Presidency University’s School of Design at Bangalore Design Week 2026

Protopolis 2026 took place at the Indian Institute of Science campus in Bengaluru and brought together policymakers, city leaders, researchers and students around the themes of urban liveability, sustainability and civic action. Rather than stopping at identifying problems, the conclave focused on prototyping workable solutions - its longer-term aim is to encourage design interventions across the city in partnership with the Greater Bengaluru Authority and to build lasting collaborations between public bodies, private organisations and institutions that can improve daily life for residents.

PSoD’s Participation

Presidency School of Design served as Platinum Sponsor for the event held at the JN Tata Auditorium. The school used the platform to present its approach to design education, which cuts across disciplines and keeps the needs of citizens in Bengaluru and Karnataka firmly in view. Twenty-two faculty members and more than 300 students took part. Many of the students also worked as volunteers for the Association of Designers of India. The PSoD stall attracted over 160 visitors, including Union Education Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi. On display were 14 student projects drawn from Space, Fashion, Product, Game and Communication Design as well as Multimedia.

For the students and faculty the two days offered a chance to see how studio work connects with real conditions in the city. Projects on show ranged from skates designed to help beginners adapt more easily, to illustrated narrative books, phygital educational games, sustainable couture pieces and plans for eco-friendly kindergarten spaces. Three faculty members from the school ran a breakout session titled “The Design Consequence Machine.” Around 100 people joined the discussion on how design can support behavioural shifts towards a more sustainable Bengaluru.

Conclave Highlights

The conclave itself ran on 24 and 25 September and mixed keynotes, panels, working sessions, workshops and a film festival across the main auditorium and three other halls. The first day opened with a welcome from the President of the World Design Organization and a special address by Marc Lamy, Consul General of France in Bengaluru. Sessions that followed looked at the city’s lakes and water systems, citizen-led work with Hasiru Dala and ELCITA, participatory approaches to urban governance, and walkability with Sensing Local. Day two shifted to a wider frame under the heading “Co-Creating with the World,” led by WDO President Pradyumna Vyas and other board members. Later discussions covered blue-green infrastructure with IISc and the Greater Bengaluru Authority, public ecology, the fundamentals of game design and the cycling network in Pune. An outdoor workshop called “The Circle of Life” and a film festival dealing with water, air, sanitation and neighbourhoods in Bengaluru ran alongside the main programme. The closing session, “Design in the City,” brought representatives from the Government of Karnataka, the City of Bengaluru, WDO and ADI onto the same platform.

Visitors from Japan and Taiwan added an international dimension. Makiko Tsumura, President-Elect of WDO and Director of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, and Oliver Lin, Vice President of the Taiwan Design Research Institute, spoke about the growing place of design in public life and its quiet capacity to improve conditions around the world.

Several institutions played central roles in making the event possible. The Government of Karnataka offered policy support and helped align administrative efforts for city-scale projects. The Greater Bengaluru Authority focused on metropolitan governance and ways of involving citizens in urban change. The World Design Organization brought global standards and continued advocacy for design as a force for social and economic progress. The Association of Designers of India supported professional connections, mentorship and wider engagement within the design community.

The views expressed in this article are of Presidency University, Bangalore and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.