Three Student Journeys at TACIT
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Design education is undergoing a profound shift. In a world where AI can generate images, interfaces, code, and even ideas instantly, the value of education no longer lies in producing outputs alone. What matters now is the ability to think critically, frame meaningful questions, work across disciplines, and create experiences that are emotionally, culturally, and socially relevant.
At TACIT, we see mentorship not as teaching students how to use tools, but as helping them develop judgment, curiosity, systems thinking, and a deeper understanding of human experience. Over the past few months, we had the opportunity to guide three Masters of Design students — Kowshikan, Aditi, and Kedar — through very different but equally meaningful projects that explored immersive interaction, scientific storytelling, and sustainable material futures
Kowshikan G — Interactive immersive exhibition experiences
Kowshikan’s capstone project explored the design of interactive and immersive exhibition experiences inspired by the philosophy of Adi Shankaracharya. Rather than treating immersive media as a technological spectacle, his work investigated how interaction could become a medium for reflection, memory, and emotional connection. Through extensive research into museums, projection-based environments, and generative media systems, he developed experiential installations such as Tat Tvam Asi and From Chaos to Unity, where gestures and real-time visual transformations translated abstract philosophical ideas into intuitive experiences. Using tools like TouchDesigner, gesture-based interaction systems, and generative visuals, the project proposed a new way of thinking about exhibition design — one where technology supports contemplation instead of distraction.
Our mentorship focused on helping Kowshikan move beyond “interaction for interaction’s sake” and instead build meaningful experiential narratives. In many ways, his journey reflects an important shift in post-AI education: the value no longer lies in simply learning software or producing visual outputs, but in developing judgment, conceptual clarity, and the ability to create emotionally resonant systems. We encouraged him to question why an interaction exists, what transformation it creates for the participant, and how philosophy, space, and technology can work together to shape human experience. Through iterative critiques, exposure to immersive media practices, and collaborative experimentation, Kowshikan learned to position design not merely as a tool for engagement, but as a medium for interpretation and reflection.
Aditi Bathija — Reimagining Science Through Play
Aditi’s project, Jeewanu: Can You Create Life?, transformed a forgotten chapter of Indian scientific history into an immersive strategy board game experience. Developed in collaboration with NCBS, the project revisited the historic Jeewanu experiments on protocell-like structures and translated them into a speculative laboratory simulation game. By combining cooperative gameplay, hidden traitor mechanics, deck-building, and resource management systems, Aditi created an experience where players actively inhabit the tensions, uncertainties, and social dynamics of scientific research. Rather than presenting science as static information, the game allowed participants to experience experimentation, failure, collaboration, and doubt as lived systems. The project stood out for its ability to merge scientific storytelling, systems thinking, and emotional engagement into a compelling playable narrative.
Our role was to help Aditi evolve from thinking like a designer of artefacts into thinking like a designer of systems and human behaviour. Her process involved constant iteration — studying games, deconstructing mechanics, prototyping interactions, and testing emotional responses with players ranging from scientists to gamers. In a post-AI educational landscape where information is instantly accessible, projects like Aditi’s demonstrate that the real value lies in framing meaningful experiences and asking better questions. We worked closely with her to sharpen the relationship between narrative, agency, and uncertainty, encouraging her to treat gameplay as a form of inquiry rather than entertainment alone. Through this process, she developed a strong understanding of how design can make complex scientific histories participatory, accessible, and emotionally memorable.
Kedar Shreekant Joshi — Luminaire design using Bio-degradable materials
Kedar’s master’s thesis explored the design of a modular luminaire system using biodegradable materials such as banana fiber, bamboo cane, and wood. The project investigated how sustainable materials, tactile surfaces, and craft-based production methods could be integrated into contemporary lighting design while also introducing a “Do It Yourself” assembly experience for users.
Moving beyond conventional product design, Kedar’s work examined how users could actively participate in weaving and constructing the luminaire themselves, creating a stronger emotional connection with both the object and the materials. His research combined industrial design, lighting science, sustainability, biophilic design, and craft traditions to produce a thoughtful system that balanced aesthetics, functionality, and ecological responsibility.
Our mentorship with Kedar focused on helping him navigate the intersection of material research, emotional design, and systems thinking. In the context of post-AI education, projects like his remind us that the future of design is not only digital — it is deeply human, sensory, and ecological. While AI can optimize forms and generate endless visual variations, it cannot replace the lived understanding that comes from working with materials, understanding craft communities, and designing for emotional and tactile experiences.
We encouraged Kedar to think beyond product aesthetics and consider the entire lifecycle of the object — from sustainability and repairability to user participation and cultural storytelling. Through iterative prototyping, material experimentation, and reflective discussions, he developed a nuanced design approach rooted in empathy, sustainability, and meaningful user engagement.
Across all three projects, the focus was not simply on producing final outcomes, but on learning how to navigate complexity through research, iteration, and critical inquiry. Whether working with immersive media, speculative gameplay, or sustainable materials, Kowshikan, Aditi, and Kedar each explored how design today increasingly depends on systems thinking, contextual understanding, and the ability to create meaningful human experiences — skills that are becoming central to design education in a post-AI world.
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