Strate School of Design Graduates Impress Industry Leaders at Capstone Project Showcase

Bengaluru, 26th June 2024: Graduating students from Strate School of Design captivated industry stalwarts with their final year projects during a two-day event held at the Yelahanka Campus. This significant occasion marked the transition of 29 talented students from academia to professional careers. Evaluated by an esteemed panel of industry experts, the projects showcased groundbreaking work in transportation, product, and interaction design, highlighting the innovative capabilities of the next generation of designers.

The expert panel judging the transportation design projects included:

• Hyun Woo Kim, Interior Design Manager at Jaguar Land Rover, England
• Akhil George A. Thomson, Materiality Designer at Jaguar Land Rover, England
• Aswin Philip Idicula, Lead Designer, Interior at Jaguar Land Rover, England
• James Watkin, Creative Specialist at Jaguar Land Rover, England
• Bikas Jyoti Biswas, Head of Design at Ather Energy, Bengaluru
• Amar Kler, Senior Design Manager at Renault Group, Chennai
• Matthieu Lambolez, Director of Complete Powertrain at Volvo Group, Bengaluru
• Rajas Phopale, DGM, Industrial Design at Hero Moto Corp

Product design evaluations were conducted by:

• Prachi Bhargava, Trends & Insights Designer at Decathlon Sports India
• Prashant Subhedar, Director at Bang Design
• Basava Kumar M, Senior Usability Designer at Philips India

Interaction design projects were judged by:

• Manish H., Product Designer at Cisco
• Manas Karambelkar, Senior Designer at Microsoft India
• Akash Dewan, Global Senior Designer at IKEA India
• Nandita Nina Shenoy, Senior UX Designer at LTIMindtree India

This year's cohort has set new benchmarks in design innovation. Each project, reflecting months of rigorous research, creative exploration, and technical development, underscores the diverse talents and forward-thinking approaches of these emerging designers.

The event began with formal presentation sessions, where students presented their projects to the panel of judges. Following these presentations, students had the opportunity to showcase their projects to a broader industry audience from June 14, 2024, to June 22, 2024. This provided a platform for networking, collaboration, and potential recruitment opportunities, allowing students to interact with industry professionals, gain insights into their creative processes, and discuss future applications of their work.

"We are incredibly proud of our graduating class. Their projects are a testament to their creativity, technical skills, and commitment to pushing the envelope in design. We are excited to see them present their work to such an esteemed group of industry professionals and look forward to the opportunities this event will bring," said Thomas Dal, Dean of Strate School of Design.

"The level of work showcased here can be matched with the best design students across the world," stated Akhil George A. Thomson, one of the jury members.

"It was clear from their presentations that each individual has done extensive research for their projects. Understanding the need and market is paramount for a designer," added James Watkin.

Strate School of Design emphasizes the importance of supporting and showcasing the hard work and dedication of its students. This event not only highlights the talent emerging from the institution but also fosters connections between academia and industry, paving the way for future collaborations and advancements in design.