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HCD Lab @ School · Questions and answers
HCD Lab @ School: 149 questions from parents, schools and students, answered.
Answered plainly: what HCD Lab is, who teaches it, how it runs, how it is assessed, and what children take away.
Parents
Is it real, and will it cost my child marks or screen time?
What it is
What language is HCD Lab taught in?
English. Sessions, the course book and project reports are in English.
Is design thinking mainly about inventing products, developing prototypes or starting businesses?
No. It is a way of thinking: understanding people and problems first, questioning assumptions, testing ideas and learning from mistakes. Products and businesses are only one place it is used. Most children will use it in how they study, decide and work with others.
Does every student need to create a product or become an entrepreneur to benefit from the program?
No. Every student does a classroom project, but the project is how we see their reasoning, not a product to sell. The thinking is the real outcome. A few students may choose to take an idea further; that is optional.
Is design thinking useful only for students pursuing STEM?
No. Lawyers, doctors, psychologists, economists, managers, journalists, teachers and public officers all use it. It is a common skill across every stream.
Is Design Thinking a new academic subject introduced at IIT Hyderabad?
No. The Design Innovation Centre (DIC) Hub at IIT Hyderabad works in design, innovation and research. DIC Hub created this curriculum to bring that way of working into schools.
Recognition and certificates
Is Design Thinking officially included in the CBSE curriculum, or is it an additional private program?
CBSE offers Design Thinking & Innovation as a skill module for Classes 6–8 (Circular 49/2022) and as skill subjects 422 for Classes 9–10 and 848 for Classes 11–12 (Circular Skill-01/2023). HCD Lab is an independent programme of DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad and The Institute of Human-Centred Design. It runs in the same grades and helps schools teach the subject in depth, with real projects. IB, Cambridge and the UK curriculum teach design too; see every board's references.
Is it compulsory for all students, optional, or dependent on the school's chosen offerings?
That is the school's decision. We recommend the whole school takes it, because thinking habits grow strongest when everyone shares them. A school can start with one class.
Does participation in an independent program provide any CBSE academic credit or formal recognition?
HCD Lab does not carry CBSE marks and is not a board examination. Students receive a certificate from DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad and leave with a design journal and portfolio of their work.
Will the certificate be issued by DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad, HCD Institute or jointly?
One certificate, issued by DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad.
Who teaches
Will IIT Hyderabad faculty members personally teach the students, or will the program be delivered by someone else?
DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad faculty begin it, with HCD Institute facilitators. Your child's teachers co-teach from the start and take on more each year as they train, while DIC Hub faculty keep mentoring projects and sitting on the juries.
What will be the actual role of IIT faculty in designing, delivering and supervising the program?
DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad created the curriculum. Its faculty teach the curriculum in the school, review projects during the year and sit on both juries. They also supervise the teachers who take over delivery.
Will faculty members visit schools for sessions, conduct online classes or mentor students periodically?
All three. Faculty teach in person, either in a five-day block, at weekends and holidays, or on scheduled visits within the timetable, agreed in the MoU. Between visits they review and mentor online.
What are the qualifications and practical experience of the people facilitating the sessions?
DIC Hub faculty, design thinking practitioners and alumni of DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad, trained in the studio-and-jury method used in India's leading design and technology institutions.
Who will assess students' learning and progress throughout the year?
Teachers and facilitators assess through the year using a method agreed with the school. Each project is reviewed by a jury that includes DIC Hub faculty.
Screens and AI
Will children work with laptops, tablets, mobile phones or other digital devices during the sessions?
Very little. Most sessions use paper, observation, conversation, field work and making things by hand. Devices are used mainly to record work.
Will children need their own laptops or devices, or will the required equipment be provided?
Children do not need their own devices. Where a device is needed, the school provides it.
Children are already spending considerable time on devices. Will this program give them one more reason to remain glued to screens?
No. It gives them a reason to look up from screens: to observe real people, talk, sketch and build.
Can design thinking be taught effectively through physical activities, observation, discussions, experiments and real-world exploration without relying heavily on devices?
