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271 of 384 prompts
NID
271 prompts- Design aptitude 30 min
Solar power and the lithium problem
Read these statements about solar energy: 1. Solar energy helps cut greenhouse gas emissions. 2. Solar panels need lithium as a key material. 3. Mining lithium damages the environment. (a) In 40 to 50 words, explain how you understand this issue. (b) Design three social media posts that get this message across to the public, each with a caption.
NID B.Des Prelims 2026
- Creativity 30 min
A hand combined with another object
Putting two elements together can create a symbol. For example, a human hand joined with a bird could stand for human freedom. Draw a human hand up to the wrist and combine it with one of these: a plant, a hammer, a rope or a mouse. Your image should clearly express a meaningful idea. - Give it a fitting caption. - Explain your idea in 40 to 50 words.
NID B.Des Prelims 2026
- Problem identification 30 min
Keeping children safe when a school bus brakes hard
A school bus brakes suddenly in an emergency, and the children inside could get hurt. Illustrate and explain three safety measures, other than seat belts, that would help keep them from being injured.
NID B.Des Prelims 2026
- Problem identification 30 min
A long road trip with your grandmother
You are taking a 5 to 6 hour road trip with your 80-year-old grandmother, who has the physical limits and comfort needs that come with age. (a) List five things you would do or take to make the journey easier for her, and draw one of them. (10 marks) (b) What could the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) offer to make highway travel better for senior citizens? Draw one idea. (10 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2026
- Product sketch 30 min
A product you feel attached to
Pick one product you use regularly and feel personally and emotionally attached to. (a) Draw it in correct proportion and scale. (10 marks) (b) Illustrate a scene of yourself using it as part of your daily life. In 40 to 50 words, explain what it means to you emotionally and practically, and how it has shaped you. (10 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2026
- Storyboard 30 min
The guru and the man with raised arms
Read the story. A famous guru had followers all over the country, who often came to see him with costly gifts. Now and then he toured the regions himself in a comfortable, expensive palanquin, with a long line of followers walking behind. One day, as the procession passed through a village, a simple-looking man jumped in front of it and shouted, "Stop! Stop!" He would not let it move on. The sudden halt jolted the palanquin and the guru hit his head. He had a short temper, and he snapped, "What do you want, you fool?" "Teach me something wise," said the man. "Tell me how to get to heaven." "That's easy," sneered the guru. "Stand right there and lift your arms to the sky. You'll be in heaven in no time." The procession moved on, and the followers laughed as they looked back and saw the man doing exactly that. Years later the procession came through the same village. In the middle of the road stood a ragged, worn-out man, his arms still raised. "Who is that fool with his arms in the air?" asked the guru. His followers went to ask. "A guru told me this is how I would reach heaven," the man said, "so I have stood here ever since." The guru felt deeply ashamed. Moved by the man's simple, steady faith, he suddenly saw a vision of him rising to heaven. He stepped down from the palanquin and said, "Friend, you are a truly good man. Let me touch your feet. It is you who will take me to heaven." Illustrate any three key scenes from the story. Under each, describe what matters most in that scene in no more than two lines.
NID B.Des Prelims 2026
- Product sketch 30 min
Three bottles for three settings
Bottles need different features for different places. For each setting below, draw a bottle and highlight one feature that makes it right for that place. Explain the feature in no more than 30 words for each. (i) Beside a patient in hospital (ii) In a restaurant (iii) At a family get-together
NID B.Des Prelims 2026
- Problem identification 30 min
Pedestrians and cyclists on narrow streets
On India's narrow streets, people walking and people cycling share the same space, which leads to clashes and safety problems. (a) Identify five behaviour problems that come up in these shared spaces. (10 marks) (b) Design five signs to tackle them, and explain how each one guides or changes people's behaviour. (10 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2026
- Storyboard 30 min
An elderly man collapses in the park
You are in a public park when an elderly man suddenly feels dizzy and falls. (a) In sequential frames, illustrate four things you would do right away to help him. (12 marks) (b) Briefly explain why each step matters. (8 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2026
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A product for the year 2075
Imagine a product that would be useful, usable and possible to make in 2075. Tell its story in five stages: 1. The first idea and what inspired it 2. How it was developed 3. Testing, and the problems faced 4. Launch, and how people received it 5. Its long-term effect on society Support your answer with a concept sketch of the product.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A game controller for one hand
Someone who can use only one hand finds a standard game controller (like an Xbox controller) hard to use. List the difficulties they face, then redesign the controller so it is comfortable and works well with one hand. Include a labelled sketch of the key features and explain your thinking.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Plastic in industrial design
Discuss the role of plastic in industrial design. Weigh its advantages and disadvantages in terms of durability, sustainability, cost and looks. Give examples of clever uses of plastic in products, and suggest sustainable materials that could replace it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
An umbrella that is also a solar charger
Design a new product that combines what two everyday objects do: an umbrella and a solar charger. Make a detailed concept sketch, and in about 150 words explain how it is used, who it is for, and its effect on the environment.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Carry six samosas and chutney
Design a simple, temporary and eco-friendly way to carry six samosas with chutney without anything spilling. It should be practical, and either reusable or biodegradable. Include a sketch and explain your choice of material and your design decisions.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Design with a miracle material
Imagine a material that: - is available in unlimited quantity - is ten times stronger than steel - is biodegradable - is extremely light Design a product that makes the most of these properties. Give a concept sketch and explain how the product uses each property.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
A city bus that shows its region
Your city or state wants to redesign how its public buses look, so they show the region's culture and liveliness. Design the graphics for the outside of a city bus based on the culture and character of your area. Make sure it reflects local identity, values and taste, and add notes explaining your concept and choices.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Helping traffic police
Part A: Illustrate the difficulties traffic police face in stopping and catching people who break the rules, and in handling angry drivers. Part B: Suggest new ideas that would make their job easier, and illustrate them with clear notes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Safer public transport for women and girls
From what you have seen and experienced, list five main difficulties women and girls face with travel and safety on public transport. Illustrate one or more of them, together with design ideas or measures that would improve their experience. Add detailed notes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Inside a self-driving car for Gen Z
Design the interior of a self-driving car for Gen Z users. Make a detailed sketch with notes explaining its features, how it works and how it feels to use. The design should suit Gen Z's lifestyle, tastes and comfort with technology.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
Map your neighbourhood, then build it in 3D
Part A: Draw a labelled plan of your neighbourhood showing its main features: landmarks, the routes people take, and the areas where different activities happen. Add explanations. Part B: Turn this plan into a 3D view of volumes that looks attractive and captures what your neighbourhood feels like.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A classroom of the future for 5 to 7 year olds
