The National Institute of Design (NID) is recognised by the department of scientific and industrial research (DSIR) under the department of science and technology, Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organisation.
NID offers graduate diploma programmes in the following categories: Industrial design, communication design, textile and apparel design. The postgraduate diploma offers the following specialisations: Product design, furniture design and interior design, ceramic and glass design, toy design and development, textile design, apparel design and merchandising, lifestyle accessory design, film and video communication, animation and film design, graphic design and strategic design management.
Students of the postgraduate diploma in animation film design are trained to independently handle the complete process of animation film making. Admission announcements are issued in the national dailies in the last week of September. Forms can be obtained from the Academic Office, NID, directly by sending a demand draft drawn on any scheduled bank, payable at Ahmedabad, for Rs 900 (Rs 500 for reserved categories) favouring the National Institute of Design, payable at Ahmedabad, and a self addressed envelope of 8”x12” size with Rs 25 stamps affixed. The envelope should be marked ‘Admissions 2007’. Forms downloaded from NID’s website, www.nid.edu, sent along with the required demand draft, will also be accepted. For this year, the last date for receiving the completed application forms is November 30, 2006. For details, contact the National Institute of Design at Paldi, Ahmedabad 380007 or log on to their website.
You should have passed your BFA/ BArch/ BDes/ BVC (bachelor of visual communication)/ BLitt/ graduation in communication media, film and TV, mass media or equivalent exam or graduation with one-year experience in a related job or creative pursuits.
All eligible candidates will be called for the Design Aptitude Test to be conducted in the first week of January in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kochi, Calcutta, and Mumbai.
Pattern of exam
Shortlisted candidates from the design aptitude test are called for the second phase of testing — studio tests — to be followed by interviews in Ahmedabad in May.
How to prepare
The design aptitude test consists of three papers, which require practice of 3D and figure drawing, observation, and analysis.
Paper 1: Image drawing (1 hour 30 minutes) — You have to draw a given object in proportion. You are also given objects like pen, cellotape, etc, and you have to analyse these in terms of their usability.
Paper 2: Matching visuals (40 minutes) —This section requires you to match descriptive words like wheel, soft drink, thread, comics, etc, with sketches that are given.
Paper 3: Creative composition (45 minutes) — You are provided with a set of coloured paper and you have to select a theme from a list and make a composition.
For preparing for the exam you can refer to the Upkar and Arihant guides for NID.
sample test paper
• Make a poster promoting your views on any one of the following topics:
Vegetarianism, Old age homes, Global warming.
• Imagine that the object chosen by you is enlarged 10 times, 30 times and 50 times its actual size. Convey through sketches and brief descriptions, one possible use or function for each of the enlarged objects.
• You are provided with a list of words. Select the most appropriate word from the list for each visual given to you.
Dice, vote, secure, knots, illness, aviation, wildlife, comedy, addiction, anchor, disaster, knowledge, restaurant, illusion, protection, electrical, binary.
• Select six themes from the words given below and suggest a set of colours to paint pictures depicting each of them:
Harvest, monsoon, sports, Indian, Western, corporate, pollution, flood, baby, farm.
• Select any one of the following words that describes your personality and represent the same through a composition using the coloured papers:
Fun loving, imaginative, confused, disorganised, extrovert, patient, friendly, introvert, logical, cool.