HCD Institute | Human-Centred Design for India
We shape experiences that elevate influence and impact. Design thinking labs, AI programmes and DIC-IIT Hyderabad certifications across India's schools and colleges.
HCD Institute was founded in 2011 by Mathew Sebastian — NID alumnus and student of the late Prof. M P Ranjan of NID, one of India's most influential design educators. The founding purpose was simple and remains unchanged: design thinking should not live only in design schools. It belongs in every institution, in every state, in every geography where young people are trying to figure out what they can build..
Today HCD operates as a next-generation institution and finishing school — preparing professionals for a world where AI is not an add-on, but the environment we work in. We create curricula that travel, establish design thinking labs in schools and colleges, and issue certifications in partnership with DIC, IIT Hyderabad. Our work spans government programmes, academic partnerships, and pro-bono initiatives across India — from Kerala to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to Sikkim.
Founded on a belief inherited from Prof. M P Ranjan: that curiosity, observation, and making are the foundations of all good education — and that design thinking, when taught well, is not a professional skill but a human one. HCD's purpose is to democratise that skill. To take it out of design schools and put it where it is needed most.
2010
Founded
3
Design Centers
100+
School Centers
200+
Mentors
Why HCD Exists
Traditional education moves slowly. The professional world does not. Roles are blending, tools are evolving constantly, and a degree alone no longer guarantees that a graduate knows how to frame a problem, build a solution, or work alongside intelligent systems. HCD was built to close that gap — not by replacing formal education, but by adding the layer it is missing.
Human First. AI Native.
Our programmes are designed with AI embedded into every stage of learning: research, ideation, production, evaluation, and reflection. Students learn to treat AI as a co-pilot and collaborator — while retaining full ownership of decisions, ethics, and outcomes. We do not teach tools. We build the thinking that makes tools work.
Our Work Across India
Nation Building , One school at a time.
Most of HCD's work with government institutions has been structured as a pro-bono contribution — supported by partner agencies, academic ecosystems, and institutional collaborations. We bring the methodology and the people. We ask for the mandate and the room
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Design Centre — Port Blair
Working with the Administration of the Union Territory to establish a Design Thinking Centre at Sreevijayanagar, South Andaman — with a five-year roadmap to one HCD Hub per inhabited island group.
Kerala
MG University Curriculum Partnership
HCD's founder co-developed the design thinking curriculum now formally adopted by Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam — embedded within the university's academic structure..
Sikkim
Design Finishing School — North East
Developing a finishing school in Sikkim to promote design thinking and AI-integrated learning across North East India's educational institutions..
National
DIC, IIT Hyderabad — Certification Partner
HCD collaborates with IIT Hyderabad's Design Innovation Centre to co-create design thinking programmes and issue nationally recognised certifications following jury and offline assessment
What We Offer
Curriculum design & adoption
We create design thinking curricula that can be adopted by universities and colleges outside the design school system — structured for real institutional integration, not just workshop
HCD Labs in schools & colleges
Purpose-adapted thinking-and-making spaces built on existing classrooms. No new construction. No new budget beyond materials. Just a different way of using what is already there.
AI-integrated programmes
Design and problem-solving programmes with AI embedded as a working tool — not a subject. Structured for finishing schools, colleges, and enterprise training alike.
Certification & diplomas
HCD Institute acts as an awarding organisation — issuing certifications and diplomas in association with DIC IIT Hyderabad and other partner agencies. Building toward a degree-by-practice model.
What We Are Looking For
Partnerships and open doors
HCD is actively seeking state governments, universities, and institutional partners across India who want to embed design thinking in their educational ecosystem. Our engagement model is built for partnership — we contribute expertise, they contribute the mandate and the room.
State design finishing schools
We want to become the design and AI finishing school layer for any state that is serious about employability — partnering with higher secondary schools and colleges on programmes that produce graduates who can actually solve problems.
Design thinking labs in schools
We want to establish HCD Labs across India's schools — promoting curiosity, structured observation, and making from an early age, alongside the formal curriculum.
Degree by practice
We want to work with universities to build a degree-by-practice ecosystem — where students earn credentials through documented real-world projects. HCD Institute as the awarding and quality partner
Design thinking in startup ecosystems
Embedding human-centred problem framing at the start of every venture journey — in partnership with state startup missions — before the pitch deck, before the product roadmap.
Our Commitment
We build future-ready professionals through responsible AI, inclusive learning, and skills that stay relevant over time.
Stewardship
We use AI with care and accountability, treating
it as a collaborator rather than a decision-maker, while keeping human judgment and ethics at the centre of all work.
Equity
We design inclusive learning environments that respect accessibility, cultural diversity, and varied perspectives across global and local contexts.
Universality
Our programmes align with global standards while remaining grounded in real-world, local relevance and application.
Endurance
We prioritise long-term thinking over short-term trends, equipping learners with adaptable skills and judgment that evolve with their careers.
Find the right training for your team
Not sure where to start? Let us help you identify the right program that matches your team’s goals and challenges.
Find now
Shaping human-centered businesses for the next 25 years.