Part A: Design a futuristic classroom for children aged 5 to 7. Think about learning, play, interaction, body comfort and safety. Part B: Draw any three key parts of the classroom in 3D, with notes explaining what they do and how they are designed.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Drones in the city
The government has announced a policy to use drones across the city, for example for surveillance, deliveries and healthcare. Illustrate the challenges, opportunities, effects and consequences of this policy in a city, with notes explaining each one.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Match the tagline to the company
Match each tagline to its company. Taglines: "Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai" · "The Power of Dreams" · "Think Different" · "A Little Help Makes a Big Difference" · "We'll Change the Way You Fly" · "Together We Can Make It" Companies: Asian Paints · Pepsi · LIC · Apple · IndiGo · HDFC Bank
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Teaching values with a saree
You have just finished a degree in education design and are teaching a Grade 1 class. Using only a saree as a prop, illustrate activities that teach two of these values: collaboration, compassion, courage, perseverance. For each value you pick, explain how the activity helps children learn it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
A craft-inspired textbook cover
Four crafts are given: Bandhani, Phulkari, Kalamkari and Kantha. Part A: Take one of them as inspiration and design the cover of a Class 8 Environmental Studies textbook. Explain how your design connects to the craft and to the environment theme. Part B: Choose two of the crafts and list three distinctive features of each.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Promote a guided handloom tour
Part A: Make an illustration that shows what a guided tour of a craft, weaving or handloom centre offers, highlighting what makes it special, such as meeting the artisans or learning about sustainability. Part B: Put together a brochure for the tour with the key details: the tour itself, the artisans, why the craft matters culturally, and its sustainability.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
Five billboard posters on the environment
Design a series of five billboard posters, each about a different environmental problem and what it leads to. They should make people aware and move them to act. Use images, type and colour to get the message across clearly and strongly.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
The vegetable market in 2047
Imagine a vegetable market in the year 2047. Part A: Describe what it is like. How is it different from today's markets in technology, sustainability and the way customers shop? Part B: List five things about today's vegetable markets that you think will stay the same in 2047. Part C: Illustrate the 2047 market, including the five things from Part B and the new features from Part A.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
More mobile phones than toilets
In India there are more mobile phones than toilets. Using simple shapes, diagrams or graphics, show this fact in a way that anyone can understand at a glance.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeNew Media Design 30 min
An AI installation for 2050
It is 2050, and you are designing an interactive installation for a conference in Bengaluru that shows how far AI has come. Part A: Design the installation, showing AI in a creative and engaging way. Include interaction, technology and ways for visitors to take part. Part B: Describe the installation: its purpose, how it works, and how it helps people understand AI.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeNew Media Design 30 min
A character, a shocking headline, a story
Part A: Create a character profile with name, age, gender, profession, favourite food and the newspapers they read, and describe what defines them. Part B: Write a short story about them that begins: "Your character was at the newspaper stand when a piece of news stopped them cold..." Follow their reaction, feelings and decisions. Part C: Illustrate five things your character wears, each showing part of their personality, and explain how together they shape who they are.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
Circularity and sustainability in a brand
Part A: Briefly explain what a circular economy is and why it matters for sustainable development. Part B: Pick a brand that follows circular-economy principles and illustrate how it has built circularity into its work. Part C: Explain how circularity and sustainability differ, and how they are related. Part D: Make an illustration showing a brand's approach to both, making the differences between them clear.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A bathroom that is safe for the elderly
Propose a bathroom layout that is safe and easy for elderly people to use. Justify your choices of fittings, layout and safety features such as grab bars and anti-slip floors. Point out the design mistakes in a typical bathroom that cause accidents, and suggest how to fix them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A sci-fi film in six frames
Choose a science-fiction film or series. Summarise its plot in six frames, with a short text for each. Each frame should capture a key moment, and the text should give the context. The story should flow clearly and hold the reader's interest.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
The turtle and her eggs
You are sitting by a stream. A turtle sits over a hole in the ground, guarding her eggs. Draw three scenes: first the turtle in her natural setting, then her interacting with the surroundings or another creature, and finally the passing of time or something that happens to the eggs.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Clearer LED route boards on buses
Redesign the layout of the LED route display on buses so passengers can see and recognise it more easily. Explain each decision about typeface, colour contrast, position and size. Show how your redesign helps with reading from far away, understanding the bus details quickly, and working in different light and weather.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
Astronauts, a water drop and a girl on a swing
Use three elements, astronauts, a drop of water falling into a glass and a girl on a swing, to write a story in four parts: (a) Introduce the characters and setting. (b) A first twist changes the story's direction. (c) A second twist or turning point. (d) An ending that resolves the story. Then write a short note on the story's central theme or message.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
A teapot and cup for someone who can't see
Design a teapot and teacup for a visually impaired person. Use notes and drawings to explain the features that help them: what they can feel, the shapes, and other senses the design uses.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
A hoarding for a craft fair
Design a minimal hoarding for a contemporary craft fair or mela that communicates its theme and makes people want to visit. Describe how your design does this.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDesign for Retail Experience 30 min
A plant display for elderly shoppers
Design a display for small potted plants in a shop whose customers are mostly elderly. Focus on easy access and use, and on looking attractive, with the right height, easy reach and clear labels.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDesign for Retail Experience 30 min
Branding a drone company
You are creating the brand for a drone company. - Design its logo, in line with its identity and values. - Write a tagline that captures its mission and innovation. - Design two drones for two different uses in retail. - Identify three retail sectors or customer groups it should target, and explain how your designs serve them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
From the farm to your vegetable shop
Your family buys vegetables every day from a nearby shop. Make a storyboard of the vegetables' journey from where they are grown to that shop, showing growing, harvesting, transport and display.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Wearable shelter for a rag picker
A rag picker in Delhi needs protection from the bitter winter cold. (a) Draw two things the rag picker collects every day that could be used to make clothing or shelter. (b) Using those two things, design a garment that works as a wearable shelter, and show how it keeps them warm and protected.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
Teach a child to fold a paper plane
In five simple, engaging illustrations, show a seven-year-old how to make a paper plane step by step, so they can follow it without help.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
A chair and study table for five ages
Design a chair and study table for each of these ages: 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40. Think about body size and comfort, use and looks, and explain how the design, materials and style suit each age.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
