Accessory Design (AD)

The Majors establish a foundation in product design through four broad areas: Research & Application, Drawing & Presentation, Materials & Techniques, and Design Studios. Students develop an understanding of design evolution, trends and societal needs; build manual and digital presentation skills; explore traditional, new-age and emerging materials and technologies; and progress from foundational projects to product ranges. Indian heritage, crafts and sustainability remain integral to the curriculum, while industry and expert inputs strengthen its relevance to evolving product practices. Together, these areas develop the design thinking, technical skills and material understanding required to create products ranging from personal accessories to broader lifestyle applications.

Department Electives allow students to explore diverse and emerging areas of product design and develop individual areas of expertise. Organised across four broad domains—Products and Adornment, Products and Activity, Products and Space, and Products and User—the electives address evolving user needs, markets and lifestyles. Areas include fashion trims and components, wearable accessories, fine jewellery, pet products, toys and games, sports and adventure accessories, watches, fixtures and fittings, indoor and outdoor accessories, exhibition and display products, educational and learning accessories, human-centric design, products for persons with disabilities, and wellness products. Electives vary across campuses, allowing students to broaden their skills and explore multiple design directions.

The Department of Fashion & Lifestyle Accessory offers Interdisciplinary Minors (IDMs) for undergraduate and postgraduate students, enabling learners from other fashion specialisations to explore product design, materials, techniques and design thinking. The undergraduate Lifestyle Accessory Design Studio introduces students to product design through lifestyle accessories, sketching, materials and processes, design projects and prototyping. Lifestyle Accessory Design introduces students to product markets, trends and the business aspects of accessory design. The postgraduate minor focuses on market trends and business aspects of product design, extending students' understanding of product development in relation to evolving markets. Students enrolled in Fashion & Lifestyle Accessory may, in turn, pursue Interdisciplinary Minors offered by other academic departments to broaden their learning beyond their primary discipline.

General Electives provide opportunities to explore areas of knowledge beyond the primary discipline, encouraging intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary learning. Offered across a range of subjects, these courses broaden perspectives, strengthen critical thinking and support the development of transferable skills. By engaging with diverse academic, creative and societal contexts, students gain a well-rounded educational experience that complements their disciplinary knowledge and prepares them for the evolving demands of professional practice.