2-Day Hybrid Weekend Intensive · HCD Institute
Forty-eight hours. One problem, properly worked.
For senior professionals who run too fast for twelve weeks — and can't disappear for seven days. Friday evening to Sunday lunch. Fully residential. You leave with a method, not a certificate.
Fri evening – Sun lunch
Fully residential
12 participants
48 hours
Quarterly alumni roundtable
Next intake: September 2026 · 4 places remaining · Applications close 15 August
Reserve your place
Cohort capped at 12. We will confirm your application within 48 hours.
4 of 12 places remaining · Applications close 15 August
You will receive a pre-immersion briefing pack one week before the programme begins.
48
hours · fully immersed
Fri
evening intake
12
participants
10pm
Saturday studio closes
4×
alumni roundtable / yr
Sep
2026 · next intake
Who this format is for
Same rigour. Compressed into a weekend.
The Weekend Intensive exists for a specific kind of professional: someone who leads at pace, thinks clearly under pressure, and knows they need a new lens on a problem — but cannot commit to twelve weeks or seven days off-site.— run over the only time most senior people actually own: the weekend.
01
The executive who can't disappear for a week
CXOs, MDs, and VPs who carry organisations on their calendars. Two days carved out of a Friday evening is manageable in a way seven consecutive weekdays is not.
02
The founder with an urgent, live problem
A launch decision, a customer experience failure, a product that isn't converting. Forty-eight hours of structured work with a facilitated cohort is worth months of internal meetings.
03
The leader who learns by doing, not watching
You have done enough webinars. You need a room, a method, a peer group, and a deadline. This programme is built around that reality.
Programme schedule
Forty-eight hours. The full arc.
Participants arrive Friday evening with a defined challenge. By Sunday lunch they leave with a tested concept, a clear method, and a peer group they've worked alongside at intensity. Every meal is a working session. The studio runs until 10 pm Saturday.
Day 0 · Fri
5:00 – 8:00 pm
Arrival, check-in & welcome dinner
Participants arrive, settle into residential accommodation, and receive the pre-immersion briefing pack. A hosted welcome dinner follows — each participant introduces their challenge in three minutes. Structured, not social.
8:00 – 9:30 pm
Opening session · design as a management discipline
Faculty-led session establishing the shared framework for the weekend. Participants receive their challenge brief template to complete before 7:30 am Saturday.
Day 1 · Sat
7:30 am – 1:30 pm
Discovery → Definition
Working breakfast and brief review, stakeholder mapping and context analysis, research synthesis, and opportunity statements — each participant articulates their design opportunity in one sentence. Every meal is a working session.
1:30 – 10:00 pm
Design → Prototype → Fireside
Facilitated ideation narrowed to one concept, a first build and structured peer testing, iteration with a one-on-one mentor check-in, and a mid-point dinner. The evening closes with an unscripted fireside workshop on design and leadership. Studio open until 10 pm.
Day 2 · Sun
7:30 – 11:00 am
Final preparation & concept showcase
Working breakfast and a final pass on presentations, then the concept showcase — five minutes per participant plus ten minutes of structured critique, with faculty responding last. Written feedback issued.
11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Synthesis & goodbye lunch
Faculty-led method debrief — each participant articulates their next immediate action in one sentence, written and witnessed. A seated farewell lunch closes the programme at 1:30 pm. Certificates of completion distributed.
How the formats compare
Criteria
7-Day Full Immersion
2-Day Hybrid Weekend Intensive
Credential
DIC Micro-Diploma, IIT Hyderabad Hub
HCD Institute certificate of completion
Duration
7 days · fully residential
Fri evening – Sun lunch · residential
Hours
Full days · 9 am – 6 pm
7 am – 10 pm Saturday · bookended Fri/Sun
Depth
Compressed — defined challenges
Intensive sprint — urgent challenges
Alumni
DIC–HCD network
Quarterly roundtable · first year included
Best for
Intensity over duration
Executives who own a weekend
The alumni roundtable
4× / year
Every quarter, graduates return for a half-day working session using the same method — not a networking event. One live problem from the cohort, worked collectively. First year included in your programme fee.
