Center of Excellence for Design Thinking and Innovation Vishwakarma University Pune

Introduction

Design thinking is a powerful approach to new product development that begins with understanding unmet customer needs. It’s a human-centered design process that approaches problem-solving with understanding the user needs. Design thinking encompasses concept development, applied creativity, prototyping, and experimentation. When design thinking approaches are applied to business, the success rate for innovation has been seen to improve substantially.

There has always been a high demand for change, as per the situation and need, in a favourable or unfavourable context. The context of a changing environment results in human physiological changes which are necessary for life, and change is life. Change symbolises growth. However, there are limits to human adaptability and therefore limits to the rate of change with which a person can cope in any given situation. Designers & thinkers are therefore responsible and play a wider role of providing the relevant desired change to stimulate without overloading the human system and application to a higher extent as a tangible outcome. To explain in a nutshell, the following points will explain in the best possible way its role and purpose

Imbibe the powerful design thinking tools and techniques

Solve complex challenges using proven design-thinking frameworks

Combine design-thinking processes with analytical tools

Improve collaboration across functions

Vision

To collaboratively develop an eco-system for seeding and nurturing spirit of curiosity, logical thinking, ideation,
Design thinking, creativity, innovation and social awareness to facilitate transformation of ideas of student and faculty to techno-commercially viable and relevant projects useful for society.

Mission

To enable a platform for collaboration, cooperation and operations for Binghamton University and Vishwakarma University (and Institutes) students and faculty
To create and teach a design thinking and problem solving framework
To develop multidisciplinary approach to system, product and service design
To synergize the expertise of center-of-excellence in Vishwakarma University for project building.
To develop cross-cultural design thinking ability
To build human centricity and empathy in design solutions
To promote ability to innovate
To develop the creative confidence in our students
To foster a culture for the experimentation and prototyping of design solutions
To co-create impactful solutions to societal problems

Objectives

To enable platform for collaboration, cooper
ation and operation for Binghamton University and Vishwakarma University (and Institutes) student and faculty
To create a design thinking and problem solving framework.
To develop a multidisciplinary approach to system design.
To synergize expertise of center-of-excellences in VU for project building.
To develop cross-cultural design thinking ability.
To build empathy in design solutions.
To promote the ability to innovate
To create impactful solutions to societal problems.

Trainings / Courses offered

Design Thinking Workshops and Events

Design Thinking Workshops and Events were conducted at the VU campus under the guidance of Prof. Michael Testani, Prof. Prashant Acharya and VU faculty members, training over 300 students

Workshop No. I
17/09/2019-18/09/2019 (2 Days)

Workshop No. II
3/12/2019-4/12/2019 (2 Days)

Workshop No. III
30/01/2020-31/01/2020 (2 Days)

Workshop No. IV
25/02/2020-26/02/2020 (2 Days)

Design Thinking and Innovation certification program

Programme Type - Certification Programme

Course Code - DT2021-101

Communicably - Summer 2021

Total Mark- 100

Credits - 2

Collaborations

VU/BU Accurate Engineering Co.

Accurate Engineering Company Pvt. Ltd., a pioneer in the manufacturing of Measuring Instruments and Gauges in India, was established in 1963. Over a period of 54 years ACCURATE has established itself as a brand name in dimensional metrology through a variety of products and services, through its own plants and its sister concerns to cater to the needs of the engineering industry for the Dimensional Quality Control requirements.

VU/BU CoE and Accurate Engineering Company to design and develop a portable and affordable unit for use in hospitals across India with zeolites and membrane based separators to produce a continuous flow of Oxygen with minimum 96% purity.

Project Title: Oxygen Generator Design, Development and Testing

Duration to Design Project: Three (3) months

Area of work: Healthcare and hospital applications (affordable, portable and high purity oxygen system)

Delivered Outcome by VU CoE team: Product Design and Innovation

The Wilo Group is one of the world’s leading premium providers of pumps and pump systems for the building services, water management and industrial sectors. In the past decade, we have developed from hidden champions into visible and connected champions.

VU/BU CoE and the Wilo Company to design and develop a water filter unit for domestic use with different specifications.

Contact Us

Prof. (Dr.) Kailas Patil

Director

kailas.patil@vupune.ac.in

Prof. Prashant S. Acharya

Dy. Director

prashant.acharya@vupune.ac.in

Prof. Apurva Thosar

Dy. Director

apurva.thosar@vupune.ac.in

Our Collaborators