2017 — Back to Srishti

ReRide demo at display at Victor Menezes Convention Centre, IIT Bombay. In frame: Mangesh Ashrit and Somya Saxena, ReRide team members.

The year 2017 marked a new chapter in my professional journey, as I received an invitation from Srishti to join the human-centered design (HCD) department as a full-time faculty member. Interestingly, this department had evolved from the same space where I had completed my graduation. I was happy to join this workspace with interesting people and eagerly accepted the role, primarily due to the opportunity to participate in Dr.Naveen's ReRide project. Switching roles and adjusting to full-time teaching responsibilities at Srishti presented some challenges. Initially, I was assigned to teach classes outside my primary interests and familiarity. However, due to certain cancellations and reassignments, I eventually got to teach two interaction design units, one for master's students and another for undergraduates.

In the master's level course on electronic prototyping, co-facilitated with Dr Naveen Bagalkot, we used electronics as a medium to sketch interactions. While some students had to find additional time to study programming and electronics fundamentals, they were still able to manage high-quality prototypes by the end. My challenge will be effectively working with students' prior knowledge on the working topic. The importance of electronic prototyping in interaction design was a recurring theme, and cultivating an appreciation for its value among students proved to be an ongoing challenge. Encouraging a hands-on learning culture through faculty, alumni, and senior student examples could be a potential solution. Additionally, adapting my assessment and feedback approach to better align with the Srishti educational philosophy became an area of focus for personal improvement.

Teaching the undergraduate interaction design course with Riyaz, we strived to generate interest in the technical aspects of the discipline. We utilized technology to explore and conceptualize students, introducing them to physical computer components and tasking them to build working prototypes using Arduino and sensors. Video enactment exercises also encouraged creative thinking and fostered an enjoyable learning environment. Despite some setbacks, such as students dropping the course or exhibiting a casual attitude towards assignments, the overall experience of teaching full-time at Srishti was rewarding. The Topcoder workshop we hosted proved to be an exciting and relevant addition to the curriculum, even resulting in cash prizes for some student designs.

As the ReRide project progressed, we presented our progress at Interact 2017 Conference at IIT Bombay. Despite facing several challenges, our team's synergy, especially in the last few days, led to the developing of a working proof of concept, effectively showcasing the project's intent. Although time constraints prevented us from conducting a pilot test in a real-world setting, we were ready for the demo. This experience reinforced my belief in the value of creating physical and working concepts, especially for designers. 2017 was a year of new beginnings, collaborative projects, and expanding my teaching capabilities. Working as a full-time faculty member at Srishti and participating in the ReRide project has broadened my understanding of design processes, the value of effective teamwork, and the challenges and rewards of teaching. These lessons will continue to shape my professional path in the years ahead.