Know about Indian Institute of Art and Design New Delhi: Interview with Dr Jitin Chadha, Founder and Director

Established in 2015, Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) New Delhi is an independent design school. IIAD offers design courses in Interior Architecture & Design, Communication Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Communication and Fashion Business Management at the undergraduate level. In an interview with Dr Jitin Chadha, Founder and Director IIAD, Careers360 discusses design education in India, admission policies, internships, placements and more at IIAD.

Admissions to IIAD Delhi are through an entrance test. Read the interview to know more about the Indian Institute of Art and Design New Delhi.

Careers360: Could you describe the journey of IIAD from inception till date?

Dr Jitin Chadha: In 2012, we established the Indian School of Business and Finance (ISBF) in collaboration with the University of London and London School of Economics to offer courses in Economics, Finance and Management. Then in 2012, we explored niche areas and decided on design as it was an emerging field and there were not many offering good courses in Design. In 2014, we partnered with Kingston School of Art, Kingston University London to offer design courses. Our campus was established in Delhi and our first batch started in 2015.

Careers360: What are the various design courses offered by IIAD at the undergraduate level?

Dr Jitin Chadha: We offer undergraduate design courses in Communication Design, Interior Architecture Design, Fashion Design and Fashion Communication. These are four year courses. Next, we also offer a three year UG course in Fashion Business Management. Our master's programme is also in Fashion Business Management.

All the design courses have a common curriculum in the first year. This is a foundation course in design that offers students a basic understanding of the field they have chosen to study. This also faciliates their choice of specialisation after the first year in consultation with their faculty at IIAD. Also know about IIAD Delhi courses and fees.

Careers360: IIAD also offers a course in fashion business management. Who is the target audience and what would the benefits be for this course?

Dr Jitin Chadha: In the last decade, many multinational fashion brands like Zara, H&M and UNIQLO to name a few, have come to India. Now these companies have their own design sections catering to the various regional and global markets. But they require talent for merchandising, retail, supply chain, marketing, and business development which is region centric.

Also during our interactions with the industry, we realised the huge potential for careers in the business side of fashion and design like marketing, retail, and merchandising. So we started the Bachelors and Masters in Fashion Business Management to cater to this side of the fashion industry.

Fashion Business Management is the only management course that IIAD offers. The course covers all aspects of business management but within the context of the apparel industry. Graduates of the fashion business management course will fit in very well with mass market brands, big market or designer brands.

Careers360: How should students choose the design specialisations? Are there any factors or pointers they can use to decide?

Dr Jitin Chadha: The general awareness about design is pretty limited amongst students and parents alike. A large section of society thinks that design is all about fashion but this is a very narrow viewpoint. There is a lack of knowledge and understanding at the high school student's level. IIAD as a design school tries to reach out as much as possible to schools and does workshops on what is design and various design courses offered by the institute.

Students generally come with some ideas in mind but after the first year, realise that this may not be what they wish to do. The curriculum at IIAD is designed keeping this in mind. The first year course is a foundation course that allows them to understand design and all facets to it. This empowers them to choose their specialisation in a uniformed manner. At IIAD, we facilitate cross change of courses in consultation with the faculty and the students provided there are vacant seats. Also know about IIAD Delhi facilities.

This is why, we advise students to attend sessions, workshops and consult good counsellors before applying to a design school. The internet is also a good source of information. Therefore students should arm themselves with the right information, check pros and cons and then take the decision. They can also reach out to us in case they have queries regarding IIAD Delhi admissions.

Careers360: What separates IIAD from other design schools?

Dr Jitin Chadha: At IIAD, there are no classrooms. IIAD faculty adopt a hands-on-practical approach to teach. Design cannot be taught like other subjects. It is more practical in nature and we try accomplish this through various projects. We alsofacilitate digital tools so that our students have the best of technology while studying with us. In addition, we also emphasise on live projects with industries and NGOs. This enables them to get a grip on the real-life problems. At the end of the day, students learn a skill-based course, that is relevant to the industry they go to.

A 2 month internship is mandatory after completion of the second year. Thereafter the next internship of 4 months comes when the students complete their third year and are to start their fourth and final year. A fair amount of industry exposure is built in the four-year programme and by the time the student graduates, he/she has a very good sense of how the industry works. We are centrally located in Delhi and have access to a lot of practitioners who also come and teach students. These are some differntiating factors that sets IIAD apart.

Careers360: The institute caters to students from different strata. There are pre-college courses, short term online courses. Could you elaborate on these too?

