About SSD

Somaiya School of Design, supported by riidl, is an institution without boundaries, reimagining design education through its four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Design in Product Design Program. Here, you’ll engage with design as a way of thinking and making; building solutions that bring delight to people’s lives or respond to the challenges faced by our people and the planet.

These solutions take shape through specialised skill pathways in Visual Communication Design, UI/UX Design, and Design for Tangible Products. The program is rooted in student-centred, project-based learning and follows a multidisciplinary approach that reflects the complexity of the world designers operate in today. Recognising that every designer is unique, learning at SSD is curated around individual strengths, enabling each student to refine their skills and grow through personalised design journeys.

About SSD

Purpose

Why Do We Exist?

Somaiya School of Design exists because we believe design education
must be lived, not merely taught. For almost two decades, riidl (Research
Innovation Incubation Design Labs) has built a global ecosystem of makers,
innovators, designers, and entrepreneurs who are learning through
experimentation, collaboration, success, failures and continuous inquiry.
We saw the need to extend these real-world learnings beyond startups
and innovators to students seeking a full-time design education.

The School of Design was created to bring this ecosystem-driven mindset
into the classroom. By combining the lived experience of innovation at riidl
with the multidisciplinary academic depth of Somaiya Vidyavihar University,
we aim to nurture designers who can think independently, engage responsibly, and contribute meaningfully. Our purpose is to prepare students not just for jobs, but for lifelong participation in shaping the future of design, society and innovation.

Approach

Making To Meaning

We design learning experiences the way designers work - through making, reflection, and iteration. At Somaiya School of Design, students are encouraged to engage deeply with real-world contexts rather than abstract problems. Our multidisciplinary approach integrates design with technology, business, humanities, and emerging fields, reflecting the complexity designers navigate today.

Along the way, students develop adaptability in the face of change, a sense of altruism towards society and the environment, and accountability for the impact of their decisions. Supported by studios, laboratories, mentors, industry partners and a global innovation network, students build a versatile skill set that prepares them to step confidently into the future.

Leadership & Governance

Supported by the management of Somaiya Vidyavihar University, the Somaiya School of Design is guided by leadership that brings clarity of vision, academic integrity, and long-term perspective. It creates space for innovation, collaboration and the evolving nature of design education.

Dharmil Sheth | Advisory Board Member | Co-founder, PharmEasy

Vishal Gondal | Advisory Board Member | CEO, GOQii

Doug Patterson | Advisory Board Member | Architect and Designer

Dr Mookesh Patel | Advisory Board Member | Professor Emeritus | Arizona State University

Gaurang Shetty | CEO, riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar

Hetal Mundra | Program Designer | Somaiya School of Design

Dr Irfan N A Siddavattam | Professor & Director | Somaiya School of Design

Professor Ajay Kapoor | Vice-Chancellor | Somaiya Vidyavihar University

Shri Samir Somaiya | Chancellor | Somaiya Vidyavihar University

Our Team

A collective of educators, designers, researchers, and practitioners who care deeply about how students learn and grow. Together, they work to foster an environment shaped by experimentation, mentorship, collaboration, and thoughtful engagement with real-world challenges.

Milind Gaikwad | Multi-tasking Staff | Somaiya School of Design

Kumar Kadam | Multi-tasking Staff | Somaiya School of Design

Ekta Moorpana | Examination Incharge | Somaiya School of Design

Ashwini Jayesh | EA to the Director | Somaiya School of Design

Neha Shembavanekar | Placement Officer | Somaiya School of Design

Dinesh Dhumak | Lab Incharge | Somaiya School of Design

Shivam Kulkarni | Lab Manager | Somaiya School of Design

Munira Ozarwala | Program Facilitator | Somaiya School of Design

Varun Kapadia | Program Coordinator | Somaiya School of Design

Ramakrishnan Panchapakesan | Faculty | Somaiya School of Design

Shefali Desai | Faculty | Somaiya School of Design

Gunjan Kaul | Faculty | Somaiya School of Design

Jesal Mehta | Faculty | Somaiya School of Design

Dr Poornima Nair | Faculty | Somaiya School of Design

Hetal Mundra | Program Designer | Somaiya School of Design

Dr Irfan N A Siddavattam | Professor & Director | Somaiya School of Design

Board of Studies

The Board of Studies oversees curriculum development and academic frameworks. Through ongoing dialogue with the team, industry experts, and academic stakeholders, they ensure courses remain rigorous, relevant, and thoughtfully structured.

Gavin Remedios | Experience Design Leader | IBM Consulting

Dr Anisha Malhotra Dalvi | Faculty | IIT, Bombay

Dr Amit Kundal | Dean | School of Design, Art and Performance, FLAME University

Dr Irfan N A Siddavattam | Professor & Director | Somaiya School of Design

Campus & Facilities

The Somaiya School of Design is located within the vibrant campus
of Somaiya Vidyavihar University, offering an academic environment
where learning extends well beyond the classroom. Students work
across collaborative studio spaces and specialised laboratories that
support making, tinkering, prototyping, and interdisciplinary
exploration.

These include facilities for digital fabrication, interaction and
computational design, material exploration, woodworking, bio-
inspired experimentation, and immersive XR experiences.
Together, they allow students to test ideas at different scales
and enable moving fluidly between concept, craft, technology,
and systems thinking.

Being part of a larger university ecosystem also means access to
shared libraries, sports facilities, and community spaces that support
academic life, wellbeing, and creative exchange. In the heart of
Mumbai, the campus offers a unique sense of openness - green,
walkable, and designed to encourage exchange beyond formal
learning spaces.

Life at SSD

Life at SSD is fast-paced, collaborative and deeply creative. From studio critiques and hands-on workshops to exhibitions, talks, campus events, celebrations, and late-night making, students learn, experiment, and grow together - building a wholesome design journey along the way.