Format
Half-day session + hosted dinner
Frequency
Four times per year
Who brings the problem
One graduate per session
Access
First year included · membership after
Dinner
Hosted, the evening before
Applications to bring a problem open two weeks before each roundtable. This is where the method compounds — the same rigour, applied again, with the people who were in the room with you.
What you leave with on Sunday
01
A tested concept — not a slide deck. A real concept built from your challenge, prototyped, tested against your peers, and refined across a full working day. With written faculty feedback.
02
A method you can repeat — the design thinking framework, internalised through doing over 48 hours. The kind of learning that transfers to Monday morning.
03
A peer group that worked beside you — twelve senior professionals who shared a problem, challenged each other's thinking, and stayed in the room until 10 pm on a Saturday.
04
Quarterly alumni roundtable — four times a year, a live problem from your graduate cohort gets worked collectively. The method compounds. First year included.
Admissions
We read every application ourselves. The Weekend Intensive has one requirement above all others: arrive with a real problem. If you are unsure, our team will help you frame one before you apply.
One-page purpose statement
Clarity of thought, not length.
Your professional context, the challenge you're bringing, and what you intend to do with what you build. One page — we admit on the basis of purpose, clarity of thinking, and intent.
I. Your professional context and the problem you are bringing.
II. Why it matters now — and why a weekend is the right moment.
III. What you intend to do with the method and the concept you build.
1
Application form — Name, organisation, current role, and a one-paragraph description of the challenge you're bringing. This is the most important field.
2
One-page purpose statement — Your professional context, the challenge, and what you intend to do with what you build. One page. Clarity of thought, not length.
3
20-minute admissions call — A structured conversation to pressure-test your challenge definition. Scheduled within 5 days of your application.
4
Confirmation and pre-immersion pack — Admission decision within 48 hours of the call. Pre-immersion pack issued one week before arrival.
September 2026 · 4 places remaining.
Applications close 15 August · Confirmation within 48 hours
Next intake after this: January 2027
Pre-immersion briefing pack sent one week before arrival.
September 2026 · 4 places remaining
Applications close 15 August.
12 participants. Forty-eight hours. The next intake after this is January 2027. If the challenge is live — now is the right time.
Questions? Write to dic@hcd.institute · Response within 24 hours
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2-Day Hybrid Weekend Intensive · HCD Institute
Forty-eight hours. One problem, properly worked.
For senior professionals who run too fast for twelve weeks — and can't disappear for seven days. Friday evening to Sunday lunch. Fully residential. You leave with a method, not a certificate.
Fri evening – Sun lunch
Fully residential
12 participants
48 hours
Quarterly alumni roundtable
Next intake: September 2026 · 4 places remaining · Applications close 15 August
Reserve your place
Cohort capped at 12. We will confirm your application within 48 hours.
4 of 12 places remaining · Applications close 15 August
You will receive a pre-immersion briefing pack one week before the programme begins.
48
hours · fully immersed
Fri
evening intake
12
participants
10pm
Saturday studio closes
4×
alumni roundtable / yr
Sep
2026 · next intake
Who this format is for
Same rigour. Compressed into a weekend.
The Weekend Intensive exists for a specific kind of professional: someone who leads at pace, thinks clearly under pressure, and knows they need a new lens on a problem — but cannot commit to twelve weeks or seven days off-site. This is not a retreat. It is a compressed, residential design sprint with the structure you'd find at ISB or IIM — run over the only time most senior people actually own: the weekend.
01
The executive who can't disappear for a week
CXOs, MDs, and VPs who carry organisations on their calendars. Two days carved out of a Friday evening is manageable in a way seven consecutive weekdays is not.