Yes, and that is how we teach it. Observing people, asking good questions, sketching and building rough models are all done by hand.
How will the program ensure that children develop their own reasoning and problem-solving abilities instead of using AI to generate answers?
The work cannot be handed over. Children observe real people in their own school and community, keep a handwritten journal, and explain their reasoning aloud to teachers and a jury. AI is not used to produce answers in sessions.
Timing and exams
Is design thinking necessary at this stage, or would it be better introduced after Class 10?
Habits of thinking form early, which is why CBSE starts its design thinking module in Class 6. The programme runs from Grade 6 to 12, with board classes planned around their exams.
In such a competitive academic environment, shouldn't children focus on strengthening their fundamentals and performing well in examinations first?
A child who learns to break a problem down, ask why and test an idea studies better, not worse. The programme is planned around the school calendar and board exams, so it does not take time away from preparation.
Why should students spend time on Design Thinking when they can learn these skills later during college or professional life?
Because the habits are easier to build at 12 than at 22, and they help with everything in between: studying, choosing a stream, and working with others.
What children will learn
Will students learn to recognise personal biases and understand how these influence their decisions?
Yes. Noticing their own assumptions is one of the first things the curriculum teaches.
Can children learn to question information rather than accept everything they hear, read or see online?
Yes. Students practise asking where a claim comes from, and checking it before accepting it.
Can the program help children become more open to different opinions and unfamiliar ideas?
Yes. They interview people unlike themselves and work in mixed teams, so listening to other views is part of every project.
Will students learn to distinguish between what they assume to be true and what they can establish through evidence? Will they rely on the internet for this?
Yes, and mostly not through the internet. They test assumptions by observing, asking and trying things for themselves. When they do use online sources, they learn to question them.
Children are increasingly dependent on mobile phones, social media and digital entertainment. Can Design Thinking help address this behaviour?
It can help children understand their own habits. Many students choose screen time or study routines as a project, observe their own behaviour and test changes. We cannot promise a change in habits.
Can the program help students develop better self-management and control over their time?
It gives them tools to do so: planning a project, meeting deadlines in a team, and reflecting on what worked.
Will they learn to identify which activities genuinely contribute to their growth and which merely consume their time? Will they address their own problems?
Yes. Projects start from real problems in students' own lives, school and community, so they learn to look honestly at their own routines.
Value and proof
If my child's school already has an Atal Tinkering Lab, what additional value would an external Design Thinking program provide?
An Atal Tinkering Lab gives the tools for building. HCD Lab adds the thinking before building: whose problem it is, why it matters and whether a solution works for people. It uses the ATL rather than replacing it.
Which other schools in India or abroad are offering design thinking or systems thinking programs to school students?
Design is taught across boards: CBSE's Design Thinking & Innovation, IB MYP Design and DP Design Technology, Cambridge IGCSE Design & Technology and the UK national curriculum. HCD Lab is now starting with partner schools in India and the UAE.
Have students developed projects, pursued further studies, entered competitions or explored new career paths because of this experience?
HCD Lab is starting with its first partner schools, and DIC Hub PhD scholars are studying how design thinking changes students over time. We will share outcomes as each school year completes.
Schools
Curriculum, teaching, assessment, fees and timetable.
Fees are shared in a meeting with your leadership team and agreed under the MoU.
Curriculum and materials
Will Design Thinking be introduced as a separate subject or integrated with existing subjects?
Both. Term 1 is a dedicated design thinking curriculum. In Term 2, the classroom project is combined with projects in other subjects wherever possible.
Will there be separate books or modules for primary, middle, secondary and senior secondary students?
Two versions: middle (Grades 6–8) and secondary (Grades 9–12), each pitched to the age group.
Will students be required to maintain a dedicated notebook?
Yes. Each student keeps a design journal for observations, sketches and reflections. It is the core record of their thinking.
Will the program provide worksheets, activity sheets, project templates and reflection exercises?
Yes. The course book, Introduction to Design Thinking and Innovation, carries activity sheets, project templates and reflection exercises.
