For students planning to study design after Class 12, choosing the right specialisation is often more important than simply choosing a university. Design today covers physical spaces, products, visual communication, digital tools, sustainability and human-centred problem solving. A good design programme therefore needs to give students opportunities to experiment across creative and technical areas while gradually developing their own professional direction.
Navrachana University (NUV), Vadodara, offers design education through its School of Environmental Design and Architecture (SEDA). The school’s current academic portfolio includes B.Design in Interior Design and B.Design in Product & Visual Communication, along with its architecture programme. NUV describes SEDA’s approach around creativity, critical thinking, studio learning, workshops and broad-based education connected with industry and social needs.
For the 2026–27 academic session, Navrachana University’s official fee structure lists the regular per-semester fee at ₹95,000 for BDesign (Interior) and ₹1,05,650 for BDesign (Product & Visual Communication). The university also promotes a choice-based curriculum in which students can take a portion of credits from other academic domains and pursue minor disciplines alongside their primary programme.
This combination makes NUV’s design education particularly interesting for students who want to build a focused design degree while still exploring other areas of knowledge.
Ready to take the next step?
- What Can Students Study in Design at Navrachana University?
- Interior Design Goes Beyond Decoration
- Product & Visual Communication Combines Making With Storytelling
- Studio and Workshop Learning Make Design More Practical
- A Choice-Based Curriculum Lets Students Look Beyond One Discipline
- Minor Disciplines Can Add Another Skill to a Design Degree
- KHOJ Connects Design Learning With Real Social Problems
- Internships and Projects Help Students Move Towards Professional Practice
- What Are the Fees for B.Design at Navrachana University in 2026–27?
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Can Students Study in Design at Navrachana University?
Students searching for a B.Des after 12th often begin by comparing specialisations. At Navrachana University, the current design portfolio includes B.Design (Interior) and B.Design (Product & Visual Communication) under the School of Environmental Design and Architecture.
These two pathways approach design from different perspectives. Interior Design deals primarily with spaces, environments, materials, functionality and the relationship between people and the built environment. Product & Visual Communication brings together the creation of products with the visual communication of ideas, giving students exposure to both physical and visual forms of design.
This gives students an opportunity to think about what kind of designer they want to become. Someone who enjoys spaces, materials and human interaction with environments may be more interested in Interior Design, while a student who enjoys making objects as well as communicating ideas visually may explore Product & Visual Communication.
The choice is therefore not simply about selecting a course name. It is about identifying the type of problems a student enjoys observing, understanding and solving.
2. Interior Design Goes Beyond Decoration
Interior Design is sometimes misunderstood as a field focused mainly on colours, furniture and decoration. Professional interior design involves much more. Designers have to understand space, movement, materials, construction, human behaviour, context and functionality.
Navrachana’s School of Environmental Design and Architecture describes its design education as being built around creativity and critical thinking, with workshops and studio-based learning playing an important role. Its broader design curriculum includes areas connected with materials, design expression, technical drawing, computing and spatial understanding.
This approach can help students understand how an interior evolves from an initial concept into a more developed spatial proposal. They can learn to think about how people occupy a space, how materials influence an environment and how design decisions affect functionality.
Students interested in residential interiors, hospitality spaces, retail environments, exhibitions, workplace design or related spatial fields can use this foundation to develop their own areas of interest.
3. Product & Visual Communication Combines Making With Storytelling
Product design and visual communication may appear to be separate disciplines, but both involve transforming ideas into something people can understand, use or experience.
The BDesign (Product & Visual Communication) programme at NUV provides a pathway for students interested in designing physical products while also developing visual ways of communicating ideas. The university’s current fee structure lists this as a distinct BDesign programme for 2026–27.
Product-oriented design can involve understanding form, function, materials, users and manufacturing possibilities. Visual communication, meanwhile, focuses on how information and ideas can be expressed through visual language.
For students who do not want to restrict themselves to only spatial design or only graphic communication, this combination can provide a broader creative foundation.
It can also encourage students to understand that a successful design is not only about what something looks like. The product, message or visual system needs to communicate clearly and work effectively for its intended audience.
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4. Studio and Workshop Learning Make Design More Practical
Design education becomes stronger when students have opportunities to move from ideas to physical or visual outcomes. Sketching a concept is one stage; testing it through models, materials or prototypes can reveal completely different challenges.
SEDA places studio and workshop learning at the centre of its educational approach. The university describes these spaces as central to the synthesis of design learning, supported by academic processes, experienced faculty and infrastructure.
This practical orientation allows students to experiment rather than relying only on theoretical explanations. A student may begin with observation and research, develop several concepts, test materials or representations and then refine the final design.
Such repeated experimentation can gradually improve important abilities including visualisation, problem-solving, communication, making and critical thinking.
For students building a design portfolio, these studio projects can also become an important source of work demonstrating how their ideas developed.
5. A Choice-Based Curriculum Lets Students Look Beyond One Discipline
One of the distinctive academic features highlighted by Navrachana University is its choice-based curriculum. The university states that students can choose 10% of their course credits from other domains, allowing them to explore subjects outside their primary programme.
This creates an opportunity for design students to develop a broader academic profile. A student studying design could explore courses from another discipline, while students from engineering or business backgrounds can also take design-related courses.
The university describes this as an approach intended to allow students to “tailor-make” their degree and develop a broader outlook. This can be particularly useful because modern design projects often involve collaboration with people from engineering, business, technology, social sciences and other fields.
Instead of treating disciplines as completely separate, students can begin understanding how knowledge from different areas can contribute to a single project.
