Tanya Naveen

Profession

MA Design Management graduate

College

London College of Communication

Person Type

Alumni

Biography

Tanya, originally from India, graduated from MA Design Management at London College of Communication in 2021. Prior to joining the course, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Product Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology in India.

Interview

What attracted you to postgraduate study, and MA Design Management?
The initial idea of solving complex problem problems associated with products, services and experiences across varied domains through critical design thinking had motivated me to join the course. It was an opportunity to bridge design with culture and business through strategies, services and experiences.

Can you tell us a little bit about your final major project?
'The Teal Project’ is a product-service design aimed to generate PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian/ Ovaries Syndrome) awareness in adolescent girls and to alarm them about its symptoms.

An optimistic, constructive, and experiential approach to learn, it has 3 parts: Workshops, Teal Kits, and a Website. In high-schools and junior colleges, workshops on PCOS awareness will be conducted and as a tool to self-explore, ‘The Teal Kits’ will be distributed. The students can later find more information about PCOS on the website.

It is an outcome of my MA in Design Management thesis on 'Design Thinking in PCOS Awareness'. The thesis highlights the major gap of extremely low public awareness of 'PCOS' in young women in Urban India.

At the age of 18, two of my very close friends were diagnosed with PCOS and their struggles due to lack of knowledge about the disorder was the motivation behind the project.

Did the course provide opportunities to engage with industry?
The course is a nice blend of traditional (in-class teaching) as well as progressive (informal-out of the class) learning.

The most exciting part of the course was the industry expert interactions, guest workshops and collaboration projects. Even during the lockdown, this was effortlessly managed by the tutors.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking of studying the course, what would it be?
Everyone applying to the course needs to come with a project proposal in mind to apply. I would suggest the applicants should think deeper and find a real gap that could be worked upon the duration of the course.

It could be later fruitify into something that can contribute to society, can be turned into a real business, or both. The project would benefit from the expertise of the tutors, the global experience of your cohort and the amazing facilities provided by UAL.

Why would you recommend studying your course to others?

This interdisciplinary course will help you apply design thinking to real-world challenges, design collaboratively and critically engage yourself to forecast the design for future. It provides many opportunities for you to learn more about yourself, your goals, and your strengths.

You'll learn from how other students handle certain situations and learn from their rich diverse cultures.

What was your personal highlight of studying your course at London College of Communication?
The course attracts students from all round the world with amazing cultures and expertise. Peer learning has been the highlight of my personal experience.

Now that you have graduated, what are your plans for the future?
My future goal in life is to use design to help people in need by contributing to the challenges of poverty, malnutrition, and inadequate public healthcare. Currently I am working on developing my project further and in current state of prototyping.

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