Great Design Schools Apart From NIFT and NID | The best always hogs the headlines. True. And the focus never shifts elsewhere. Wrong. While it is true that
NID and NIFT students lead the design industry, it is another harsh truth that only five
NIFT campuses – Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai – figure in the top 5 bracket. It is a recognized fact that several reputed design colleges from across the country supply excellent professionals to meet the industry needs every year. All we need to do is broaden our vision and understand that design will continue to grow and generate robust demand. Two premier institutes will not be in a comfortable position to meet our growing industry demand, particularly when we see that most of the companies from diverse sectors are banking heavily on designers to offer unique experiences to customers. The presence of other
good design institutes is required – and justified – to ensure that there is never a crunch of good designers in the market. The existence of quality institutes like ISDI, Pearl, MIT, Srishti, IIAD, and IED showcases our substantial progress in this direction.
Wise move: Design Schools Apart From NIFT and NID
The government-sponsored institutes are not churning out design graduates in large numbers because they have not relaxed the student intake policy to match the industry requirements. With the number of aspirants increasing every year, these institutes have revised the admission standards to cherry-pick the best. More than one lakh aspirants apply for 100 seats in NID every year. As a result, many promising design candidates are unable to secure admission here. Should they abandon their design dreams because they could not perform their best in the entrance tests conducted by NID and NIFT? Should they appear for it year after year instead of trying elsewhere? Absolutely not. OPUS advises they should pursue design in some other good college and prepare themselves for the competitive industry instead of waiting to succeed in NID or NIFT. The contribution of private design colleges deserves a special mention as they open many doors of opportunities and eliminate wastage of precious years.
Wide scope: Design Schools Apart From NIFT and NID
Many regional and private colleges offer excellent courses in the field of design. These colleges and institutes are great in terms of educational standards. These are located in metro cities. In Delhi, aside from the NIFT, the Pearl Academy of
Fashion is another reputed design institute. In Mumbai, the J.D Institute of Fashion Technology is known for its design-based courses. Every big city in India has several design-based colleges and institutes that offer good prospects even if you do not qualify in the NID or the NIFT entrance exams.
Look beyond: Design Schools Apart From NIFT and NID
Perhaps what discourages students from trying out other colleges is the fear of poor placement opportunities. Rest assured, there is absolutely no need to worry about placement even if you do not have NID or NIFT background. Exciting placement offers come from leading companies as the competitive industry is scouting for genuine talent in different campuses instead of limiting their focus to NID and NIFT. OPUS study materials are designed to ensure success in the NID and NIFT entrance exams. On a conservative estimate, a large number of students from Kolkata, more than 100 students mentored by OPUS, secure admission in NIFT and NID every year. Besides getting a huge number of students admitted in NIFT and NID, OPUS has designed courses to suit other important entrance examinations conducted by private colleges. It is an indisputable reality that students from other
design schools are also in big demand these days and OPUS provides them proper guidance. This should stimulate young candidates to explore further and beyond. It makes perfect sense to avoid the myopic approach that NID or NIFT spells the last word in the design world.
Snapshot view: Design Schools Apart From NIFT and NID
Let us have a look at some of the pre-eminent private institutes churning out top-notch designers.
OPUS classes also groom students with both theoretical and practical lessons as well as a battery of mock tests for admission into these institutes.
| IIAD – Indian Institute of Art & Design | Delhi |
| ISDI – Indian School of Design & Innovation | Mumbai |
| PEARL – Pearl Academy | Delhi |
| TDV – The Design Village | Noida |
| MIT Institute of Design | Pune |
| SSADT – Srishti School of Art Design and Technology | Bangalore |
Courses galore
| Institute | Course name | Duration | Fees (INR) | Placements |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| Pearl Academy of Fashion | Diploma in Fashion Design | 4 years | ~2,60,000 per semester | ~95% placement year-on-year |
| MIT Institute of Design, Pune | Bachelors in Design | 4 years | ~3,60,000 per year | ~90% of participating students in campus placement got placed |
| Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, Bangalore | Bachelors of Design | 4 years | ~5,25,000 per year | ~95% placement year-on-year |
| Indian School of Design and Innovation, Mumbai | Bachelor of Design | 4 years | ~2,70,000 per semester | 100% internship opportunities in 2016 |
| United world Institute of Design, Ahmedabad | Bachelors in Design | 4 years | ~14,00,000 for the entire four-year term | ~95% placement year-on-year |
The above table is indicative of the options available to design aspirants. It is not an exhaustive list as there are many other institutes and colleges offering a wide variety of courses to select from. More importantly, the above institutes have other campuses and the semester rates vary from campus to campus. While the undergraduate programmes are highlighted here, most fashion and design institutes offer lateral programmes, post-graduate courses as well as doctoral programmes.