A play space for children with disabilities
Design a play space for children with disabilities that is fun, inclusive and safe. Point out what makes it engaging for children with different disabilities, and describe the materials, equipment and design decisions.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
A toy from a comb, a rubber band and paper
Using only a wooden comb, a rubber band and an A4 sheet of paper, design a toy or game for one of these ages: 2, 10, 15 or 40. Illustrate and explain how the materials are used and how it keeps the player engaged.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
The journey home from school
In five frames, show a child's journey from school to home. Focus on what the child feels and imagines along the way, and tell the story in a way that would appeal to children.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
A suit for an astronaut on the moon
ISRO plans to send a person to the moon on Chandrayaan 4. Design their garment. (a) List three conditions or problems the astronaut will face on the moon. (b) Describe how your design solves each one, thinking about temperature, movement and safety. (c) Take one feature from (b) and design a garment built around it, showing how it helps the astronaut work in the harsh lunar environment.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Problems wheelchair users face
Name two problems wheelchair users face indoors and two outdoors, and show them in two sketches. Then design solutions for any two of these problems, with detailed sketches and notes for each.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Cab booking for people with disabilities
List five problems people with disabilities may face when booking and riding in an app-based cab, paying attention to the driver's role. Explain in detail how cab services could become inclusive and accessible, using the principles of universal design.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A tiny hero in a giant world
You are a tiny character exploring a world where everyday objects are huge. Design a game around this idea, and illustrate its key elements: the setting, the challenges and the goals.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A school memory as a drama
Think of a memorable event from your school days and retell it with a cinematic, dramatic twist. Write a gripping short story with vivid descriptions, a central conflict and a resolution, using storytelling that could become a game's story.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
Your game's hero
Design the main character of a video game. Draw them and describe their looks, personality and abilities. Explain how they fit the game's theme and what makes them unique.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
Build an imaginary game world
Create an imaginary world for a digital game. Set out its rules and systems, and describe its setting, main characters and how the game is played.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A game story in five frames
Design a game that tells a short story through animation. Use five frames to show how the game progresses, making sure they cover the set-up, the action and the resolution.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
Games that build empathy
Games can raise awareness and help people feel for others. Write five points on how game design can bring attention to important social issues and help players understand and empathise.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Bathroom problems of the elderly
List five common problems elderly people face in the bathroom. Pick one and sketch a safe, accessible and practical solution, with a short note on how it solves the problem.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeInformation Design 30 min
Draw an onion, inside and out
Part A: Draw how an onion looks when cut (1) horizontally and (2) vertically. Part B: Illustrate two ways onions are used in cooking. Show only the onion: no knife, chopping board or hands.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A storyboard on child labour
Make a storyboard that raises awareness of the hardships of child labour. Tell the story across several frames so that it moves the reader and carries a strong message.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Problem identification 30 min
The neem tree over the shared wall
Rajiv and Sudip are neighbours whose houses share a wall. A neem tree in Rajiv's yard leans over into Sudip's yard, and every time it sheds its leaves Sudip has a hard time keeping his garden clean. Sudip asks Rajiv to cut the tree down, but Rajiv refuses. In four illustrations, show four different ways this problem could be solved.
NID B.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
A product inspired by nature
Choose one product: sports shoes, an oil container or an umbrella. Design it with inspiration from nature, and explain in detail which natural elements you used and how they shape its function and looks.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
A cloud and a cactus
Create a story about two unlikely characters: a cloud and a cactus. (a) Write the plot of their interaction and how it ends. How do these very different characters deal with each other, and what lesson does their relationship carry? (b) Make five visuals, each showing a different stage of their relationship or their surroundings as it changes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Perspective 30 min
A thirsty crow at the juice shop
A thirsty crow is eyeing the juice at a shop in a busy market. (a) Imagine you are the crow. Draw the juice shop as the crow sees it, from its point of view. (b) Make a poster arguing that crows deserve to get juice from the juice shop too.
NID B.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeNew Media Design 30 min
A pension kiosk for senior citizens
Design an easy-to-use kiosk where senior citizens (65+) can renew their life certificate for their pension. Part A: List five important things you must consider, focusing on accessibility, ease of use and older users' needs. Part B: Design the kiosk so it is simple for elderly users, both physically and mentally. Part C: Describe in ten clear steps how a user goes through the kiosk from start to finish.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A study space for university students
Using mild-steel sheets, steel pipes and birch wood, design a semi-open workspace for university students where they can study, work together and relax. It should work well and look good. Give a detailed sketch with notes on your choice of materials and how it is built.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Creativity 30 min
A game about accepting yourself
Read this conversation between a philosopher and a young man. Philosopher: Happiness doesn't come from other people. It comes from the way you choose to live. We often let what others expect of us, and what they think of us, tie us down. But those are only their opinions. They are not the truth about who you are or what you must do. The only judgement that really counts is the one you make about yourself. Young Man: How can I stop caring what others think? Don't we need people's approval to get ahead, or even to be liked? Philosopher: That's the mistake. We believe we must fit others' expectations to be loved or accepted, and so we build our own prison. Being brave enough to be disliked means being brave enough to walk out of that prison and be yourself, even when some people won't approve. Real happiness lies in that freedom. Young Man: But if I stop trying to please people, won't I end up alone? How can I be happy if people dislike me? Philosopher: It isn't about being liked or disliked. It's about living by your own values. Once you live for yourself and not for others' approval, the fear of rejection no longer holds you. That freedom is where happiness begins. The people who truly love you will love who you really are, not who you pretend to be. (a) Which genre does this conversation belong to? (1) Science fiction (2) Biology (3) Comedy (4) Psychology (b) Design a game, based on this conversation, that helps people accept themselves. You may include levels of happiness that players can reach. (c) How many players does the game need? (d) Write the rules of the game in six points: how it is played, and how players win or lose.
NID B.Des Prelims 2025
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
A toy and a game for a gardener
Sumaiya Joy is a 60-year-old retired teacher who loves gardening. Give one idea for a toy and one for a game for her. For each, describe its key features, list its materials and why they suit it, explain how it connects to gardening, and illustrate it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2025
- Problem identification 30 min
A room for an older adult or a child
Draw a room for either a person over 50 or a child aged 6 to 10. - Show where the person is in the room. - Write the main purpose of any one product in your drawing. - Suggest ways to make that product work better.
