Certificate course Designing Affordable Living

One-week

The programme aims to enable students to understand the needs for affordable living in India, and then effectively design, produce, and market affordably priced items made with limited resources in short durations of time. This is an aspect of design especially important to provide a life of dignity and comfort even to those who are economically disadvantaged.

B.Des. colleges in ahmedabad

For individuals...

For any practitioners not just architects, designers, manufacturers, engineers, but anyone interested in innovation

B.Des. colleges in gujarat

Looking for...

Skills to design, create and build a business to sell affordable living products.

B.Des. colleges in ahmedabad

To become...

Innovative entrepreneurs with knowledge on how to position, pitch and market products that promote affordable living

Programme Highlights

Mentorship from India’s leading
affordable living specialists

Learn to build
profitable social enterprise

Offer a dignified lifestyle to
the economically disadvantaged

Design, create,
market your product

About the Programme

  • About the Course

The course provides 30 students with the abilities to build a business that innovates, creates and sells affordable living products. The course offers knowledge about various materials used for designing affordable living products, with a deep dive into the properties of laminated corrugated cardboard, a highly affordable material. By the end of the course, all students will design and produce indoor furniture and objects using this material. Building on Anant University’s experience in making laminated corrugated cardboard furniture for 25 COVID-19 hospitals across 6 states in India, the students will then learn how to position, pitch and market the product they make. They will learn from successful entrepreneurs how to build a profitable and impactful business in this niche and growing area of affordable living.

 

Programme Fee: ₹15,000

Once 100% of the program fees is paid, the enrolment letter will be sent to you within 24 hours

*Need-based scholarships are offered

Course Overview

The course is divided into two tracks - the Theory Track (TT) and the Design Track (DT) - which move in parallel. Participants are introduced to topics to improve their understanding of design, production, and marketing principles within the context of sustainable and affordable products. The participants will design and prototype products in teams during the design track. They will be encouraged to apply the principles from the theory track to develop products that support affordable living. The course ends with a final product pitch by each participant team.

  • DAY 1
  • DAY 2
  • DAY 3
  • DAY 4
  • DAY 5
  • DAY 6
  • Course Overview

Day Overview

Participants learn about inequity, sustainability, and the need to design for affordable living. They form teams for the design track. Participants are introduced to the design thinking process and apply the process to define the problem and brainstorm on ideas.

 

Theory Track

  • Course Overview

  • Introduction to Sustainability

  • Introduction to Sustainability

 

Design Track

  • Team Formation

  • Design Challenge Kick-Off

Day Overview

Participants learn about design principles essential for products in the affordable segment. They are introduced to various affordable materials with a deep dive into corrugated cardboard. They continue to engage in the ideation process to develop preliminary designs for their products. Team discussions are encouraged.

 

Theory Track

  • Materials Overview – Alternate materials

  • Materials Overview – Corrugated Board

 

Design Track

  • Group Working Sessions

  • Plenary Sessions

Day Overview

Participants focus on prototyping. The participants are encouraged to develop multiple iterations of their design by incorporating feedback loops into their design process. The participants are introduced to Solve-a-thon frameworks.

 

Design Track

  • Solve-a-thon

Day Overview

Develop an understanding of mainstream manufacturing processes to develop corrugated board products. Introduction to marketing strategies for consumers targeting affordable products. Participants continue refining their products and begin developing their marketing pitches for their products.

 

Theory Track

  • Understanding Manufacturing & Production

  • Marketing for Affordable Living Products

 

Design Track

  • Group Working Sessions

  • Pitch Ideas Session

Day Overview

Participants receive feedback on their marketing pitches and continue refining their prototypes.

 

Design Track

  • Freezone – Group Working Sessions

Day Overview

The teams present a pitch for their products along with a prototype of their designs.

 

Theory Track

  • Group Pitch Presentations

Meet the Faculty

  • Dr Miniya Chatterji
    Founding Director, Anant School for Climate Action;
    CEO, Sustain Labs Paris;

    Ph.D., SciencesPo
    View profile
  • Dhaval Monani
    Director of Affordable Housing, Anant;
    Associate Professor, Anant;
    MBA, IESE Business School, Barcelona
    View profile
  • Milind Chitale
    Associate Professor and Director, Makerspace;
    M.Des. in Industrial Design,
    Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay
    View profile
  • Ruchie Kothari
    Joint Director-Academics View profile