BITS Design School Hosts Exclusive Event With Father Of UX, Don Norman

BITS Design School, Mumbai, in collaboration with Design Up, hosted an exclusive event in Bengaluru featuring the legendary Don Norman, widely regarded as the father of user experience (UX) design. Themed around exploring the synergy between design and technology, this event is part of Don Norman’s three-city tour across India, which also includes Pune on 22 Sep and Delhi on 30 Sep.

Don Norman’s visit to India comes at an opportune moment when the growth in design education is accompanied by a need for a focus on humanity-centered design. Known for having coined the term, User Experience or UX as far back as 1988, Don Norman has inspired generations of designers. The event provided a unique opportunity for today’s generation of designers to engage directly with him to gain from his insights on the latest trends and breakthroughs in the design world including the influence of AI or artificial intelligence.

Don Norman, who also serves on the advisory board of BITS Design School, Mumbai, has been instrumental in shaping the school’s design philosophy and guiding its educational direction. His vision continues to elevate global design thinking and influence the school’s drive towards of excellence. Don Norman spoke to designers on the need for a holistic understanding of the business. He said, "Designers have little power in companies. They must understand the language of business—spreadsheets, money, schedules—to make an impact. Showing good design work is not enough. Designers need to know finance, business models, supply chains, manufacturing, and even politics to create real change. We aren’t teaching this in design schools, where design is often grouped with art. Design is about people and technology, not just aesthetics. If we want to change the world, we must rethink how we educate designers and give them the tools to influence business decisions."

During the session, Nandita Abraham, President of BITS Design School, shared her vision for transdisciplinary education, stating, "We are aiming to be transdisciplinary, meaning students will learn about technology, engineering, law, management, alongside design and how design plays a role in each. If you're designing for the industry, you need to engage with it—ask what they need, what they want, and how they plan to support it. This is just the first step in that direction."

In response to a question on AI's impact on designers, Prof. Norman emphasized the importance of collaboration between designers and AI: "Designers should work together with AI. It should be a collaborator that makes our jobs better, not takes over. AI is changing every month, but it has zero human intelligence. We should use AI, not completely trust it. You need to learn how to use it—if you don't, it will replace you. If you use it and become an expert, you'll be more valuable than ever before. Your work will be different."

The event brought together 40 industry leaders and professionals, including Navneet Nair, Founder of Navneet Nair Designs; Hriday Bhatia, Product and Brand Designer at Ownpath; Parameswaran Venkataraman and Shalini R, Co-Founders of Studio 3 Big Things; and Hemanth Sharma, Design Director at Design Brained Studio. Esteemed leaders such as Naresh Narasimhan, Architect at VA, and Suresh Halarneker, Director of Product Design at ServiceNow, also joined the gathering.

About BITS Design School

BITS Design School is conceived and established by the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), one of the first private institutes in India to be granted 'Institute of Eminence' status in 2020 by the Government of India.

Bestowed with the status of a Deemed University in 1964, BITS Pilani is a prestigious institution for higher education in science, technology, management, humanities, law, and now, design.

Over the last 3 years, BITS Pilani has expanded from Technology into Management and Legal Education with BITS School of Management (BITSoM) established in 2021 and BITS Law School (BITSLAW) in 2023, respectively.

With a foray into the world of design in 2024, BITS Pilani begins another chapter. BITS Design School is founded with the objective of creating an inclusive and inspiring space where design students and educators from around the world can come together to learn, collaborate and create.