A design degree becomes more meaningful when students gradually move from understanding themselves as creators to understanding the people and communities they are designing for. Learning design is not only about developing visual skills or mastering software; it also involves observation, research, collaboration, experimentation, communication and the ability to respond to real situations.
GLS University, through the GLS Institute of Design (GLSID) in Ahmedabad, has developed its design education around this broader understanding of the discipline. The institute describes its philosophy through curiosity, empathy and making, with design positioned at the intersection of culture, society, technology and the environment. Its current academic ecosystem includes B.Des, Global B.Des (Hons.), Integrated M.Des, M.Des and PhD in Design.
For undergraduate students, the B.Des is a four-year programme with learning across areas including Fashion, Communication, Product, and Environment & Space Design. GLSID’s approach combines studio practice, research-led thinking, sustainability, interdisciplinary learning, industry engagement and experimentation.
One of the more distinctive ideas associated with the GLSID B.Des journey is its progression through “I”, “You”, “They” and “Us” years. The structure moves from developing the student’s own skills, to collaboration, understanding diverse users and communities, and finally executing a specialised project with users and their feedback in mind.
Ready to take the next step?
- The GLSID B.Des Journey Begins With “I”
- “You-Year” Introduces Collaboration Into the Design Process
- The “They-Year” Brings Users and Communities Into Design
- The Final “Us-Year” Turns Learning Into an Independent Design Project
- Four Design Domains Create Different Creative Directions
- Studio Projects, Workshops and Prototyping Make Learning Practical
- Field Research Helps Students Understand Design Beyond the Campus
- Industry Interaction Can Turn Student Projects Into Professional Experience
- Portfolio Building Becomes Part of the Four-Year Journey
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. The GLSID B.Des Journey Begins With “I”
The first stage of design education is often about discovering how a student observes, thinks and creates. Before working with clients, users or communities, students need to develop their own basic design abilities and understand the tools and methods through which ideas can be expressed.
GLSID’s distinctive four-year framework describes the first year as the “I-Year”, where students focus on developing their own skill sets and strengthening sensitivity, perceptibility, connection and execution. This foundation is intended to prepare students to move into their chosen areas of design with greater confidence.
This stage can be important because design students enter university with very different backgrounds. Some may already draw regularly, while others may come from a more academic background with limited formal design experience. A foundation-oriented first year provides room to develop common skills before students become more deeply involved in specialised design work.
The process is not simply about becoming better at drawing. Students gradually learn how to observe, interpret, experiment and translate an idea into a visual, physical or communicative form.
2. “You-Year” Introduces Collaboration Into the Design Process
Professional design is rarely created by one person working completely independently. A designer may need to collaborate with artisans, printers, pattern makers, manufacturers, developers, clients, researchers or other specialists depending on the project.
GLSID’s second stage, described as the “YOU-Year”, introduces students to this collaborative dimension of design. The institute explains that students work with other professionals and collaborators to develop projects and understand how different people contribute to the design process.
This can change the way students think about authorship. Instead of assuming that the designer has to personally execute every part of a project, students begin to understand how a design outcome can emerge through collaboration.
For example, a fashion project may involve textile or garment specialists, a communication project may require printers or media professionals, and a product project may involve fabricators or manufacturing experts. Learning to communicate ideas clearly with these collaborators can become an important professional skill.
3. The “They-Year” Brings Users and Communities Into Design
A major shift happens when designers stop looking only at what they want to create and start understanding the people who will actually use the design.
GLSID’s third stage, the “THEY-Year”, focuses on students working with diverse groups including markets, users, artisans and communities. The institute describes this stage as an opportunity to understand people’s needs, acceptance levels, social and economic conditions, environments and the kind of design solutions that may be appropriate for them.
This is closely connected to human-centred design. A solution that appears attractive in a studio may not work in a real environment if it ignores how people behave, what resources they have or what constraints they face.
Field research and interaction can therefore change the definition of a design problem. Students may discover that the most important challenge is not what they initially assumed it was.
For design aspirants, this kind of experience can build empathy while also strengthening research, observation and problem-solving skills.
Ready to take the next step?
4. The Final “Us-Year” Turns Learning Into an Independent Design Project
The final stage of the GLSID framework is the “US-Year”, where students move towards their own specialised project and work more closely with users while incorporating feedback into the final design solution.
This stage brings together many of the abilities developed during the earlier years. Students have to decide what they want to work on, understand the context, conduct research, develop ideas, test possibilities and communicate the final outcome.
The importance of user feedback at this stage is particularly relevant because professional design rarely ends when the designer finishes the first version. Feedback can reveal usability problems, communication gaps or practical limitations that may require another round of development.
A final project can therefore become more than an academic requirement. It can become a substantial piece of portfolio work showing how a student approached a complex design problem from research to final outcome.
5. Four Design Domains Create Different Creative Directions
GLSID’s current design information highlights four broad domains across its curriculum: Fashion, Communication, Product, and Environment & Space Design.
Within these areas, students can explore different forms of creative practice. Fashion can extend into apparel, textiles, leather and accessories. Communication can involve graphic and animation-oriented work, while the institute’s earlier programme information also references digital filmmaking. Environment Design includes areas such as interior and space design, while Product Design focuses on creating physical products and systems.
The value of having these domains within the same design ecosystem is that students can understand how different creative disciplines overlap. A fashion project can involve branding and communication, a product can require user research and visualisation, while an interior project can involve materials, storytelling and spatial experience.
This makes the design journey broader than simply selecting one narrow professional title.