Will learning materials be provided in digital format, printed format or both?
Students work from printed material; teacher resources are also available digitally.
Will students receive assignments after every session?
Short tasks after most sessions, mostly observation and reflection, done by hand.
Will assignments be individual, group-based or both?
Both. Observation and reflection are individual; projects are done in teams.
Who will design and distribute the assignments?
DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad and HCD Institute, as part of the curriculum.
Will the school receive an annual academic calendar outlining topics, activities and expected submissions?
Yes. Each school receives a year calendar built around its exams and events.
Will students maintain a portfolio documenting their learning journey and completed projects?
Yes. Every student builds a portfolio of the year's work.
Teaching and support
Who will teach the program on a regular basis: IIT faculty, HCD Institute facilitators or trained school teachers?
It is phased. DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad faculty and HCD Institute facilitators begin it, with your teachers co-teaching. Your teachers take on more each year as they train.
Will the school need to appoint a dedicated Design Thinking teacher or coordinator?
One teacher coordinator is enough. No new hire is needed.
Will existing subject teachers be trained to facilitate the program?
Yes. Teachers from any subject can be trained; no design background is needed.
Will the institution provide a structured teacher-training program?
Yes. Teachers learn by co-teaching in the school, and through the Faculty Training Programme at DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad. The Faculty Training Programme is chargeable, and can be offered free when a school enrols an agreed minimum number of students. This is set out in the MoU.
How frequently will external faculty visit the school?
It depends on the format you choose: five continuous days per cohort, the same five days at weekends and holidays, or scheduled visits in the timetable option, agreed in the MoU.
How many sessions will be conducted directly by IIT faculty or external experts during the academic year?
DIC Hub faculty teach the Term 1 curriculum, review projects through the year and sit on both juries. The exact plan is agreed with your school.
Will sessions be conducted physically, online or through a combination of both?
A combination: teaching in person, mentoring and reviews online.
Who will be responsible for lesson planning and classroom delivery?
DIC Hub faculty plan and deliver at the start, with your teachers co-teaching and gradually leading.
Will the school receive ongoing academic support when teachers face difficulties implementing activities?
Yes. An HCD coordinator supports the school through the year, as agreed in the MoU.
Assessment
Will students be assessed like they are in other subjects?
The assessment method is agreed with each school under the MoU, including whether results appear as marks, grades or competency feedback.
Will there be periodic assessments, assignments, practical work or examinations?
Assessment is continuous and practical: the journal, assignments, project work and two juries. There is no written examination.
What parameters will be used to assess students' progress?
Observation, questioning, reasoning from evidence, collaboration and communication of ideas.
Will assessment focus on knowledge, participation, observation, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving?
Yes. Critical thinking and reasoning carry the most weight; knowledge is assessed through how students use it.
Who will evaluate student assignments and projects: school teachers or external faculty?
Both. Teachers and facilitators assess through the year; DIC Hub faculty sit on the juries.
Will IIT faculty or HCD experts periodically review student projects?
Yes, at scheduled online reviews agreed in the MoU, and in person at the juries.
Will students receive grades, marks, performance reports or competency-based feedback?
Every student receives a progress record. The format is agreed with the school.
Will the school receive a consolidated report showing the progress of each student?
Yes, in the format and frequency agreed in the MoU.
Will there be a final project presentation, exhibition or jury evaluation?
Yes: a jury after the classroom project, a final jury, and an end-of-year display open to parents and guests.
Fees
What will be the annual program fee payable by the students?
We share fees in a meeting with the school's leadership and agree them under the MoU. We do not publish them.
Will the fee structure differ for primary, middle, secondary and senior secondary classes?
No. There is one fee per student for both versions.
Will the fee be calculated per student, per batch, per grade or as an annual institutional fee?
Per student, for an annual programme. The per-student fee is never raised for a smaller group.
Is there a minimum number of students required to start the program?
A pilot can start with one class of about 30, run as a five-day block on the same per-student fee. The full programme runs from 100 students.
