Form and Aesthetics

By Prof. B.K. Chakravarthy | IIT Bombay

Learners enrolled: 415 | Exam registration: 5

ABOUT THE COURSE:

The course on Form and aesthetics is a unique course where we are showcasing how the form of a product is generated. We have documented video case studies starting from creating abstract shapes and later on moving to targeted emotive forms. Finally, we have industry case studies of form generation both in consumer product companies and automotive companies. In the end, we have case studies of student projects that capture the complete design process showing how form plays an important role.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Design students

INDUSTRY SUPPORT:

Automobile companies
Consumer goods companies

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Design Engineering
Credit Points :	3
Level :	Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date :	21 Jul 2025
End Date :	10 Oct 2025
Enrollment Ends :	28 Jul 2025
Exam Registration Ends :	15 Aug 2025
Exam Date :	02 Nov 2025 IST
NCrF Level	4.5 — 8.0

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week 1: Understanding Form - Wings of Bamboo

Week 2: Form in Sculpture

Week 3: Form and Metamorphosis

Form and Abstractions

Form for Aspiration

Week 4: Form and Bio-mimicry

Week 5: Form in Automotive

Week 6: Form in Bamboo Craft

Week 7: Form and Innovation

Week 8: Form for Convenience

Form for Rural Cooking

Week 9: Form as Craft Business

Week 10: Form for Ventilation

Form for Demonstration

Week 11: Form and Perception

Week 12: Form for Sanitation
Form in Furniture

Books and references

1. Hannah, Gail Greet; Elements of Design, PrincetonArchitectural Press, 1, July 2002 • Byers, Mel;
2. The Design Encyclopaedia, Publisher: John Wiley &Sons Publications, (8 August 1994) • Livio, Mario;
3. The Golden Ration: The Story of PHL, the World’sMost Astonishing Number, Publisher: Broadway, 2003

Instructor bio

Prof. B.K. Chakravarthy

IIT Bombay

Prof. B. K. Chakravarthy teaches Innovation by Design at the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay. He has set up the Shenoy Innovation Studio at IITB, where students and young designers are given the opportunity to work on live projects and benefit from expertise in a range of interrelated fields. Prof. Chakravarthy works closely with other academics engaged in cutting-edge research at IIT Bombay and has played a key role in translating such research into products that reach the hands of users. A Collaborative Model for New Product Innovation, an outcome of Prof. Chakravarthys doctoral research, has had wide application in the industry. Prof. Chakravarthy has also worked frequently with government departments and occupational communities engaged in essential services.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.

The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).

Date and Time of Exams: November 02, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.

Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.

The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.

Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 8 assignments out of the total 12 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Bombay. It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team

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