NID B.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Emoticons for elderly parents
Design a set of emoticons that elderly people who spend most of their time at home can use to keep in touch with their children and relatives, for example to say they are fine or to share a health update.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
The old banyan tree
Read the passage. At the edge of a village stands a banyan tree so old that nobody remembers it young. Its hanging roots look like grey beards, and its trunk is too wide for five children to circle hand in hand. Before sunrise each day an old woman sweeps the ground beneath it and lights a small clay lamp at its foot. By midday it turns into a market: a potter lays out his pots among the roots, a boy sells raw mangoes from a basket, and farmers rest in the shade beside their bullocks. Parrots quarrel overhead, squirrels dart along the branches and a stray dog dozes in the cool dust. When the monsoon comes, rain drums on the leaves and children swing from the roots, laughing in the downpour. At dusk the birds return and the old woman's lamp glows in the dark. Generations have lived and grown old in its shade, and still the tree stands, quietly watching over them. (a) Illustrate a scene from the passage. (b) Write a poem called "A Tree" based on it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
A daily task in five frames
Choose one and show the process in five boxes: - Ironing a shirt - Opening a tiffin box and eating a sandwich
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Three billboards for a clean India
The government wants to promote a clean and green India because people don't use bins properly. Design three billboards that together tell one story to spread the message.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Your footwear troubles
(a) Identify the problems you have with your footwear and turn them into a story (or a 15-line written story). (b) Sketch the story in five boxes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Make it impossible to use
Reshape each product so that it can no longer be used: (a) A screwdriver (b) A bathing mug (or a tumbler)
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Phone features for older users
Phones have many features: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, mobile data, a SIM chip, a compass, a directional microphone, a speaker, the screen, motion sensors, a torch, vibration, a camera, temperature sensing and location. Choose any four and suggest ways to improve them, or new features built on them, for elderly people. Answer in text only.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
A car that mixes all three
Using the three cars from the previous question, design a new car that blends all three. Draw its front three-quarter and rear three-quarter views with a consistent design language.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
A train journey that makes people say wow
Write a story about a train journey of yours that would make readers say "wow".
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
A bicycle for 3 to 5 year olds
(a) Come up with five ideas that make a bicycle for children aged 3 to 5 new and different from what other brands offer. (b) What problems might you face launching it? (c) Make a poster promoting the bicycle and its features.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
A health centre for the village
Primary health centres are being set up so that villagers' illnesses can be caught early. Show visually what facilities these centres offer the people of the village.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A game about water
Design a game based on water and explain it in five frames.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A classroom for every body
Design a classroom that meets the needs of people of all body types and physical abilities.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A hygiene game for villages
In two frames, present a game that teaches villagers why hygiene and sanitation matter.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Toy car packaging
Pick one of your four toy cars and design its pack, front and back, with the car's specifications, price (MRP), date of manufacture and any notes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A rod, a mesh and a nut and bolt
You are given a rod, a piece of mesh and a nut and bolt. Make a product from them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
AI for wheelchair users
How could AI improve life for a person who uses a wheelchair? Show it in a poster.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
Air pollution in Delhi NCR
(a) Give two causes of pollution in Delhi NCR. (b) Suggest solutions. (c) Show the causes and solutions visually.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A character for the water game
Design a character for your water game.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Product sketch 30 min
Carrying 20 litres of water in the hills
(a) Design a product that helps carry 20 litres of water in hilly, mountainous areas. (12 marks) (b) Explain how a person would use it well. (8 marks)
NID B.Des Prelims 2024
- Storyboard 30 min
Three steps from raw material to product
Draw the three key steps of each process: - Potato to chips - Bees to candle - Mango or other fruit to pickle - Seashells or beads to jewellery
NID B.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
The life of a wooden chair
Tell the life story of a wooden chair in five sketches, and describe each stage.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
The smallest possible tea shop
Design a tea shop that is as small as it can be while still letting you make and serve tea and seat customers.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Combine two products
Design a new product by combining one of these pairs: (a) A cloth peg and a kitchen tong (chimta) (b) An empty steel plate and a bowl
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A tiffin box inspired by pottery
Design a tiffin box inspired by ceramic pottery.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Getting a patient down to the ambulance
An elderly person is hurt on the second floor of a multi-storey building and an ambulance has been called. Sketch and explain the problems faced by: (a) the patient's family (b) the ambulance driver
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Four new toy cars
A toy car brand like Hot Wheels asks you to design four cars that aren't on the market yet.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
A 30-second ad that gets children reading
Write the story for a 30-second animated advertisement that encourages children aged 8 to 12 to read books. (a) Draw it as a five-panel storyboard. (b) Briefly describe the action and the sounds in each panel.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Including deaf and mute team members
You lead a team on a project you chose yourself. Some team members are deaf and mute. (a) What tasks would you give them? (b) What roles or titles would you give them so they don't feel left out? Answer in writing.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
Clay pots for buttermilk, curd and ghee
Design three terracotta containers: one each to store buttermilk, curd and ghee. (a) Draw them. (b) Explain each one, with its advantages and disadvantages.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
Is furniture art?
Is furniture a piece of functional art, or a sculpture? If you disagree with both, what is furniture to you? Explain and draw.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
Furniture nobody has seen
Design an innovative piece of furniture unlike anything anyone has seen. It must not be conventional.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
Back in time at 80
An 80-year-old woman discovers she can travel back in time to put right one of the most important moments of her life, but to do it she must do something very dangerous in the present. Tell her story.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Draw these signs and symbols
Draw the following, colouring where asked: (a) A sans-serif and a semi-sans typeface (b) A "No stopping" sign, in colour (c) A "No U-turn" sign, in colour (d) The peace symbol as it was first used (e) The radioactive warning sign
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Seven symbols from three shapes
Using only a triangle, a square and a circle (each as many times as you like), design seven different symbols or signs, one in each box, and explain each in writing.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeCeramic & Glass Design 30 min
An object from two materials
From terracotta, bamboo, glass and metal, choose any two and make a useful object from them. (a) Draw it. (b) Explain how you would make it in six steps.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
Getting village children safely to school
Children from a village travel to a nearby town to study. They want to go to school and be with their friends, but their parents worry about their health, safety and security. Design and illustrate a solution.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
A surprise visit home
A 20-year-old who lives away from home to study decides to visit his family without telling them, as a surprise. While there, he discovers a dark secret about someone he loves. (a) Write the story. (b) Write the conversation between him and that person.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
What makes these games fun?
(a) Explain how these games work: Pac-Man, Super Mario and Temple Run. (b) What makes the one you like most interesting to play?
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Do's and don'ts at the bank
Design a poster of the do's and don'ts for customers at a bank.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Picture these idioms
Make a poster or visual metaphor for each idiom: (a) Killing two birds with one stone (b) Splitting hairs (c) Hawa mein mahal banana (building castles in the air) (d) Taali ek haath se nahin bajti (it takes two to clap)
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
An ATM poster for first-time users
Make a poster for people using an ATM for the first time, covering these seven tips: 1. Hide your PIN. 2. Press Cancel when you're done. 3. Don't accept help from strangers. 4. Count the cash. 5. If money is debited but not dispensed, contact your branch. 6. Leave the ATM on the welcome screen. 7. Don't forget your card.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
A game against loneliness
In five frames, present a game for elderly people that tackles loneliness.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
Where are my shoes?
