Marks occasion through their annual event, connect D

Bangalore: Tata Elxsi, a leading product design company, celebrated connect D - the annual design event - to commemorate World Industrial Design Day on June 29, 2012. The event was held at its Bangalore campus. The theme this year revolved around defining industrial design today, and the sessions gave an in-depth analysis on how industrial design has evolved to becoming a value creator for both businesses and societies at large.

connect D is a platform to bring the industry and academia together, where design students can interact with industry experts and get a firsthand perspective on the various prospects and challenges faced by industrial designers today.

Students from renowned design schools like NID, NIFT, NICC and NTFF attended the event. The event featured sessions by eminent speakers like Prof Sudhakar Nadkarni, dean of business design at the Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, and Neeraj Chandra, COO & VP, Brittania Industries, who shared their insights and experiences on how industrial design impacts consumers’ lives and its key role to take the country ahead.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Nadkarni said, “Events like connect D are critical to guide and motivate aspiring designers who want to make a difference through their work. Such platforms will go a long way to further provide the students new perspectives on design thinking and encourage them to contribute substantially to the field of industrial design.

Nitin Pai, VP, marketing, Tata Elxsi, said, “We believe connect D is a great avenue for us to connect with new talent that is always challenging the norms and pushing the envelope for design and innovation. As a leading design company, we have a role to play in fostering design talent and helping design students to be at par with the benchmarks set by the global design industry.”

The event also featured panel discussions, a dedicated design workshop and exclusive preview of products executed by Tata Elxsi’s design teams. This enabled the students to interact with senior Tata Elxsi design team members and helped them understand the various nuances of design.

Based on the feedback received from leading design schools, Tata Elxsi also announced the extension of the IGNITE 2012 design contest submission deadline by four weeks. Students need to submit their entries now by July 20, 2012. The theme for the contest is Designing for Emerging Markets. Product & Visual Design students are requested to submit their entries in the categories of healthcare, bottom of the pyramid and interactive devices. Winners would be awarded cash prizes worth Rs25,000, a certificate and a chance to pursue an internship with Tata Elxsi.