Are there separate charges for curriculum materials, books, workbooks or certification?
No. The programme fee covers curriculum delivery, project reviews, learning materials (the course book and project templates), juries and certification. Classroom consumables such as paper, card and clay are the school's. Teacher training through the Faculty Training Programme is agreed in the MoU.
Will the school need to pay additional fees for faculty visits, expert sessions or project evaluations?
Project reviews are part of the programme. Faculty travel is agreed in the MoU.
Will there be a one-time setup cost for establishing an HCD Lab?
Lab equipment and fit-out are the school's own cost, if any. Most schools need none: a classroom with soft boards, movable tables and simple materials is enough. DIC Hub can advise on anything more, as agreed separately.
Will the institution provide different pricing models for schools introducing the program in one grade versus multiple grades?
The per-student fee is the same. Schools can pilot in one class, then expand.
Are there provisions for scholarships or subsidised participation for students?
Some schools offer assisted places, sometimes sponsored through CSR. Ask us when we meet.
Is this lab set up for one academic year only?
The programme is annual. The lab and the trained teachers stay with the school.
What will be the renewal fee?
Renewal is agreed each year under the MoU.
Timetable
How many periods per week will be required for each grade?
In the timetable option, about four periods a month per class. In the block option, none: the curriculum runs in five continuous days.
What will be the duration of each session?
Standard periods in the timetable option; full school days in the block and weekend options.
Will the program run throughout the academic year or in selected terms?
Throughout the year: the curriculum in Term 1, projects, juries and the display in Term 2.
Will the school need to allocate dedicated periods or can the activities be integrated into existing subjects?
Schools choose one of three ways: in the timetable (from 100 students), a five-day block per cohort of 30, or the same five days at weekends and holidays. Term 2 projects are integrated with other subjects.
How many total teaching hours will be required in an academic year?
The Term 1 curriculum equals about five full school days per cohort. Project time in Term 2 is mostly shared with other subjects.
Will the program have a defined sequence of learning stages?
Yes: observe and question, understand people, frame the problem, generate ideas, make and test, present.
Will there be flexibility during examination periods, holidays and school events?
Yes. The calendar is built around them, and board classes are planned around their exams.
How frequently will students undertake practical activities, field visits and project work?
Nearly every session is practical. Field work happens in the school and community.
Can the program be implemented without disturbing the school's existing academic timetable?
Yes. Choose the block or weekend option, or the timetable option set up with you if the programme covers 100 or more students.
Rollout and students
Will the program be introduced across all classes or initially piloted in one selected grade?
Either. A school can pilot with one class, run as a five-day block, then go school-wide.
Can the school begin with one class and expand after reviewing the outcomes?
Yes.
Will students participate as individual classes or in mixed-grade batches?
Class-wise.
What is the recommended batch size?
About 30 students per cohort.
Can all students participate, or will there be a selection process?
All students. There is no selection.
Will the program be compulsory or offered as an optional enrichment activity?
The school decides. We recommend it for the whole school.
Will students be grouped according to their interests, abilities or project themes?
Teams are deliberately mixed, so students with different strengths contribute differently.
How will students with different learning abilities and academic backgrounds be accommodated?
Activities are hands-on and adapted for different needs. Every student contributes through observation, making or explaining.
Can students continue their projects across academic years?
Students can, with their teacher. Continued DIC Hub support is selective.
Will there be opportunities for inter-school collaboration or competitions?
Yes, through the HCD school network as it grows.
What happens if a student misses a few sessions?
They catch up through their design journal, with help from their teacher and facilitator.
Will students be given opportunities to complete missed assignments or activities?
Yes.
Will additional sessions be arranged for students who fall behind?
Your teachers help students catch up, with online support from facilitators. Extra faculty sessions can be added under the MoU.
What happens if a school has to cancel a session due to examinations or other activities?
We reschedule it with you. Extra faculty visits are agreed in the MoU.
Will there be a mechanism to track student attendance and completion of activities?
Yes, through attendance records and the journal.
