4-YEAR UG Professional Program
Business Services and System Design
Course Overview
The Business Services and System Design (BSSD) course prepares you to design innovative and sustainable businesses, services, and systems that address complex challenges in today’s interconnected and interdependent world. Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach that includes human-centered design, social innovation, and technology, you will develop the skills to be perceptive participants and facilitators within systems, enabling the creation of new, business-ready services. You will also gain a holistic perspective crucial for success in today’s dynamic and interdependent landscape. Upon completion of the course, you will be well-prepared to pursue careers in fields such as service design, systems innovation, business project management and much more.
Vision
Business, Services and Systems Design is for those who want to learn how to innovate and create sustainable businesses, services and systems for complex challenges facing our world today and in the future.
Empower Yourself to Design the Future
Service design: Think of the innumerable services that people are dependent on on a daily basis. From content streaming on your digital platforms, transport services you are hailing, healthcare services to keep healthy, financial services or even government services such as notaries and utilities provided.
These services we use are made possible because of the large eco-system of inter-connected parts that make these possible. Service design enables this efficient planning and organizing of people, infrastructure: both digital and physical, communication and material to improve the quality, interaction and delivery of services between service provider and users or even within the organisation.
Systems Thinking: It is crucial to understand and unpack large and complex systems that have larger implications in our society such as education, healthcare, water security, among many others and question the long-term impact of our choices across socio-economic, cultural, and environmental factors.
Thus, the challenge lies in innovation and problem solving using multi-disciplinary convergent systems thinking and ensuring that we are not inadvertently creating new problems for tomorrow.
Systems thinking facilitates a designer to consider these macro elements while designing for different contexts.
Entrepreneurship: We believe businesses can be a vehicle of change. Their access to technologies and operational agility, coupled with the twin motivations of profit and societal impact, positions them to drive significant positive developments. It empowers you to design innovative and sustainable businesses that address the complex challenges facing our world.
Design Research: Design research is a broad paradigm consisting of various methodologies, that helps designers understand the needs of their target audience for a given product or service to be designed. Various companies now have dedicated positions just for design-led research, in which designers use research tools and methodologies to open new opportunity areas for service and product design.
Product, Service, Systems Thinking: Products as we know them no longer exist as individual and stand-alone function performing objects but also as ‘platforms’ that are part of a larger network of interconnected services and systems that aim to facilitate it. Hence, PSS thinking enables designers to make holistic and effective models for service delivery.
Governance and Policy: In today’s interconnected and fast-paced world, effective governance and policymaking are crucial for societal progress and well-being. However, the traditional approach to governance often overlooks the pivotal role that design can play in shaping policies and improving their implementation.
This course will attempt to apply the lenses of public policy and governance to make interconnections that open unique opportunity areas for design-based solutions that have a transformational impact, foster innovation and inclusivity within local communities.
LEVEL
Undergraduate Degree
AWARD
Bachelors of Design (B.Des)
DURATION
4 Years / Full-time
Course Structure
The curriculum comprises of different ways of learning as follows:
- Foundation introduces students to basic principles and tools of Art, Design and Technology as methods, tools and processes.
- Disciplinary Studios are learning spaces where students develop core disciplinary capabilities, while navigating a trans-disciplinary environment.
- General Studies is a common and compulsory programme of study that integrates Humanities, Sciences, Maths, business and finance. Development and Policy Studies and also offers Languages (Spanish, French and German)
- Interim is an immersive introduction to practice in new and emerging areas of art and design and environmental exposure.a
- Electives are of three kinds – this program allows students to expand their skills, develop the interests as well as provide opportunities for travel exchange.
- Internship/Apprenticeship is compulsory work experience done over the summer-break between the 6th and 7th semester.
- Project based learning involves the application and synthesis of capabilities acquired. Two projects, pre-thesis and thesis, is culmination of the 4-year undergraduate program, which allows for demonstration of an integration of values, positions, capabilities and practice.
A Unique Program Focus
The B.Des. BSSD program distinguishes itself through its emphasis on systems thinking. You will gain the ability to consider the broader context when designing solutions, ensuring they are:
Sustainable: Minimize environmental impact and promote responsible resource management.
Socially Equitable: Address the needs of diverse communities and stakeholders.
Economically Viable: Create business models that are both profitable and impactful.
Become a Leader in Design
The B.Des. BSSD program goes beyond traditional product design. You will learn to design interconnected “platforms” that provide seamless user experiences and contribute to a more positive future.
Join a Community of Changemakers
At Srishti Manipal, we believe in the power of design to create positive change. The B.Des. BSSD program fosters a collaborative learning environment where you will develop the skills and vision to become a leader in the field of service and systems design.
Capabilities
Upon successful completion of this course graduates will have developed the following capabilities:
Research and analyze:
- To observe without bias, and to simulate scenarios in order to extract information
- To be able to position oneself in diverse contexts in order to draw valuable insights
- To have the ability to position oneself in a larger global context
Synthesize and envision:
- Ability to identify patterns within systems and services both apparent and beyond the obvious
- Capability to make connections between seemingly unconnected components
Evolve and Reflect:
- Have the ability to experiment, make, and be open to critical feedback in order to generate insights and opportunity areas to push boundaries.
- Have the capability to collaborate and also be open to critical feedback from all stakeholders