Dr Jitin Chadha: During COVID-19 happened, we were also forced to teach online. We took that opportunity to invest in good technology, pedagogy and upskilling the faculty because that was the only way we could have delivered the course. During those two years, we worked very hard to ensure delivery of high quality learnings to our undergraduate students. Teaching a practical and hands-on course is a bit more challenging than teaching traditional courses.

Then, we have had lot of queries from fresh graduates and young working professionals who want to learn design. We drew on our experience from COVID-19 and started a new venture called AND Academy. Its focus is on offering short term skilling courses in design tailor made for young working professionals. Typically our audience for these courses is between 20 to 40 years. Since these courses are online, there are no age limits or restrictions like physically attending the classes.

Students can start with a 16-week certificate course where classes are held twice a week i.e. 6 hours of live teaching. The teaching is not in webinar mode. Rather, we use the meeting mode as the course needs interaction. We have a highly interactive and diverse group of learners of different age groups and different backgrounds with a common interest and passion to learn the discipline. For students who wish to further their learning, another 16 weeks course leads to a diploma. Further to that, another 16 weeks will allow them to get a post graduate diploma.

Careers360: What are International transfers? What is the eligibility for this? Who will award the degree in such a case – IIAD or the university abroad?

Dr Jitin Chadha: Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD) has signed MoUs with various universities for International Transfer Options. A lot of them are in the UK like Kingston University, Nottingham Trent University and more. Students can apply after the first two years at IIAD for a transfer and complete the balance two years in these universities. In many cases, the university also accepts transfers after three years for the final year.

When students move from one country to another, the curriculum and the approach will change as it varies from country to country, university to university. So, we at IIAD don't encourage going for a year and coming back because the student is then lost. Typically, IIAD encourages its students to apply for a transfer such that the 3rd and 4th year can be pursued in the respective university who will grant the final degree.

Some of our MoUs allow students to transfer in the final year and receive the final degree from the international university they have transferred to. These are just some opportunities that we have facilitated for our students. Its up to them to explore these.

To add to that, IIAD also has MoUs with various universities for masters programmes. In these, students will also be able to apply for scholarships and fast-track admissions. This is to make international education more affordable.

Careers360: Does IIAD facilitate internships? Can you give some details on the types of internships and how students can benefit from these?

Dr Jitin Chadha: Internship is a critical part of any design course. The long four months internship at IIAD after the 3rd year is an example. By the third year, students have enough depth in their discipline such that they can add value to the company they are interning with. The four-month internship is appreciated by the industry and the students. The reason is, most internships have short durations and by the time students actually get to learn things, the internship ends. However, when the company knows that the student will be there for a decent period of time like four months, they wont mind investing and training as the students will add value to the company with their training.

Careers360: Placements are an integral part that students check for while taking admissions. Please give details on the packages and the recruiters as well as the roles offered to students of IIAD.

Dr Jitin Chadha: IIAD is mostly an undergraduate institution and about 70% to 75% of learners are girls. Now this seems to be the nature of the audience in design education in India. Not every undergraduate student is looking to get a job right after college. Some wish to go for further education, some join their family ventures, and only some seek placements. The institute has a Career Service Division with four people and a senior person leading it. Career Services Division at IIAD holds modules to teach students how to write a CV, and create a LinkedIn profile. During the IIAD placement season, all opportunities are shared with all students. It is upto them to apply and if they do, our Career Services Division will guide, hold their hands till the placement is complete.

Talking about average stats, many students show interest in placement but not more than 30 to 40 per cent of the batch actually go for placements. Each discipline caters to a different industry, so packages also differs. The typical range for interior architecture students would be Rs. 4 to 6 LPA; for a communication design student, it would be about Rs. 6.5 to 12 LPA. For fashion design students this range will be between Rs. 3 to 6 LPA. Similarly, for fashion management students it would be in the range of Rs 4 to 7 LPA.

Careers360: What would your advice be to students looking for a career in design?

Dr Jitin Chadha: My advice would first be to parents. If your child is interested in design, please encourage them. Design is as remunerative a career as any other course. Design is becoming mainstream in business and industry with multiple opportunities for design graduates. Many design graduates are also doing very well as freelancers because this is one of the disciplines where students need not seek full-time employment; they can do project-based work.

To students looking for a design career, my advice would be, "Do your homework. Try to go and see as many design schools as possible and listen to as many design experts/ counsellors, seek advice and finally check out the design school that you plan to join". This kid of approach gives students some level of flexibility and understanding to choose the right design course.