In a shared room, one person is desperately hunting for his missing shoes, holding just one of them and at the height of his frustration. Draw the scene with his roommate reacting. Show both their expressions clearly.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Under the village tree
In rural India, people gather under trees to talk and pass time. Pick one of these and design an interactive app or device that supports it: 1. Sharing ideas and having fun 2. Meditation 3. Planning events and activities
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Winter clothing for a man with arthritis
An elderly man in North India has arthritis, and in the cold he can't work properly because his movement is restricted. Suggest five innovative clothing items or accessories for him. Draw them and describe them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
A modern product from five Indian textiles
Choose five Indian textiles and create a contemporary product from them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeDigital Game Design 30 min
You as a game character
Imagine you are a character in a game. Write down your personality and traits, and design the character.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
A day in the life of a chef's apron
The apron of a junior chef at a five-star hotel in Delhi has anxious moments through the day. (a) Write three moments that make the apron anxious and two that delight it. (b) Write five suggestions the apron would give the chef to make its day better.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeNew Media Design 30 min
Four short new-media tasks
(a) Draw the emotions of elderly people. (b) Draw three posters in sequence to keep the city clean. (c) Design a Digital India campaign promoting digital payments. (d) Design a concept for a smart tram for babies.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Styling advice for Deboshree
Deboshree is from North-East India, 5 feet 8 inches tall and underweight. (a) Write five things she should keep in mind when dressing. (b) Give five style suggestions based on them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Everyday objects from water hyacinth
Water hyacinth is a weed that chokes lakes and rivers. It is rich in fibre and soaks up a lot of water. Using these properties, design five objects for everyday use.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeInformation Design 30 min
What food delivery apps forget
(a) Name two problems food delivery apps usually ignore, and storyboard a scenario for each. (b) Design and name an app that solves them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Animal textures for blind students
A teacher at a school for blind children wants to teach how some animals feel: an elephant, a rabbit, a porcupine, a fish and a peacock. (a) Create fabrics inspired by each animal so the students can feel the textures. (b) Combine all five textures into an accessory or product they can use every day.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Two saree drapes
As a cultural ambassador, write about two different Indian saree drapes: their cultural importance and their textiles. Draw one of them in detail, in colour.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
A poster on reuse
Make a poster about reuse as a sustainable habit, using scissors, a needle, thread and a garment. You may add two more elements.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
A coin for Chandrayaan-3
Design a commemorative coin for Chandrayaan-3's successful moon landing. Draw the front and back in detail. Some facts: India's third moon mission was launched on 14 July 2023 from Sriharikota on an LVM3 rocket. Its lander, Vikram, named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, landed softly on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon and the first near its south pole. The rover Pragyan ("wisdom") rolled out and left the Ashoka emblem and the ISRO logo printed in the lunar soil. The landing spot was named Shiv Shakti Point, and 23 August became India's National Space Day.
NID M.Des Prelims 2024
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Problems at the railway station
Identify the problems you face at a railway station. Draw a problem, then draw your solution.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Storyboard 30 min
A girl, a dog and a bucket
Write a short story that uses a bucket and a dog. It must begin with "In the backyard of a house, a girl is sitting..." and end with "...at last, the bucket is filled with water." (a) Write the story in 150 to 200 words. (6 marks) (b) Show the story in three frames. (9 marks)
NID B.Des Prelims 2023
- Storyboard 30 min
An instruction manual in pictures
Make a visual instruction manual, with drawings and word labels in frames, for each of these: 1. Sharpening a pencil with a sharpener 2. Combing your hair 3. Cutting your nails
NID B.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
Conversations with nature
You are part of a government campaign to save natural resources. Illustrate and narrate a conversation between: (a) water and a human (b) the earth and a human (c) a tree and a human
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Teaching grandpa to save a contact
An elderly man who is used to a keypad phone is given a smartphone. In seven boxes, show step by step how you would help him save a new contact, with a note under each box. The phone is already switched on.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Your favourite object tells its story
(a) Write the story of your favourite everyday object as if the object were telling it to you (200 words). (b) Show the story in six frames.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
A survival kit for disasters
People are rarely prepared for disasters, natural or man-made, such as earthquakes, fires and floods. (a) List the essential things a person needs to stay safe until rescuers arrive (or five things needed after a disaster). (b) Design a kit bag that holds everything from (a). Sketch it in detail with notes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
Artisans and India's growth
(a) Name one Indian craft and the community it belongs to. (b) Make a diagram or graphic on one of these: artisans as a skilled resource for India's development, or women artisans as a skilled resource for the sustainable growth of local crafts.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Medicine packs for elderly people
(a) Write three problems elderly people have with medicine packaging. (b) Design a solution to one of them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
A waiting room for young patients
(a) Design and illustrate the waiting area of a children's doctor for kids aged 3 to 5. (b) Explain one of your ideas in more detail with sketches.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
A fibre inspired by creepers
Creepers grow by leaning on trees for support. Draw such a scene, then draw a textile fibre inspired by it and say what it does.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A tabletop robot's faces
(a) Design a tabletop robot with a 10 x 6 cm screen. (b) Design its screen expression for each situation: confused, delighted, didn't understand the command, network problem.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
How a kitchen knife is made
Show in a sequence of drawings how a kitchen knife is made.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
A symbol and poster on binary gender
(a) Design a symbol for binary gender. (b) Make a public awareness poster about binary gender, with a tagline.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
Nineteen, waking up at sixty
A 19-year-old girl wakes up on the day of her dance-competition audition in the body of her 60-year-old self. (a) In under 300 words, tell how her day goes, from waking, through the 6:30 pm audition, to going to bed. The story must make sense. (b) Describe her room (or your own house late at night): what can be seen, heard, smelled and felt.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
An election kiosk that gets people voting
In four frames, show how an election kiosk would encourage people to vote.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A USB Type-C cable in perspective
Draw a USB Type-C cable in perspective.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Using your other hand
Your dominant hand is broken and you must use the other one. Choose brushing your teeth or doing up shirt buttons, and draw the process in five boxes.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
Play in school policy
The National Education Policy has changed how children learn, and you are the policy-maker. (a) For each area below, give an example of a product or play activity that achieves it, with the reason, the benefit and an explanation: holding children's attention; explaining a concept better; checking how well children have understood. (b) How would your policy bring play into schools? Give the policy, the reason, the benefit and an explanation.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Baking lessons for 10 to 12 year olds
In four frames, design an interactive digital experience that teaches 10 to 12 year olds to bake a cake or bread.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Words as shapes
Using shapes alone, express each of these words: family, companionship, failure, insect bite, darkness.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
Folding a paper boat
Show in five steps how to make a paper boat.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Furniture for an igloo
An international designer asks you to create two pieces of furniture for an igloo. (a) Write three problems the people living there face. (b) Draw the two pieces and name the materials, with the reason for each in two lines.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A toy for pets left home alone
Design an interactive toy for pets whose owners go to work and leave them at home.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A compact art kit
Design a compact art kit for fine-arts students.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeToy & Game Design 30 min
Your old toy, made new
(a) Describe a toy you played with, sketching its features step by step. (b) How would you update it for children today? Describe three features you changed.
