India Design Council launches initiatives to support design

The India Design Council on Thursday launched two initiatives, Design Education Quality Mark (DEQM) and Chartered Designs of India (CDI), to support and set standards for the design profession.

The DEQM will benchmark design education programmes on predetermined standards and will accord a quality mark to institutions that meet the standards.

The mark will be granted to institutions that undergo a review process and meet or exceed the expectations for quality and standards as prescribed in the Quality Code. It will communicate that an institution has a guaranteed minimum level of quality and standards and has undergone a third-party and neutral review process.

The mark, which includes a trademark-protected logo, will help students choose the right design programme and aid prospective employers to understand the standing of the design institute.

In 2007, India became one of the few countries to adopt a National Design Policy (NDP) and the government in March 2009 announced establishment of the India Design Council.

The CDI is an institution that will establish and uphold the professional standards of design practice in India.

"The need for a Quality Code was felt as there has been an exponential growth in the number of institutions providing design qualifications in India, necessitating the creation of a guiding framework that represents a common rationale/ philosophy for design curricula and its implementation.

"The aim is to harmonise the different education systems whilst taking into account their great diversity," an official statement said.