Placement prospects
ISDI The college maintains close ties with leading industry players, through which they provide employment opportunities to their students in India or abroad. Leading companies like Charles & Keith, INGLOT, Tommy Hilfiger, Godrej, Microsoft, The Times of India, BuzzFeed, Shoppers Stop, Vogue, Forever 21, Jimmy Choo look for talent here. In the pecking order, ISDI ranks behind National Institute of Design (NID) in Pune, Srishti Institute in Bengaluru and MIT Institute of
Design in Pune. MIT – PUNE Students get placement packages of Rs 6 lakh per annum. Reputed companies like GM, Honda, Godrej, Microsoft India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Maruti Suzuki, Videocon, Godrej & Boyce visit the campus every year.
Pearl Academy
Some
major companies that visit this design campus are IBM, Archies Ltd, Shopper’s Stop, NDTV, Jabong.com, Yashraj Films, Louis Vuitton, Ritu Wears, Ogilvy & Mather, Dorling Kindersley, DLF Brands, Benetton, Future Group –Pantaloons, Tommy Hilfiger, and Madura Brands. Highest salary package offered was Rs 7.5 lakhs.
Future forward
According to the latest estimates, the Indian textile industry is valued around $108 billion. It is expected to reach $223 billion by 2022. This industry employs over 45 million people directly, and 60 million people indirectly. Indian Textile Industry contributes approximately 5% percent to India’s GDP, and 14% to overall Index of Industrial Production (IIP). The textile industry is also one of the largest contributors to India’s export with approximately 13.5% of the country’s total export. The scope of employment is high in the years ahead.
Competitive edge
Thee colleges provide a wider range of courses vis-à-vis the NID and the NIFT colleges. With more scope to specialize and get individual attention, these institutes instruct students with a lot of practical training. Besides, they get to learn the fundamentals of designing. However, keep in mind that most of the institutes offer diplomas and certificates. It is sagacious to rummage through the prospectus of each institute before you arrive at a decision regarding the one you want to join.
Admission process
Most of these colleges require candidates to have passed their Class 12 exams. Some colleges also require students to pass the entrance exam or a personal interview. They provide students with practical exposure and project-based assignments. This helps students build a portfolio as well. These institutes have separate entrance procedures and guidelines to follow.
Right Approach
Because you did not qualify in the NID or the NIFT test is not the end of the journey. A host of institutes – regional and private colleges included – offer good design courses. Students get the opportunity to learn the aesthetics of designing. A lot of colleges focus on individual development and hone the skills of every individual. These colleges offer a greater flexibility in terms of the course you wish to pursue. Certainly a good option for students who are confident of the exact field they intend to specialise in. Many of these institutes provide courses that are more general in nature and focus on various aspects of design. Courses with practical exposure and training enable students to figure out the field they want to join. Aren’t these tangible benefits of joining a good design college even if it is not NID or NIFT?
Plus factor
The biggest advantage of private colleges and institutes is that it is relatively easier to join. Even though a lot of them conduct their own entrance examinations, the competition is not stiff like it is for the NID and the NIFT. This does not reflect the quality of education they provide. But it is because of the presence of many private institutes in every big city. When you prepare for the NID or the NIFT, add a few more colleges of repute to your list. Consider established private and regional design-based colleges and institutes. Keep a track of their entrance exams and admission procedures and apply to as many colleges and institutes as possible.
Entrance examination
An important fact that you should bear in mind is that many of the private colleges consider your scores in the NID and NIFT entrance exams. OPUS says it is prudent to attempt these two examinations even if you feel that you do not have any chance of scraping through. But also make it a point to apply to other private and regional colleges without getting obsessed with the top two institutes. Always remember that your success depends on your talent, passion, and determination. A leading institute cannot guarantee success. If you have prepared for NIFT and NID, you will be able to write all the other entrance tests. Irrespective of the result of NIFT/NID written test, you should prepare for the Situation test and Personal Interview as you will need this skill-set for other entrances as well. As you know, OPUS guides students for not only NID and NIFT but other leading design colleges. Separate entrance test specific preparatory courses are available with OPUS for students to groom themselves for success at the entrance level. Even though you wish to secure admission at a good college, sometimes the target is missed. Sometimes certain things are not destined to happen. The small number of intake (3000 by NIFT) eliminates many talented candidates who deserve to study design. If we look around among all the leading designers of our country, not all are NIFT or NID alumni. With a mentor like OPUS to steer your career in the right direction, it is not the end of the road. If you miss the NID or NIFT bus, the journey does not end. Possibly some other college will take you to your destination. It is, in fact, the beginning of another journey – perhaps even more rewarding.
Design Aspirants, do visit DesignThink360 Career Conclave on 28 October 2017. Free Registration,
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https://www.theopusway.com/design-think-360/ Related Post:
HOW TO CREATE A PORTFOLIO FOR ADMISSION INTO DESIGN SCHOOLS 
The blog is very informative. Thanks for sharing