6. Studio Projects, Workshops and Prototyping Make Learning Practical
Design skills develop through repeated practice. Students need opportunities to sketch, construct, experiment, make mistakes and try again before they can become confident designers.
GLSID’s curriculum places emphasis on studio-based courses, field visits and research, skill-based courses, technical courses, electives and design projects. The institute also highlights workshops, prototyping, design labs and studio visits as ways of confirming learning outcomes.
Its academic activities have included workshops and practical learning in areas such as system design, sketching, digital representation for product and fashion design, motion graphics, VR experimentation, textile techniques and portfolio development. These activities illustrate how design education can combine physical making with digital and conceptual exploration.
This kind of repeated experimentation can also help students understand their own strengths. Someone may discover an interest in materials and making, while another student may become more interested in visual storytelling, digital experiences or spatial design.
7. Field Research Helps Students Understand Design Beyond the Campus
A designer cannot understand every problem by sitting inside a classroom. Real design contexts involve people, places, markets, cultures, materials and everyday behaviours that are difficult to reproduce in an academic exercise.
GLSID’s curriculum includes field visits and research, while its design activities have included visits, interactions, workshops and exposure to cultural and professional environments. The institute’s academic philosophy also connects design with culture, society and the larger world rather than treating it as an isolated creative activity.
This becomes particularly important when students work on socially or culturally sensitive projects. A designer researching a craft community, for example, needs to understand the people involved rather than simply borrowing visual motifs from their work.
Similarly, a product designer researching users needs to observe how a product is actually used, while a communication designer needs to understand the audience and context in which a message will be received.
Field research can therefore help students develop a habit of looking before designing.
Ready to take the next step?
8. Industry Interaction Can Turn Student Projects Into Professional Experience
The transition from design school to professional practice becomes easier to understand when students interact with people who are already working in the industry.
GLSID describes its design education as involving industry collaboration, real-world engagement and professional exposure. The institute’s current Faculty of Design page states that industry practitioners contribute alongside educators and researchers, while its curriculum includes professional and industry-oriented learning.
Earlier GLSID programme information also highlights seminars, workshops, studio visits, exhibitions and interaction with senior industry professionals. The institute’s placement and industry material lists organisations and design studios that have engaged with graduates, including Desmania, TCS, Unacademy, Blue Buddha, INDI Design and others.
The purpose of industry exposure is not simply recruitment. Students can also learn how professional briefs are written, how deadlines are handled, how clients provide feedback and how designers communicate their decisions.
These experiences can gradually make the transition from academic projects to professional design work less unfamiliar.
9. Portfolio Building Becomes Part of the Four-Year Journey
A design student’s portfolio is often one of the clearest ways to communicate what they can actually do. A degree can establish academic qualification, but the portfolio can show how the student thinks, researches, experiments and develops ideas.
GLSID’s design activities have included portfolio development programmes and portfolio review sessions, while its studio and project-based curriculum gives students opportunities to generate work across different design contexts.
A strong portfolio does not need to contain only perfect final outputs. It can include sketches, research, references, material tests, prototypes, alternative concepts, failed experiments, user observations and final outcomes. Showing the process can help a reviewer understand the designer behind the work.
For GLSID students, the “I–You–They–Us” progression can naturally support this kind of portfolio development. Early work can show skill development, collaborative projects can demonstrate teamwork, community-based work can show research and empathy, and the final project can demonstrate independent design thinking.
10. Final Thoughts
For students searching for a B.Des after 12th in Ahmedabad, GLS Institute of Design offers a four-year design education that combines studio practice, experimentation, research, interdisciplinary learning and professional exposure. Its current academic structure spans Fashion, Communication, Product, and Environment & Space Design, while the institute also offers Global B.Des, Integrated M.Des, M.Des and PhD pathways.
What makes the GLSID B.Des journey particularly distinctive is the progression from “I” to “You” to “They” to “Us.” Students begin by developing their own abilities, move towards collaboration, learn to understand users and communities, and finally work towards specialised projects that incorporate real feedback.
The model also connects design learning with workshops, prototyping, field research, studio visits, professional interactions and portfolio development. This gives students multiple opportunities to move from ideas to actual design outcomes and gradually understand what professional design work involves.
For the 2026–27 admission cycle, GLS Institute of Design’s current application portal states that B.Design admissions are open for Round 2. The application fee shown on the portal is ₹2,000, and the entrance examination can be conducted online or offline. The university’s published admission policy describes the B.Design selection process as a Design Aptitude Test followed by shortlisting and an interaction stage.
Students should verify the latest programme-specific eligibility, examination schedule, fees and admission requirements directly through the current GLSID admission portal before applying.
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 programmes does GLS University offer?
Ans: GLS Institute of Design currently offers B.Des, Global B.Des (Hons.), Integrated M.Des, M.Des and PhD in Design. Its design curriculum covers areas including Fashion, Communication, Product, and Environment & Space Design.
Q2. How long is the B.Des programme at GLS University?
Ans: The GLSID B.Des is a four-year undergraduate programme, structured across eight semesters.
Q3. What are the major design areas at GLSID?
Ans: The current GLSID Faculty of Design information highlights Fashion, Communication, Product, and Environment & Space Design as major design domains.
Q4. What is the “I, You, They, Us” model at GLSID?
Ans: It is a four-year learning framework in which students first develop individual skills, then learn collaboration, understand users and communities, and finally work on specialised projects incorporating user feedback.
Q5. Does GLSID provide studio-based learning?
Ans: Yes. GLSID describes its design education as studio-based and human-centred, supported by experimentation, research, workshops and practical projects.