Pl. de la Synagogue 5, 1204 Genève, Switzerland
DIC, IIT andi, Sangareddy, Telangana, 502285, India
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HCD Institute
| Human-Centred Design for India
We shape experiences that elevate influence and impact. Design thinking labs, AI programmes and DIC-IIT Hyderabad certifications across India's schools and colleges.
HCD Institute was founded in 2011 by Mathew Sebastian — NID alumnus and student of the late Prof. M P Ranjan of NID, one of India's most influential design educators. The founding purpose was simple and remains unchanged: design thinking should not live only in design schools. It belongs in every institution, in every state, in every geography where young people are trying to figure out what they can build..
Today HCD operates as a next-generation institution and finishing school — preparing professionals for a world where AI is not an add-on, but the environment we work in. We create curricula that travel, establish design thinking labs in schools and colleges, and issue certifications in partnership with DIC, IIT Hyderabad. Our work spans government programmes, academic partnerships, and pro-bono initiatives across India — from Kerala to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to Sikkim.
Founded on a belief inherited from Prof. M P Ranjan: that curiosity, observation, and making are the foundations of all good education — and that design thinking, when taught well, is not a professional skill but a human one. HCD's purpose is to democratise that skill. To take it out of design schools and put it where it is needed most.
2010
Founded
100+
School Centers
3
Desgin Centers
200+
Mentors
Why HCD Exists
Traditional education moves slowly. The professional world does not. Roles are blending, tools are evolving constantly, and a degree alone no longer guarantees that a graduate knows how to frame a problem, build a solution, or work alongside intelligent systems. HCD was built to close that gap — not by replacing formal education, but by adding the layer it is missing.
Human First. AI Native.
Our programmes are designed with AI embedded into every stage of learning: research, ideation, production, evaluation, and reflection. Students learn to treat AI as a co-pilot and collaborator — while retaining full ownership of decisions, ethics, and outcomes. We do not teach tools. We build the thinking that makes tools work.
Our Work Across India
Nation Building , One school at a time.
Most of HCD's work with government institutions has been structured as a pro-bono contribution — supported by partner agencies, academic ecosystems, and institutional collaborations. We bring the methodology and the people. We ask for the mandate and the room
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Design Centre — Port Blair
Working with the Administration of the Union Territory to establish a Design Thinking Centre at Sreevijayanagar, South Andaman — with a five-year roadmap to one HCD Hub per inhabited island group.
Kerala
MG University Curriculum Partnership
HCD's founder co-developed the design thinking curriculum now formally adopted by Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam — embedded within the university's academic structure..
Sikkim
Design Finishing School — North East
Developing a finishing school in Sikkim to promote design thinking and AI-integrated learning across North East India's educational institutions..
National
DIC, IIT Hyderabad — Certification Partner
HCD collaborates with IIT Hyderabad's Design Innovation Centre to co-create design thinking programmes and issue nationally recognised certifications following jury and offline assessment
What We Offer
Curriculum design & adoption
We create design thinking curricula that can be adopted by universities and colleges outside the design school system — structured for real institutional integration, not just workshop
HCD Labs in schools & colleges
Purpose-adapted thinking-and-making spaces built on existing classrooms. No new construction. No new budget beyond materials. Just a different way of using what is already there.
AI-integrated programmes
Design and problem-solving programmes with AI embedded as a working tool — not a subject. Structured for finishing schools, colleges, and enterprise training alike.
Certification & diplomas
HCD Institute acts as an awarding organisation — issuing certifications and diplomas in association with DIC IIT Hyderabad and other partner agencies. Building toward a degree-by-practice model.
What We Are Looking For
Partnerships and open doors
HCD is actively seeking state governments, universities, and institutional partners across India who want to embed design thinking in their educational ecosystem. Our engagement model is built for partnership — we contribute expertise, they contribute the mandate and the room.
State design finishing schools
We want to become the design and AI finishing school layer for any state that is serious about employability — partnering with higher secondary schools and colleges on programmes that produce graduates who can actually solve problems.
Design thinking labs in schools
We want to establish HCD Labs across India's schools — promoting curiosity, structured observation, and making from an early age, alongside the formal curriculum.
Degree by practice
We want to work with universities to build a degree-by-practice ecosystem — where students earn credentials through documented real-world projects. HCD Institute as the awarding and quality partner
Design thinking in startup ecosystems
Embedding human-centred problem framing at the start of every venture journey — in partnership with state startup missions — before the pitch deck, before the product roadmap.
Our Commitment
We build future-ready professionals through responsible AI, inclusive learning, and skills that stay relevant over time.
Stewardship
We use AI with care and accountability, treating
it as a collaborator rather than a decision-maker, while keeping human judgment and ethics at the centre of all work.
Equity
We design inclusive learning environments that respect accessibility, cultural diversity, and varied perspectives across global and local contexts.
Universality
Our programmes align with global standards while remaining grounded in real-world, local relevance and application.
Endurance
We prioritise long-term thinking over short-term trends, equipping learners with adaptable skills and judgment that evolve with their careers.
Find the right training for your team
Not sure where to start? Let us help you identify the right program that matches your team’s goals and challenges.
Find now
Shaping human-centered businesses for the next 25 years.
Where design, technology, and behavior come together to build what’s next.