Contact with DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad
Will students have opportunities to interact directly with IIT faculty?
Yes, in sessions, reviews and juries.
Can students approach faculty members with questions related to their projects and ideas?
Yes, during sessions and online reviews.
Will there be an online platform or scheduled mentoring hours for students to seek guidance?
Yes. Online reviews are scheduled in the project phase, as agreed in the MoU.
Will students receive feedback from IIT faculty on their projects?
Yes, at reviews and at both juries.
Will there be opportunities for students to visit IIT Hyderabad?
Yes, through the DIC Immersion: five days at DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad for groups of 15–30 students, with a separate fee.
Will faculty members participate in the annual project exhibition?
Yes. DIC Hub faculty sit on the final jury and attend the display.
Space and infrastructure
Does the school need to establish a dedicated HCD Lab room?
No. An Atal Tinkering Lab, art room or large classroom works.
What minimum space will be required?
One room that seats about 30 students at movable tables.
What equipment and tools will the school need to provide?
Soft boards to pin up work, a blackboard, movable tables, and simple materials such as paper, card, clay and tape.
Will students require individual laptops, tablets or computers?
No.
Will internet connectivity be essential for every session?
No.
Can the program be implemented in schools with limited technological infrastructure?
Yes. It is designed to run with simple materials.
Management and outcomes
What will be the expected involvement of the principal and academic coordinator?
The principal signs the MoU and approves the calendar; the coordinator manages the programme day to day.
Who will coordinate communication between the institution, school, teachers and parents?
The school coordinator, with an HCD coordinator on our side, as agreed in the MoU.
How frequently will the school receive implementation reviews and progress updates?
As agreed in the MoU.
What support will be provided if the school encounters difficulties during implementation?
The HCD coordinator and DIC Hub faculty work with the school to resolve them, within the support agreed in the MoU.
What happens if the school wants to discontinue or modify the program after the pilot year?
It can, under the terms of the MoU.
What measurable outcomes should the school expect after one academic year?
Every participating student completes the curriculum, a journal, a portfolio and team projects presented to a jury. Teachers who complete the Faculty Training Programme can lead more of it the following year.
How will the program contribute to the school's NEP 2020 implementation?
It delivers the experiential, project-based learning and critical thinking NEP 2020 asks for.
Will it strengthen the school's existing experiential learning and skill education initiatives?
Yes. It supports CBSE's Design Thinking & Innovation skill module and subjects (Circular Skill-01/2023) and the design subjects of other boards.
How will the program complement Atal Tinkering Labs, science clubs and innovation activities?
It adds the thinking before building, and uses the ATL and clubs for making and testing.
Will students develop projects addressing real problems in their school or community?
Yes. Every project starts from a real problem students observe around them.
Students
Is it for me, what will I do, and what do I get?
Is it for me?
Is design thinking only for students who want to pursue Science, Mathematics, Engineering or Technology?
No. It is how you understand people, question assumptions and work through problems you have never seen before. It is useful in every stream.
If I want to pursue Commerce, Finance, Arts, Humanities, Psychology, Law, Entrepreneurship, Economics or Business Management, will design thinking be useful for me?
Yes. Lawyers, economists, psychologists, managers and founders use it to understand people and make better decisions.
Can I participate even if I have not decided what stream to choose after Class 10?
Yes. It may help you choose, because you find out which kinds of problems you enjoy.
What kinds of professionals use design thinking in their work?
Product and service designers, engineers, doctors and hospital teams, policy makers, managers, marketers, researchers, teachers and entrepreneurs.
Does learning design thinking qualify me directly for any job, or is it a skill I can combine with a degree?
It is a way of thinking you combine with whatever degree you choose, and it makes you better at it.
Which career fields use design thinking in their everyday work?
Technology, healthcare, public policy, business, media, education and design itself.
What I will do
How is it different from the courses available online?
You learn by doing it with people. You observe real situations, work in a team, and explain your thinking to faculty and a jury who question it.
What will I do during the program? Will I work on real-life problems or just listen to lectures?