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Views on the textile industry
Answer briefly: (a) In under 50 words, give your view on vertically integrated textile manufacturing. (b) Give your view on bringing the handloom sector together into one system. (c) What are the advantages and disadvantages of vertically integrated textile manufacturing?
NID M.Des Prelims 2023
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
A craft meets modern design
Pick a craft and an artisan from any Indian state and name them. Then either recreate the craft in a modern fusion style, or show a final product made using the craft.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Design a book cover
Design a book cover: front, back and spine.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Clothing for space tourists
Space travel is now real, and people can see Earth from space. Design an outfit for a space passenger that puts comfort, safety and weightlessness first, and note its key features.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Storyboard 30 min
The kingfisher and the fisherman
Make a storyboard of a heated argument between a kingfisher and a fisherman.
NID B.Des Prelims 2022
- Perspective 30 min
Looking into a room through the window
Draw a room as seen by a person standing outside, looking in through the window.
NID B.Des Prelims 2022
- Product sketch 30 min
One tap, three users
Redesign a water tap for each of these users: - A six-year-old child - An artist - A visually impaired person
NID B.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A calendar app for a tablet
Design a tablet calendar app that shows weather, events, personal plans and festivals, with monthly, weekly and yearly views. - Draw the monthly view with all its parts. - Draw the weekly view with rain tracking.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
Smartwatch gestures
- Sketch five hand gestures a smartwatch could recognise. - Write five ways a smartwatch could control a phone. - Draw a scenario of one gesture being used for one action.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
A wheelchair and crutches talk
At a railway station, a wheelchair and a pair of crutches are chatting. Write their conversation in under 200 words.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
Cinema after the lockdown
When the 2020 lockdown shut cinemas, more films were released on streaming (OTT) platforms. Write your views as a conversation, in half a page.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeDesign for Retail Experience 30 min
Five tools of visual merchandising
Describe five elements of visual merchandising. Draw each and describe it in 25 words.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A communication device for a 75-year-old
(a) Design a communication device for a 75-year-old man. Show how it works and its main features. (b) Design a poster promoting it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeLifestyle Accessory Design 30 min
What did they say?
Imagine, draw and write your answer to any two: - What did the rabbit say to the tortoise? - What did the farmer say to his crops? - What did the little girl say about her dream?
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
A scene with five objects
Describe a scenario that brings together a tyre, a telephone, a lock, a kite and an ant.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
Children on two-wheelers
List the precautions to take when a child rides on a two-wheeler.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
A conversation in the rain
It is pouring and two people are talking in a car. After a while one of them walks out, and the last line is: "Wait, let me explain, I didn't mean it that way." Write the conversation that leads to it (7 to 8 lines).
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeDesign for Retail Experience 30 min
Honouring Covid warriors
(a) Design a poster for Covid-19 warriors around the words: salute, hard work, pride. (b) Design a badge for them.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Advice from an old broom
Draw two things an old broom would tell a new broom.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Cutting a pomegranate in eight frames
In eight frames, show how to cut a pomegranate.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
A TV remote for senior citizens
Design a TV remote that is easy for senior citizens to use.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Sustainable fashion at home
(a) Write about two ways Indian households repurpose everyday things. (b) Write how sustainable fashion has changed the world.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeDesign for Retail Experience 30 min
An apple and an orange chat
An apple and an orange are talking in a supermarket while a customer stands nearby. Draw their funny conversation.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Products that made life better
Study three products, devices or accessories that have improved people's lives. Draw each in a box and write about it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Getting vaccinated online
In five frames, show how to get vaccinated and download your first online Covid-19 certificate.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
An interactive product for a 75-year-old
Phones and other devices are used by people of all ages. - Write five key criteria for designing for 75-year-olds. - Design a new interactive product that meets all five. Originality scores highest.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
A vehicle you wear like a backpack
In an essay or a storyboard, present a transport device that can be worn as a backpack.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Grandmother sews a button
In three boxes, show an elderly woman sewing on a button. Draw two difficulties she faces, with a solution for each.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
Your favourite corner of home
Everyone has a room or corner at home that means something to them. Picture yours, write about it, and draw it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Sharpening a pencil in five frames
Show how to sharpen a pencil in five frames (each 5 x 10 cm).
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A product designer in 2035
You are a product designer in 2035. Draw a day in your life and write about it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeUniversal Design 30 min
Senior citizens at the airport
Describe the problems senior citizens face at airports, explain the most serious ones, and show solutions.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
One product, five new jobs
You live in a smart home. (a) Pick a product and define five functions beyond its usual use, with their main features. (b) Draw five frames of the product in use.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
A government poster for a vehicle
The Ministry of Road Transport is promoting a vehicle. Design its poster.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
Is OTT the future of cinema?
Write a conversation between two people with different views on whether OTT is the future of cinema.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeDesign for Retail Experience 30 min
A milk vending machine and its brand
(a) Draw a milk vending machine and describe it in 25 words. (b) Design a logo for a milk seller around the words: hard work, great dedication.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
The box with a monster inside
Two people fight over a box; when they finally open it, a monster leaps out and tears them apart. Make this into a comic strip, then design a comic-book cover from it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Bend, stretch, twist, press a pencil
Draw a pencil in isometric view four times: bent, scaled, twisted and pressed.
NID M.Des Prelims 2022
- Memory drawing 30 min
An online class and a pesky sibling
Draw a student in an online class while their brother or sister pesters them. Show the room too: the student's things, the door, the table, the cupboard and anything else that belongs there.
NID B.Des Prelims 2021
- Storyboard 30 min
X and O have a chat
In six square boxes, illustrate a funny conversation between the X and the O of tic-tac-toe.
NID B.Des Prelims 2021
- Composition 30 min
A poster against bullying
Create a poster against bullying.
NID B.Des Prelims 2021
- Storyboard 30 min
Making tea, step by step
In six square boxes, illustrate the steps of making tea.
