Vanakkam!

I would like to share a small anecdote from my childhood that beautifully reflects the intention and spirit of the Department of Design at PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research.

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🌿 A Childhood Story

It was around 11:30 on a hot May morning during my school summer vacation at my native place. My 78-year-old grandmother, Vaikuntam, was carrying our neighbour's three-year-old daughter, Christy, on her hip. Christy's mother had requested my grandmother to feed her because Christy always enjoyed eating with her.

As my grandmother fed Christy dal rice, it was heartwarming to watch an elderly woman who had witnessed India's independence warmly converse with a curious three-year-old about the world around them.

Soon, their attention was drawn to a line of tiny ants marching near the veranda steps. Christy immediately wanted to share her food with them.

My grandmother gently explained that cooked rice would be too heavy and sticky for such tiny creatures. She walked into the kitchen, returned with a handful of rava (semolina), and sprinkled it near the ants.

Watching the ants gather around the grains, Christy suddenly exclaimed that plain rava would surely taste bland and insisted that they deserved something sweet too.

Smiling, my grandmother returned with powdered jaggery and placed it beside the rava. Together they watched the ants happily carry away both sweetness and grain. Christy, having forgotten her reluctance, finished her entire meal and even asked for more.

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🍃 The Lesson

That simple childhood moment taught me something profound. Design is not merely about solving a human problem—it is about enriching the lives of every living being connected to that solution.

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🌍 Planet-Centered Design

Today, many Christys discover nature through digital screens, while countless Vaikuntams quietly experience loneliness. The world of design is therefore evolving beyond User-Centered Design towards Planet-Centered Design.

At the Department of Design, we believe that designers must think beyond products. They must care for people, communities, culture and the environment with equal responsibility.

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🎓 Our Vision

Our aspiration is to care for our Vaikuntams while nurturing our Christys. We strive to educate designers who combine creativity, engineering, empathy and sustainability to create meaningful products, services and experiences.

Anchored within a technical institution, our department encourages the cross-pollination of Design and Engineering, empowering students to transform visionary ideas into impactful real-world innovations.

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🚀 Our Promise

Our curriculum has been carefully designed by leading academicians and experienced industry professionals. Studio learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, research, industry-sponsored projects and internships together create confident designers prepared to make meaningful contributions to society.

Societies of the world create institutions to address their needs.

Historically, the Coimbatore region had made effective efforts to meet the manufacturing needs of the southern region of our Nation. Infact traces of ironage practices dating back to 5 century BCE have been unearthed in Perundurai. The Kodumanal region was a thriving industrial and craft center situated on the banks of the Noyyal River. It acted as a vital inland trade and manufacturing hub, connecting western maritime trade from the Malabar coast (via the Palghat Gap) to eastern markets and the port of Kaveripoompattinam along the Noyyal-Cauvery river corridor.

Eventually, propelled by indigenous ingenuity, Coimbatore evolved into a premier industrial hub of South India, manufacturing everything from the humble wet grinders to high-precision machinery. To sustain this growth, the region had cultivated a robust ecosystem of educational, technical, and healthcare infrastructure. At the forefront of this transformation, the PSG & Sons' Charities have driven regional industrial growth and shaped education by establishing and sustaining premier institutions since the pre-independence era.

To complete Coimbatore’s industrial and educational landscape, a vibrant design academic centre is essential to transform regional design and manufacturing through research and pedagogy. The Department of Design at PSG iTech fulfils this purpose by cultivating local talent imbued with traditional acumen to solve contemporary global challenges. Well-designed products from Coimbatore have the power to resonate across the globe. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that ancient civilizations must serve as global exemplars, our department cultivates a mindset of net-positive design, guiding students to create solutions that uplift society and restore the planet.

We believe well-designed products from Coimbatore have the power to make a global impact. Our fundamental objective is to train and deeply imbibe our Design students with a philosophy of net-positive design, inspiring them to build solutions that uplift humanity and enrich the planet. Anchored within a technical institute, the department aims to foster a culture of cross-pollination between design and engineering, guiding students as they translate visionary concepts into tangible, real-world prototypes.

Our curriculum is purposefully designed to realize this vision. Curated by leading design academicians across India and veteran industry experts, the B.Des programme offers a flexible, choice-based model that allows students to tailor their final two years to their specific interests. The initial two years establish a rigorous foundation in design principles, preparing students for advanced specialization. Through a balanced synthesis of theoretical learning, studio practice, and industry-sponsored projects—complemented by required internships—the curriculum fosters critical inquiry and research. Ultimately, this self-driven learning experience empowers students to graduate as confident practitioners capable of enriching the world through their designs.