02
The founder with an urgent, live problem
A launch decision, a customer experience failure, a product that isn't converting. Forty-eight hours of structured work with a facilitated cohort is worth months of internal meetings.
03
The leader who learns by doing, not watching
You have done enough webinars. You need a room, a method, a peer group, and a deadline. This programme is built around that reality.
Programme schedule
Forty-eight hours. The full arc.
Participants arrive Friday evening with a defined challenge. By Sunday lunch they leave with a tested concept, a clear method, and a peer group they've worked alongside at intensity. Every meal is a working session. The studio runs until 10 pm Saturday.
Day 0 · Fri
5:00 – 8:00 pm
Arrival, check-in & welcome dinner
Participants arrive, settle into residential accommodation, and receive the pre-immersion briefing pack. A hosted welcome dinner follows — each participant introduces their challenge in three minutes. Structured, not social.
8:00 – 9:30 pm
Opening session · design as a management discipline
Faculty-led session establishing the shared framework for the weekend. Participants receive their challenge brief template to complete before 7:30 am Saturday.
Day 1 · Sat
7:30 am – 1:30 pm
Discovery → Definition
Working breakfast and brief review, stakeholder mapping and context analysis, research synthesis, and opportunity statements — each participant articulates their design opportunity in one sentence. Every meal is a working session.
1:30 – 10:00 pm
Design → Prototype → Fireside
Facilitated ideation narrowed to one concept, a first build and structured peer testing, iteration with a one-on-one mentor check-in, and a mid-point dinner. The evening closes with an unscripted fireside workshop on design and leadership. Studio open until 10 pm.
Day 2 · Sun
7:30 – 11:00 am
Final preparation & concept showcase
Working breakfast and a final pass on presentations, then the concept showcase — five minutes per participant plus ten minutes of structured critique, with faculty responding last. Written feedback issued.
11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Synthesis & goodbye lunch
Faculty-led method debrief — each participant articulates their next immediate action in one sentence, written and witnessed. A seated farewell lunch closes the programme at 1:30 pm. Certificates of completion distributed.
How the formats compare
Criteria
7-Day Full Immersion
2-Day Hybrid Weekend Intensive
Credential
DIC Micro-Diploma, IIT Hyderabad
HCD Institute certificate of completion
Duration
7 days · fully residential
Fri evening – Sun lunch · residential
Hours
Full days · 9 am – 6 pm
7 am – 10 pm Saturday · bookended Fri/Sun
Depth
Compressed — defined challenges
Intensive sprint — urgent challenges
Alumni
DIC–HCD network
Quarterly roundtable · first year included
Best for
Intensity over duration
Executives who own a weekend
The alumni roundtable
4× / year
Every quarter, graduates return for a half-day working session using the same method — not a networking event. One live problem from the cohort, worked collectively. First year included in your programme fee.
Format
Half-day session + hosted dinner
Frequency
Four times per year
Who brings the problem
One graduate per session
Access
First year included · membership after
Dinner
Hosted, the evening before
Applications to bring a problem open two weeks before each roundtable. This is where the method compounds — the same rigour, applied again, with the people who were in the room with you.
What you leave with on Sunday
01
A tested concept — not a slide deck. A real concept built from your challenge, prototyped, tested against your peers, and refined across a full working day. With written faculty feedback.
02
A method you can repeat — the design thinking framework, internalised through doing over 48 hours. The kind of learning that transfers to Monday morning.
03
A peer group that worked beside you — twelve senior professionals who shared a problem, challenged each other's thinking, and stayed in the room until 10 pm on a Saturday.
04
Quarterly alumni roundtable — four times a year, a live problem from your graduate cohort gets worked collectively. The method compounds. First year included.
Admissions
We read every application ourselves. The Weekend Intensive has one requirement above all others: arrive with a real problem. If you are unsure, our team will help you frame one before you apply.
One-page purpose statement
Clarity of thought, not length.
Your professional context, the challenge you're bringing, and what you intend to do with what you build. One page — we admit on the basis of purpose, clarity of thinking, and intent.
