Khushnu Mody, an Assistant Professor at the School of Design, specialises in understanding health, sustainability and social behaviours, focusing on veganism and childhood nutrition. While in Savannah, USA, she employed the Lextant Research Methodology to investigate public perceptions of vegan food to highlight its environmental and health advantages.

At Anant, Khushnu teaches foundation-year students with a strong emphasis on cultivating empathy and understanding user pain points. She believes that deep, insightful research is fundamental to all design disciplines. Her teaching approach aims to equip students with the skills to conduct meaningful research and develop user-centred designs that address real needs and emotions.

Khushnu holds a Master’s in Industrial Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), USA, and a Bachelor’s in Product Design from Anant National University. Her academic journey and hands-on experience in furniture design sparked a deeper interest in design research. While at SCAD, she collaborated with entrepreneur and professor Hari Nair as a design researcher, further honing her expertise in user-centric design. She also earned a certification as a Lextant Design and Research Translator, strengthening her proficiency in advanced research methodologies.

Khushnu’s research approach blends qualitative and quantitative methods, strongly emphasising secondary data analysis, empathy mapping and the 4Ws framework to examine consumer behaviour and public health challenges. She is committed to fostering critical thinking and ethical research practices, encouraging students to explore the real-world impact of their work through interactive discussions, case studies and hands-on projects. As part of her academic work, she authored an article based on research conducted in India, exploring the link between rising obesity and early puberty among children in the US, traced to the consumption of processed foods and preservatives, using insights drawn from secondary research and empathy mapping.

Outside of her academic work, Khushnu is a Reiki Master, having attained the master level in this Japanese healing technique. She is also an experienced tarot reader and a Gold Medalist in Vastu Shastra. Deeply passionate about spiritual learning, she is committed to both practising and teaching techniques that foster healing, self-awareness and personal growth.