NID B.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Draping a saree or tying a tie
Illustrate the steps of draping a saree or tying a tie.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
A lighthouse story
Write a story about a lighthouse, without adding any other characters.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
Late for the exam, stuck in traffic
Someone is late for their exam and stuck in a traffic jam. Write about the situation.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
Signs for everyday situations
Design signs for situations such as an escalator for elderly people and rush-hour traffic.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeInformation Design 30 min
Flood safety cards
(a) Design ten social media cards for people affected by floods, with guidance and safety measures. (b) Design one card carrying a single message in English and in a regional language.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A doctor's consulting room
Draw a layout for a doctor's consulting room.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
The overcrowded bus
Look at an overcrowded bus. (a) In about 200 words, say what you think the key problem is, and justify it in bullet points. (b) Give a solution in about 100 words.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Your hand taking a selfie
Draw your own hand holding a phone while taking a selfie.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Sustainability in 100 words
Write a 100-word piece on sustainability that uses the words river, transmitter and middleman.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A tyre swing in ten steps
Draw and explain in ten steps how a tyre is tied to a tree to make a swing.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A table lamp for millennials
Design a table lamp for millennials.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
A vaccination poster
Design a poster on Covid vaccination.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
A story for an animated short
Write the story for an animated film or short.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
An essay on gender equality
Write an essay on gender equality.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
A bullet train's graphics and logo
A new high-speed train links Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Design its body graphics and its logo, suited to the culture and the people it serves, and justify your design.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Curtains from a carrot, a comb and a wheel
Using a carrot, a comb and a wheel as motifs, design a print for curtains in: (a) a young child's room (b) an outdoor restaurant (c) a hospital
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A fitness awareness poster
Design a poster for physical-fitness awareness in India, with the message for social media, SMS or billboards.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
An AI helper for older people
Draw an AI-assisted device for elderly people.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
A house inside a box
Draw the interior of a house inside a box.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeFilm & Video Communication 30 min
Afraid in lockdown
A person is stuck in lockdown. Show them in a place of fear and insecurity after something has happened.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
A travel suit for space in 2060
By 2060, travelling to space may be routine. Design a suit for space travellers that deals with space, durability and gravity, and describe it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
Red ocean and blue ocean
Explain the difference between a red-ocean and a blue-ocean strategy, with examples.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeGraphic Design 30 min
Three signs become one
Combine the symbols for a fire extinguisher, "No photography" and "Slippery ahead" into one object. Say what the combined object is for and name it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeProduct Design 30 min
Carrying vaccines to villages
Design a storage unit to carry 20 vaccine doses from door to door in villages.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
Two composite creatures
Design two creatures that each combine two animals, and show them at rest and in action.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Sewing on a button
(a) Show an elderly woman sewing a button on a shirt in three steps. (b) Identify a problem she might have, and a solution.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTransportation & Automobile Design 30 min
The tree by the highway
(a) Write a story about a tree beside a highway: what does it feel, sorrow or happiness? (b) As a transport designer, tackle the problem the tree faces and explain your idea.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeInformation Design 30 min
An infographic on hierarchy
Design an infographic and icons that show levels of hierarchy.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Five odd uses for a towel
Draw five unusual uses for a towel and name each one.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
New uses for old things
Illustrate other uses for: a shoe, a briefcase, a letterbox, an old shirt and an old soda can.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeStrategic Design Management 30 min
Ending open defecation among schoolchildren
Many children still defecate in the open, causing health and sanitation problems. Make a poster for schoolchildren that discourages it and shows them how to use a toilet.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Your view on a textile topic
Give your view on one of these, with five keywords: technical textiles, khadi, or the social impact of fashion.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeAnimation Film Design 30 min
A film's logo and poster
(a) Design a logo for a film, based on its theme, with a short note. (b) Design the film's poster using the logo.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
India's traditional sustainability
(a) Write down traditional ways India has practised sustainability. (b) What problems have come up with them? (c) Suggest solutions.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Design aptitudeTextile Design 30 min
Start your own textile company
You are starting a company. Name it, list its product range, set out how the organisation is structured, and show and explain five unique selling points of your products.
NID M.Des Prelims 2021
- Composition 30 min
A poster from Tagore's lines
Rabindranath Tagore wrote: "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free..." Make a poster that captures what these lines mean, and give it a tagline.
NID B.Des Prelims 2020
- Storyboard 30 min
Pumpkins on a jamun tree?
A man sits under a big jamun tree beside a pumpkin patch. He thinks: such a huge tree, and such tiny fruit; wouldn't it be better if it grew pumpkins? Tell the story in three frames.
NID B.Des Prelims 2020
- Creativity 30 min
Five funny uses for an old bulb
Come up with five humorous ways to use an old light bulb. Draw each one and explain it.
NID B.Des Prelims 2020
- Creativity 30 min
How trees could defend themselves
Design three ways trees could defend themselves so they don't get cut down.
NID B.Des Prelims 2020
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Smog protection for a rickshaw puller
Design clothing that protects a rickshaw puller in Old Delhi from smog.
NID M.Des Prelims 2020
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A chair for a child
Design a chair for a child. Decide the child's age, needs and what the chair is for, and balance good looks with function.
NID M.Des Prelims 2020
- Design aptitudeInteraction Design 30 min
A display unit
Sketch and plan a display unit.
NID M.Des Prelims 2020
- Design aptitudeFurniture & Interior Design 30 min
A film festival in a studio flat
You live in a studio apartment and are planning a film festival at home. Draw the three steps of planning and setting it up.
NID M.Des Prelims 2020
- Design aptitudeApparel Design 30 min
Clothing that cleans itself like a lotus leaf
A lotus leaf has a rough surface that makes water bead into droplets, and when the droplets roll off they carry dirt with them. Design clothing that uses this effect. Think about the client, category, occasion, fabric, colours, surface techniques, silhouette, embellishment and accessories.
NID M.Des Prelims 2020
- Memory drawing 30 min
All that glitters is not gold
Imagine and draw a real-life situation that captures the saying "All that glitters is not gold" in a meaningful way. Explain your interpretation in five lines. No colour.
NID B.Des Prelims 2019
- Composition 30 min
A round stamp for Gandhi at 150
To mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, the government invites young people to design a round ₹20 postage stamp. Design it in the given round format, in colour.