I. Your professional context and the problem you are bringing.
II. Why it matters now — and why a weekend is the right moment.
III. What you intend to do with the method and the concept you build.
1
Application form — Name, organisation, current role, and a one-paragraph description of the challenge you're bringing. This is the most important field.
2
One-page purpose statement — Your professional context, the challenge, and what you intend to do with what you build. One page. Clarity of thought, not length.
3
20-minute admissions call — A structured conversation to pressure-test your challenge definition. Scheduled within 5 days of your application.
4
Confirmation and pre-immersion pack — Admission decision within 48 hours of the call. Pre-immersion pack issued one week before arrival.
September 2026 ·
4 places remaining.
Applications close 15 August · Confirmation within 48 hours
Next intake after this: January 2027
Pre-immersion briefing pack sent one week before arrival.
September 2026 · 4 places remaining
Applications close 15 August.
12 participants. Forty-eight hours. The next intake after this is January 2027. If the challenge is live — now is the right time.
Questions? Write to dic@hcd.institute · Response within 24 hours
Programme schedule
Forty-eight hours. The full arc.
Participants arrive Friday evening with a defined challenge. By Sunday lunch they leave with a tested concept, a clear method, and a peer group they've worked alongside at intensity. Every meal is a working session. The studio runs until 10 pm Saturday.
Day 0 · Fri
5:00 – 8:00 pm
Arrival, check-in & welcome dinner
Participants arrive, settle into residential accommodation, and receive the pre-immersion briefing pack. A hosted welcome dinner follows — each participant introduces their challenge in three minutes. Structured, not social.
8:00 – 9:30 pm
Opening session · design as a management discipline
Faculty-led session establishing the shared framework for the weekend. Participants receive their challenge brief template to complete before 7:30 am Saturday.
Day 1 · Sat
7:30 am – 1:30 pm
Research and insight generation
Field inquiry methods. Structured interviews with stakeholders — real conversations arranged in advance or conducted on campus with invited guests. Synthesis in the afternoon.
Afternoon · 2 pm – 6 pm
Insight to opportunity
Translating research findings into design opportunities. Opportunity framing, brief writing, and faculty critique. First individual mentor session, 45 minutes.
Day 3 · Wed
Morning · 9 am – 1 pm
Concept generation and selection
Facilitated ideation with DIC faculty. Multiple concepts generated, stress-tested against the brief, and narrowed to one direction. Business model implications examined.
Afternoon · 2 pm – 6 pm
Value proposition and viability
Structured session on value proposition design. Participants articulate the commercial and organisational case for their chosen direction. Mid-week peer critique.
Day 4 · Thu
Morning · 9 am – 1 pm
Prototype and test
DIC fabrication labs and prototyping studios open. Participants build a working representation of their solution — physical, digital, or service. First round of structured user testing.
Afternoon · 2 pm – 6 pm
Iteration and refinement
Incorporating test findings. Second mentor session. Participants revise their prototype and begin structuring the final presentation narrative.
Day 5 · Fri
Morning · 9 am – 1 pm
AI and systems analysis
Session on AI as a strategic design tool — applied to each participant’s project. Second-order effects analysis: mapping systemic consequences of the proposed solution.
Afternoon · 2 pm – 6 pm
Guest session and open studio
Lecture by an IIT researcher or senior industry practitioner. Open studio time for project work and pre-jury rehearsal. Third and final mentor session.
Day 6 · Sat
Morning · 9 am – 1 pm
Documentation and process book
Completing the formal documentation of the design process — research, synthesis, ideation, prototype, iteration. This is the primary credential artefact submitted to the jury.
Afternoon · 2 pm – 6 pm
Concept Mela (peer showcase). —peer critique
Open sharing session in the IIT studio tradition. Each participant presents informally; the cohort responds with written critique. Final jury preparation with faculty coaching.
