IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay

Established in 1969 by the Government of India, the IDC School of Design functions as an integrated design institution within the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). Situated inside a major technological and engineering research university in Powai, Mumbai, the school connects design education with computational research, emerging technologies, and interdisciplinary engineering frameworks.

Academic pathways span undergraduate through doctoral study, including the Bachelor of Design (B.Des), a dual B.Des + M.Des track, specialized Master of Design (M.Des) streams, and a Ph.D. in Design. Creative specializations center on Animation, Interaction Design, and Communication Design.

Animation and Creative Production

The Master of Design in Animation is structured around holistic filmmaking rather than isolated technical skills. Students are trained to take responsibility for the entire production pipeline, covering concept development, storyboarding, cinematography, shooting, and final digital rendering. Curriculum priorities emphasize original intellectual property and indigenous narrative development over routine production service work.

Coursework progresses through iterative studio practice and portfolio development:

• Foundation Studies: Initial semesters establish core drawing techniques, anatomy study, visual storytelling principles, and short-form exercises.
• Application and Research: Advanced stages involve multiple application-driven projects of increasing scope, including immersive media, user-centered visualization, and dedicated design research.

Studio Facilities and Technology

IDC balances physical prototyping workshops with dedicated digital computer labs across IIT Bombay's 220-hectare Powai campus:

• Animation Lab: Dedicated digital production facility featuring workstations equipped for 2D and 3D modeling, sculpting, and compositing using tools such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Toon Boom, Cinema 4D, and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Studio for Design, Interactions and Creativity (S4DIC): Focuses on interactive media, augmented and virtual reality setups, digital sketching displays, and user-testing workflows.
• Prototyping Studios: Physical fabrication spaces including a Design Thinking Studio and Rapid Prototyping Cell equipped with laser cutters, 3D printers, CNC routers, and a cataloged materials library.

Professional and Hybrid Formats

For industry practitioners, the school offers the e-Postgraduate Diploma in Interaction Design (ePGD IxD). While foundational lecture modules are delivered remotely via live weekend classes, IDC maintains mandatory on-campus studio immersions for cohort critiques, collaborative workshops, and final project examinations.