6. Minor Disciplines Can Add Another Skill to a Design Degree
A student’s primary degree does not necessarily have to represent every professional interest they develop during university.
Navrachana University provides students with the option of pursuing minor disciplines alongside their major degree. The university states that a minor requires 18 credits and is intended to diversify a student’s knowledge and provide additional skills.
The current list of minor options includes areas such as Health Science, Computer Science & Engineering, Business Law, Interior Design, General Management, Mechatronics and Film Production.
For a design student, such flexibility can create interesting combinations. A student could develop a design background while gaining exposure to management, technology or another complementary field.
These combinations do not guarantee a particular career outcome, but they can help students build a wider understanding of the environments in which design professionals work.
7. KHOJ Connects Design Learning With Real Social Problems
Design is not only about creating attractive products or spaces. Designers can also contribute to problems involving communities, sustainability, health, waste, accessibility and urban development.
Navrachana University’s KHOJ Winter School is designed around social immersion and interdisciplinary learning. The university describes KHOJ as a field-based initiative intended to develop social awareness, empathy and interdisciplinary skills while encouraging students to propose solutions to societal problems.
Its thematic clusters include areas such as public health and hygiene, mental health, environment and sustainability, waste management, urban development, and economics and social issues.
For design students, this kind of exposure can change the way they define a design problem. Instead of beginning with “What should I make?”, students can begin with “What problem exists, who experiences it and what could improve the situation?”
That shift towards observation and empathy can become an important part of developing a human-centred design mindset.
Ready to take the next step?
8. Internships and Projects Help Students Move Towards Professional Practice
A design degree becomes more connected to professional work when students have opportunities to understand how design is practised outside the classroom.
Navrachana’s design and architecture ecosystem places importance on studio work, workshops, practical learning and professional exposure. The university’s broader SEDA information describes design education as being connected with industry needs and future professional practice.
For design students, professional exposure can take different forms. An Interior Design student may explore site-related work, materials, spatial documentation and professional design practices. A Product & Visual Communication student may work on product concepts, visual systems, presentations or other design outputs.
These experiences can help students understand practical constraints such as timelines, client requirements, materials, budgets and communication.
Over time, the combination of academic projects and professional exposure can also help students build a portfolio that demonstrates both creativity and the ability to work through real design problems.
9. What Are the Fees for B.Design at Navrachana University in 2026–27?
For students and parents, fees are an important part of comparing design colleges. Navrachana University’s official 2026–27 fee structure currently lists the following regular per-semester fees for its B.Design programmes.
| B.Design Programme | Regular Fee Per Semester | Approx. Tuition for 4 Years* |
|---|---|---|
| BDesign (Interior) | ₹95,000 | ₹7,60,000 |
| BDesign (Product & Visual Communication) | ₹1,05,650 | ₹8,45,200 |
*Approximate 4-year tuition is calculated based on the regular semester fee and does not necessarily include other applicable charges.
*Approximation based on the published regular per-semester fee multiplied by eight semesters. It does not include other applicable costs and should not be treated as a final four-year payable amount.
The university states that fees for non-regulated programmes are subject to revision annually and may increase by at least 3% annually. Students should therefore verify the latest fee structure, hostel charges, deposits and other applicable expenses before finalising their admission.
Looking at the semester fee alongside the complete academic structure can help families understand the overall cost of pursuing a design degree rather than focusing only on the first-year amount.
10. Final Thoughts
For students searching for B.Des after 12th, Navrachana University’s School of Environmental Design and Architecture offers two current design pathways: B.Design (Interior) and B.Design (Product & Visual Communication). The school’s approach combines studio and workshop learning with creativity, critical thinking and broader interdisciplinary exposure.
One of the more distinctive elements of the university’s academic model is its choice-based curriculum, which allows students to take a portion of credits from other domains. The availability of minor disciplines can provide another way to complement the primary design degree with additional knowledge.
The KHOJ Winter School adds a different dimension by exposing students to social and environmental issues through field-based learning. This can encourage students to think about design not only as a creative profession but also as a way of responding to real human and societal needs.
For the 2026–27 session, the official fee structure lists ₹95,000 per semester for BDesign (Interior) and ₹1,05,650 per semester for BDesign (Product & Visual Communication) under the regular fee category.
Students should still evaluate the specific curriculum, studio facilities, faculty, portfolio opportunities, internships, location, total cost and admission requirements before choosing a programme.
For broader career and higher-education guidance, students can explore CareerGuide. Students researching entrance examinations and counselling resources can also explore CareerGuide CUET.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which design courses does Navrachana University offer?
Ans: Through the School of Environmental Design and Architecture, NUV currently lists BDesign (Interior) and BDesign (Product & Visual Communication) as its undergraduate design programmes.
Q2. Is Navrachana University suitable for students looking for B.Des after 12th?
Ans: NUV offers undergraduate B.Design programmes through SEDA, with studio-based learning, workshops, interdisciplinary opportunities and practical design education. Students should check the programme-specific eligibility and admission requirements before applying.
Q3. What is the B.Design fee at Navrachana University for 2026–27?
Ans: The published regular fee is ₹95,000 per semester for BDesign (Interior) and ₹1,05,650 per semester for BDesign (Product & Visual Communication).
Q4. Does NUV offer Interior Design?
Ans: Yes. NUV currently offers BDesign (Interior) through its School of Environmental Design and Architecture.
Q5. Does NUV offer Product Design?
Ans: Yes. Product Design is included within the current BDesign (Product & Visual Communication) programme.