Day 7 · Sun
Final jury and DIC Micro-Diploma ceremony
15-minute formal presentation per participant before a panel of IIT Hyderabad faculty, an HCD Institute mentor, and an invited industry practitioner. 10-minute Q&A. Individual written feedback. The DIC Micro-Diploma is awarded on the same day to candidates who meet all evaluation criteria.
How the two formats compare
Criteria
12-Week Online + Campus
7-Day Full Immersion
Credential awarded
DIC Micro-Diploma, IIT Hyderabad
DIC Micro-Diploma, IIT Hyderabad
Fee
₹1,50,000
₹1,50,000
Duration
12 weeks · online-first
7 days · fully residential
Weekly commitment
8–10 hours per week, evenings and weekends
Full days · 9 am to 6 pm · residential
Project depth
Extended research and iteration across 4 weeks
Compressed — best for well-defined challenges
Best suited to
Professionals who can sustain structured part-time engagement
Senior executives who prefer intensity over duration
Investment
₹1,50,000
Programme tuition · same as the 12-week format · full residential experience
Tuition, 7-day immersion
₹1,50,000
Accommodation on IIT campus, 6 nights
₹6,000 – ₹14,000
Meals, on-campus dining
Included in accommodation
Travel to Hyderabad
At participant cost
All tools and materials
₹0 · provided on campus
For context: A comparable 5-day residential programme at ISB Hyderabad costs ₹2.5–4L with no project output, no jury, and no IIT credential. This is the same campus city, the same institutional weight — with a credential you have to earn.
What you take away from 7 days
01
DIC Micro-Diploma — the same IIT Hyderabad credential as the 12-week programme. Jury-evaluated, not attendance-based.
02
A solved problem — a research-backed, prototype-tested design solution to a challenge you arrived with. Documented in a formal process book.
03
IIT campus access — DIC fabrication labs, design studios, and the intellectual environment of one of India’s premier technology institutions.
04
Three individual faculty sessions — structured 45-minute mentor meetings on Days 2, 4, and 5 with an IIT or HCD practitioner assigned to your domain.
05
HCD Institute’s academic council includes Nobel Laureates and senior faculty from leading global institutions. The DIC–HCD partnership brings this network into the IIT Hyderabad studio.
Admissions
The immersion format has one additional requirement: you must arrive with a defined challenge. Participants who have not identified a problem to work on in advance cannot get full value from seven days. If you are unsure, our admissions team will help you frame one before you apply.
The statement of purpose · 2 pages
Same as the 12-week format.
The admissions criteria are identical — we admit on the basis of purpose, clarity of thinking, and intent. The statement of purpose for the immersion has one additional prompt: describe the challenge you intend to bring.
I. Your professional context and the gap you are looking to address.
II. The specific challenge you will work on during the immersion — and why it matters now.
III. What you intend to do with this credential and the work produced during the week.
1
Application form — Name, organisation, current role, and a one-paragraph description of the challenge you are bringing.
2
Statement of purpose · 2 pages — Reviewed by the DIC–HCD admissions panel. The challenge definition is the most important element for the immersion format.
3
30-minute admissions call — A structured conversation to pressure-test your challenge definition and confirm the immersion format is the right fit for your schedule.
4
Confirmation and pre-immersion pack — Admission decision within 48 hours. Pre-immersion briefing pack issued two weeks before arrival, including reading, challenge preparation guide, and campus logistics.
October 2026 immersion. 6 places remaining.
Applications close 1 September 2026 · Confirmation within 48 hours
Next immersion after this: February 2027
Pre-immersion briefing pack sent two weeks before arrival.
October 2026 · 6 places remaining
Applications close 1 September.
10 participants. Seven days. The next immersion after this is February 2027. If the challenge is live — now is the right time.
Questions? Write to admissions@hcd.institute · Response within 24 hours
The HCD Institute
Design Innovation Centre (DIC)
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
Kandi, Sangareddy, Telangana, India – 502284
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