Is the hybrid tech-design degree the future of education?

B.Tech in Computer Science had been equivalent to a dream career in India's IT sector for more than a decade. With the outsourcing boom and the world's need for software engineers, knowledge of codes and algorithms has been the key to success for a career. But all that has totally changed, considering how fast artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have revolutionized the industry.

Today, AI code can generate and test software and debug them, and all these functions were previously performed by trained engineers. This implies traditional IT jobs are dwindling, and even tech-savvy students' luck is at stake.

As conventional software development careers dwindle, the need for creative problem solvers is substantially increasing in another field-design and digital media. The demand has never been more critical for creative problem-solvers who can help impact the convergence of technology and human experience. This program is building a new future that will equip graduates with unique competencies to meet the needs of the new world.

With automation transforming the tech sector, engineering requires a design orientation. Professor (Dr.) Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor, World University of Design, emphasizes the need to integrate design and computer science for jobs that are ready for the future.

WHY COMBINE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DESIGN

The virtual world not just aims for efficiency but is also good at experience. Any program, site, game, or virtual interface that is being utilized is constructed out of the amalgamation of design and engineering. The top digital products in the present day do not become successful simply because coding is in the right place; they simultaneously possess intuitive, beautiful, and completely absorbing qualities.

The B.Tech in computer science and Design (CSD) is based on the premise that a tomorrow's world engineer must also be a designer. The course does not simply provide students with coding abilities; but also enables them to think creatively, design intuitive experiences, and comprehend the basics of aesthetics, storytelling, and digital interaction.

There is an entire palette of skills - from UI/UX design to game development, virtual immersive worlds, and AI-generated digital art - the crossroads of technology and design are enabling new paths of innovation.

Consider giant corporations today such as Apple and Google, which long ago realized that design plays a significant part in technology.

Apple has been the leader in user-centered design, while Google Material Design has reached classic levels in intuitive user interface designs. The graduates of the CSD will understand the same language as these firms, where design and technology converge.

It would be better to opt for a B. Tech in Computer Science and Design instead of a Bachelor of Design (B.Des) since the B.Des degrees are all about beauty and conceptualization and to make students acquire strong computational and analytical abilities with creative skills.

EXPLOSIVE JOB GROWTH IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

More importantly, as per industry reports, the design industry in India is flourishing at 23-25% year-on-year due to rising consumer expectations, digitisation reaching every sector, and a vibrant startup environment. But this is far behind the need because the demand for designers is more than 62,000 individuals annually, while trained designers of roughly 7,000 make an appearance in India every year.

For those looking at career opportunities, this gap is a goldmine. B.Tech Computer Science and Design graduates are well-placed to join fast-growing sectors like: Gaming & Animation - a sector which is going to be worth over $300 billion by 2026, and India's own gaming industry is growing fast; UI/UX Design.

As digital platforms have become the core of every business, investment in user experience design has become a 'must'; Virtual & Augmented Reality (VR/AR) - these immersive technologies are transforming industries ranging from entertainment to education to healthcare; Human-AI Interaction - for designing intuitive and ethical AI interactions to everyday life; and, Digital Media & Interactive Arts - for Digital advertising, film-making, and multimedia storytelling.

As the situation evolves over time, the need for an engineer, who performs like a designer, will be more prevalent. And this isn't the future of education-it's the future of work.