working in the urban or rural sector such as street (re)design, public space (re)design, design of public and public transit facilities, etc.
• Set designs
• Exhibition Curation and museum designs (Scenography)
• Furniture design
• Community consultation, user experience & design research
• Art activism & public art
• Spatial illustration & documentation
• Spatial & architectural journalism

Academic & Research Practice:

Public space design graduates from Srishti Manipal can peruse research opportunities as research assistants or independent researchers in leading research organizations working in diverse domains suggested above. Graduates interested in inquiry-based design research also have great opportunities to get involved with multiple centers and labs within Srishti Manipal. Additionally, graduates also develop expertise and eligibility for pursuing master’s opportunities offered at Srishti Manipal as well as at other national & international universities of repute.