Symbiosis Institute of Design B.Des Review By Poorvi Kulkarni

In my second year at this institute, I have more or less gotten a solid idea of the pros and cons of enrolling here. Although my experience so far has been very good, it's one I have curated for myself through my personal outlook and lifestyle. The reason I chose this particular institute was because it's a well-established one in the field of design, affordable (at least in terms of pursuing a design course) and it was located in a place convenient for me.

The course I am pursuing is one in Communication design, specializing in Animation film design. Although it's a well-rounded course, there are definite improvements that can be made to the curriculum. The entry requirements demand a creative portfolio of the candidate's previous works in art, design and more to get an idea of their creativity, ideation, and how fit they are to pursue a course in design. However, the best and most competitive specialization to apply for here would be Graphic design as it is the best equipped, established, and the oldest course with the most experienced faculty.

Most of the faculty, at least in my specialization, are those who have dabbled in the industry and have years of experience under their belts. This does not necessarily guarantee that they will be the best teachers, but they are experienced individuals who can provide valuable insight on the inner workings of the industry. They range from IIT and NID graduates to filmmakers, fashion designers, fine artists, and other experts from creative fields.

Yes, we have a Placement Cell in our institute. Acquiring jobs is overall a tricky task for all creative people, no matter what institute or background and it depends largely on an individual's personal skills, their portfolios and their specializations is how likely they are to land jobs sooner in the industry. The placement cell does help the students as much as it can, however certain specializations too have a higher demand in the industry than others hence, it mostly depends on the student's own work.

Yes, we have hostel facilities available. There are three girls' hostels and one boy's hostel which are all located within a range of 1.2 km from the campus, with buses functioning for drop and pickup. Overall, the hostel has clean and spacious rooms, sufficient facilities and provides for a satisfying living experience. However, food can be an issue to those who do not adjust well to mess food.

The building is located with three to four other campuses of different disciplines and has a very bustling and lively atmosphere, complete with a large common amphitheatre and a general/stationary store located in-campus, along with a print store and an ATM. The design building particularly is very apt for its course with colorful wall art made by the students themselves and twisting staircases leading up to 4 floors. Amenities such as a wood workshop, a metal workshop, garment lab, animation labs, library are also all available.

The institute clubs and student council are all extremely active within the community and very close-knit. Fests, events and even smaller celebrations are carried out with a great deal of enthusiasm both by the council and the student body itself, and the atmosphere is almost always electric. Preparations like guests, sponsors, stalls are also all taken very seriously and begin a month before or before any event, even more so sometimes if it's a major one.