Design thinking: How NEP 2020 is catalysing a hands-on learning revolution

Aquiet transformation is taking shape in Indian classrooms, where the traditional reliance on rote learning is gradually giving way to curiosity, creativity and empathy. At the centre of this shift is design thinking. Instead of memorising answers, students are increasingly encouraged to ask meaningful questions, build prototypes, test their ideas and approach learning with a sense of purpose. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has reinforced this momentum by emphasising experiential, competency-based and multidisciplinary learning — three principles that align naturally with design education.

Design thinking resonates strongly with long-standing Indian educational traditions. It reflects the spirit of Gandhi’s Nai Talim, Tagore’s Santiniketan, and the apprenticeship-based craft learning that once defined many communities. At the same time, it builds the competencies the future demands: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. These capabilities help shift students from passive knowledge receivers to agile problem-solvers who can navigate complexity and envision better alternatives.

Across the country, schools are integrating design thinking in two complementary ways. The first is by embedding it within existing subjects. Prototyping becomes a tool to test scientific hypotheses; 3D modelling makes geometric concepts tangible; data storytelling helps students interpret history and social sciences more deeply. When these activities draw from local contexts and indigenous knowledge, learning gains relevance and fosters a sense of cultural pride.

The second approach is to introduce design thinking as an independent subject. Here, students explore visual communication, product and environmental design, sustainability and human-centred innovation. They learn to empathise, define problems, ideate, prototype, test and iterate — steps that mirror the processes used in real-world studios and innovation labs. The goal is not only to teach skills but to cultivate habits of mind that encourage inquiry, resilience and reflection.

For this shift to succeed, teacher development plays a crucial role. Sensitisation workshops, collaborative planning, co-teaching models and reflective practice help educators move from delivering content to facilitating design processes. When teachers become comfortable modelling curiosity and experimentation, classrooms begin to reflect a more participatory and exploratory culture.

Many schools are also building resource ecosystems to sustain design learning over time. These include curated materials libraries, simple tool collections, digital repositories and local knowledge databases. Even lean ecosystems — such as basic fabrication tools and low-cost materials — can support meaningful making when paired with thoughtful pedagogy. The emphasis is on designing for the Indian context: using local materials, engaging with community needs, and drawing inspiration from regional crafts and traditions rather than relying on imported templates that may not fit local realities.

Seasonal design workshops have emerged as powerful catalysts for students and teachers alike. Summer programmes typically serve as entry points, offering high-energy immersion into studio habits such as keen observation, sketching, rapid prototyping, critique and reflection. Industry practitioners or experienced facilitators often guide students through hands-on projects grounded in sustainability, crafts or community challenges. These themes help translate empathy into tangible outcomes and show students how design can positively influence daily life.

Story-based and gamified formats have also become popular. In such programmes, students take on fictional missions or quests that require them to progress through a complete design cycle. By working in teams across areas such as product design, communication, photography, fashion, textiles or animation, they practise collaboration and iterative decision-making. Final showcases allow them to present not only their outcomes but their process — an essential shift from evaluating only the “what” to valuing the “how” and the “why.”

Winter workshops typically build deeper mastery. With more time available, students engage in extended projects that may include field immersion, user research, iterative prototyping and structured critique. These projects often connect to school goals or NEP competencies, reinforcing coherence across the academic year. Themes might include sustainability sprints, craft-technology integrations or community innovation briefs. The slower pace and increased depth give students space to refine skills and develop their personal design voice. Across both summer and winter engagements, teachers gain practical frameworks and portable playbooks to adapt in their own classrooms. Successful integration focuses on pedagogy rather than procurement. When schools begin by strengthening teacher mindsets — through guided practice, collaborative work and reflective cycles — design thinking becomes woven into everyday learning rather than confined to isolated events.

Context remains central to this transformation. Using local materials, heritage crafts and community needs makes learning meaningful, accessible and culturally grounded. Assessments are also evolving: instead of prioritising content recall, schools are experimenting with formative rubrics that capture curiosity, collaboration, craftsmanship and care — qualities that resonate with the Head, Heart and Hands approach emphasised in NEP 2020.

A cycle of piloting, documenting, iterating and scaling allows schools to refine what works. Over time, classrooms begin to shift from compliance to curiosity. Students learn to merge data with storytelling, science with art, and tradition with emerging technologies. Studio cultures that normalise critique, iteration and peer learning cultivate resilience, ethical reasoning and comfort with ambiguity.

Ultimately, design thinking is helping Indian education move from performance to problem-solving and from discipline to mindset. By equipping students to sense needs, frame problems, collaborate effectively and develop solutions iteratively, schools are preparing young people to navigate a diverse, dynamic and rapidly changing society. With NEP 2020 as a foundation and India’s rich pedagogical heritage as inspiration, design-centred learning is creating classrooms filled with curiosity, compassion and the confidence to shape the futures students imagine.

(The author is Associate Professor, School of Design, Anant National University)