NID B.Des Prelims 2019
- Perspective 30 min
Dinner table views
Draw each of these. No colour. (a) A person at a dining table with a plate, a steel spoon and a fork set in front of them. (8 marks) (b) An ant sitting on the tip of the spoon's handle. Draw the table as the ant sees it. (6 marks) (c) A steel spoon and fork with their handles tied in a knot. (6 marks)
NID B.Des Prelims 2019
- Product sketch 30 min
Selfies for an elderly person
An elderly person wants to take a selfie on a smartphone and share it with someone they love. Imagine and illustrate a new way for older people to do this.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Composition 30 min
Launch a channel
You are starting your own online video channel. Choose a topic or theme (for example, cooking) and say why. Give the channel an identity with a logo and a tagline.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Design aptitude 30 min
Three materials inspired by nature
Biomimicry brings nature and technology together to create smarter, more sustainable materials. Explain three innovative materials inspired by biomimicry.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Design aptitude 30 min
A pressure cooker for families below the poverty line
Describe the business potential for a company launching a pressure cooker designed for families living below the poverty line.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Design aptitude 30 min
Khadi as a global trend
(a) Come up with three business ideas to turn Khadi into a global trend. (6 marks) (b) Show one of them as an advertisement in an international magazine. (4 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Design aptitude 30 min
A furniture giant comes to four Indian cities
A global furniture and home brand plans to open stores in Somnath, Madurai, Amritsar and Varanasi. (a) List what it should consider for each city. (4 marks) (b) For any two of the cities, show the launch plan as a diagram. (6 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Product sketch 30 min
A smart horn
Tired of honking and the noise it causes, the government makes a 'smart horn' compulsory in every vehicle. Imagine and illustrate a smart horn for one of these: two-wheelers, four-wheelers or commercial vehicles. Describe your idea briefly.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Composition 30 min
A gender-equality campaign
Plan a campaign for gender equality in your college or workplace. (a) Write five situations where gender equality could be improved, each in no more than two sentences. (5 marks) (b) Design a poster about one of them. You may use colour to strengthen the message. (10 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Product sketch 30 min
One product for a trek
For a trek you must carry a water bottle, a sandwich, a book, a mobile phone and a pair of shoes. Design one product that holds and carries them all. (a) Make a realistic drawing of the product, with its details. (b) Draw a realistic sketch of it in use. Label the main features in both.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Product sketch 30 min
Two ways to stay awake
Come up with two original solutions that wake you up so you can't fall back asleep. Sketch both, showing clearly how they work.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Problem identification 30 min
Five problems with a hot mug
Picture someone drinking a hot drink from a mug. Sketch five problems they face while doing it, and describe each in words.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Creativity 30 min
A story from the senses
Write a story that brings in the sensory qualities (sound, light, touch, smell) of any four of these objects: a speaker, a light bulb, a bell, a drum and a bowl of hot soup. They can appear in any order.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Storyboard 30 min
Escape from a burning building
You are trapped in a building when a fire breaks out. How will you save yourself and others? Show it in three frames.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Problem identification 30 min
Voting by smartphone
Imagine that in the near future Indians can vote using their smartphones. Describe three problems you foresee with this, and show your solutions.
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Problem identification 30 min
Rock dust on a highway site
A highway is being widened to four lanes by cutting rocks down to flat ground. The workers are constantly showered with rock chips and sand under a harsh sun. (a) Show the situation visually. (5 marks) (b) Suggest two solutions to the problem. (10 marks)
NID M.Des Prelims 2019
- Drawing 30 min
Thumb and index finger
Draw three existing objects that are used with the thumb and index finger only. Name the object under each drawing.
NID M.Des Prelims 2018
- Storyboard 30 min
Rescue from the burning building
A short circuit has started a fire on the ground floor of a building, near the stairs, and it is spreading fast. A mother and her two children, aged 4 and 7, are trapped on a first-floor balcony. The neighbours can find only a scooter, a 5-foot ladder and 12 feet of nylon rope. Draw how the neighbours rescue them and bring them down: (a) rescuing the mother (b) rescuing the children No colour.
NID B.Des Prelims 2018
- Storyboard 30 min
Comb, scissors, matchstick, potato and ice cream
(a) Write a short story that uses ALL of these: a comb, a pair of scissors, a matchstick, a potato and an ice cream. (b) Pick the most interesting moment from your story and draw it in pencil or pen. No text or dialogue in the drawing; colour or shading will not be marked.
NID M.Des Prelims 2018
- Product sketch 30 min
Products from surplus steel tubes
A steel-tube maker is producing more tubes than the market needs. The surplus should be turned into useful products so the company avoids losses and even makes a profit. The tubes range from 4 mm to 10 mm in outer diameter and are long enough for most products; they can be bent, cut and joined. Keeping the processes simple, draw four new products in pencil only, and give each a name that explains it.
NID M.Des Prelims 2018
- Creativity 30 min
Corn and peas from one spot
"As a child, Ajay loved gardening with his grandmother. He remembers that when he was eight he accidentally planted a seed of corn and a seed of peas in the same spot. The next morning, what he saw there was beyond his imagination. He still has his drawing of what grew there, and looking at it now, he wonders whether he only imagined it." Draw the drawing described. Use pencil or pen; no shading or colour needed.
NID B.Des Prelims 2018
- Drawing 30 min
Five basic emotions
Anger, disgust, fear, sadness, surprise and joy are basic emotions. Draw the facial expressions for any five of them and label each.
NID M.Des Prelims 2017
- Memory drawing 30 min
Zero gravity in the living room
If there were no gravity on Earth, draw yourself in your living room, along with the things you would want to tie down.
NID B.Des Prelims 2017
- Creativity 30 min
Two opposites of 'rock'
Draw two opposites of the word 'rock', each in its own frame, with a one-line explanation under each.
NID B.Des Prelims 2017
- Drawing 30 min
A woman holding a crying child
Draw a woman holding a crying child in her arms, with suitable details and a background. Black and white only; no colour.
NID B.Des Prelims 2017
- Composition 30 min
Incredible India tourism poster
Make a poster to promote tourism for the 'Incredible India' campaign using India's national flower, tree, bird and animal. Use them in their real form and colours, or any part of them (texture, pattern, silhouette and so on), as many times and in any combination you like.
NID B.Des Prelims 2017
- Problem identification 30 min
The leaking tap at midnight
The tap of the washbasin in your bathroom is leaking. It is midnight and no plumber is available. Give five ideas to stop water being wasted, and show each one in a drawing with two or three lines of explanation.
NID B.Des Prelims 2016
- Storyboard 30 min
How monkeys got tails and elephants got trunks
"Long ago, monkeys had no long tails and elephants had very short trunks. Until one day..." Finish the story in FIVE frames, with a caption of no more than two lines under each.
NID B.Des Prelims 2016
- Creativity 30 min
Part human, part endangered, part automobile
Imagine a creature that is part human, part endangered species (plant or animal) and part automobile, and who can't decide whether to travel into the past or the future. Draw it in a single frame.
NID M.Des Prelims 2016
- Composition 30 min
A black-and-white social poster
Choose one topic: (i) infant mortality, (ii) rainwater harvesting, or (iii) illiteracy. Design a poster on it in black and white only, and give it a caption.
NID B.Des Prelims 2016
- Composition 30 min
A burger, a tortoise and healthy eating
Sketch a poster that encourages young people to eat healthily. It must include a burger and a tortoise. Give it a title in English of fewer than six words.
NID M.Des Prelims 2016