Real problems, chosen from what you see around you. There is very little lecturing.
How much time will I need to invest outside the sessions?
A little: short observation and journal tasks, and more during the project phase.
What will I learn that school doesn't already teach me?
How to find the right problem before solving it, question what you read and hear, test an idea instead of arguing about it, and work with people who think differently.
Certificate and proof
Will I be able to use the projects I create as evidence of my skills when applying for internships, competitions or future opportunities?
Yes. Your portfolio shows how you researched a real problem, tested ideas and worked in a team.
What exact name of the program and institution will be printed on the certificate?
HCD Lab, with the certificate issued by DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad.
Will I receive a certificate simply for attending, or will it reflect my demonstrated skills and completed work?
It reflects completed work, not attendance alone.
Will I receive an assessment report, project portfolio or record of my learning outcomes along with the certificate?
Yes: your design journal, a portfolio and an assessment record.
Is the certificate recognised by any academic institution, professional body or industry organisation?
It is a programme certificate from DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad. It is not a degree or a board qualification.
Can participating in this program strengthen my application to a university abroad?
It can help. Universities look at what you did and how you thought, and a strong portfolio shows both. It does not decide an admission.
Do universities value design thinking projects when assessing students' extracurricular activities and personal achievements?
Many do, especially when the project shows real initiative and research. The work matters more than the certificate.
Will I have a project or portfolio that demonstrates initiative, creativity, research and problem-solving?
Yes.
What comes after
Are scholarships available to students who want to attend this program?
Some schools offer assisted places, sometimes sponsored through CSR. Ask your school, or ask us.
Can outstanding students receive support to develop their ideas into real projects?
Sometimes. A few projects may continue beyond the year with support from DIC Hub, IIT Hyderabad. This is selective.
Are there opportunities to participate in innovation challenges, hackathons or entrepreneurship competitions?
Yes. We share relevant challenges through the HCD school network.
Can students receive mentorship from industry professionals, researchers or designers?
Yes. Mentors include DIC Hub faculty, practitioners and alumni.
Are there awards or recognition for the best projects?
Yes. The jury recognises the strongest projects at the end-of-year display.
Are there pathways to internships, advanced programs or further learning opportunities after completing the program?
Yes: the five-day DIC Immersion at IIT Hyderabad (whose completers join the DIC Hub alumni network), further HCD Institute programmes, and internships (below).
Internships
Never guaranteed. Two routes.
| Company internship | Online project internship | |
|---|---|---|
| Offered by | Alumni and partner companies | HCD Institute |
| How you get it | Selection by the company | Open to every student |
| Pay | The company decides | Unpaid; small fee |
| Where | Online, on site or hybrid | Online |
| Certificate | From the company | An internship certificate from HCD Institute |
Which industries are associated with the program?
Alumni and partner companies across design, technology, education, healthcare, media and social enterprise. The list grows each year.
Will I receive an internship certificate from the company or organisation?
For a company internship, from the company. For an online project internship, from HCD Institute.
Will the internship be paid, unpaid or project-based?
Whether a company internship is paid is the company's decision. Online project internships are unpaid and carry a small fee.
Is an internship guaranteed, or is it dependent on availability and selection?
Not guaranteed. Company internships depend on selection by alumni and partner companies. Online project internships are open to every student. We work to grow both.
Are there minimum eligibility criteria, such as age, academic performance or program completion?
Completion of the programme, plus anything the company sets. Students under 18 need a parent's or guardian's consent.
Can students participate remotely, or will they need to travel to the industry?
Online project internships are fully remote. Company internships may be online, on site or hybrid.
Will students from Commerce, Humanities and other non-Science backgrounds have equal opportunities?
Yes. Selection is on the quality of thinking and work, not stream.
What work will students undertake, and who will mentor them?
A defined project with a mentor from the company, or from HCD Institute for online internships. Every placement follows our child safety policy.
Every board
CBSE, IB, Cambridge, ICSE and UAE schools.
See how HCD Lab maps to each board, with links to the official syllabuses.
Still have a question?