A student with an international outlook, Debashish Pradhan has an insatiable desire to see and experience the world. He was born in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu and had a yearning for travel since a young age.
During his travels, he has hiked, trekked and experienced various cultures before pursuing his Degree in Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Industrial Design at Limkokwing University.
Multicultural Environment
“I was so excited to go out into the world and know more people,” he said. “I wanted to be exposed to the world and interact with people from different cultures.”
While shy at first, his confidence began to rise as he interacted with students from various countries.
“I had classmates from China, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and other parts of the world,” he said.
“What I learned at Limkokwing was that everyone is equal,” he added. “No matter where you are, everyone is equal and just as skilled.”
Finding Focus
“Before I came to the University, I had no idea on how to concentrate on one project,” he said. “I was all around the place.”
Debashish credits Limkokwing to have taught him to think, process and survey before working on his projects.
Design Thinking
As an industrial design student with international exposure, he was able to understand various consumer demands and habits.
Debashish learned to organise his ideas into a cycle that focuses on consumer products. He explained that when designing a product it needs to be tested by the potential customer first.
“It is like exploring the box, going out of it and then going back in,” he said. “Do it repeatedly until the product works for itself.”
Debashish described product design as a cycle of development. The cycle enables the product to be improved by understanding the product from a consumer’s perspective.
“It is like conducting a survey,” he said. “You will learn to be able to improve the product as it develops.”
“See yourself as the costumer,” he advised. “Ask yourself if you would buy the product.”
He also emphasised the importance of customer reviews, because they enable him to improve his designs and develop better products.
Environmental Involvement
As a student at Limkokwing, Debashish also took part in humanitarian activities. One of his final projects was to develop an awareness programme for Madagascar.
“We had to create a whole big canvas about the island,” he said while adding that it explained the country’s delicate ecological balance.
He also added that the exposure outside the University has been very beneficial for him. He has participated in other environmental projects at the University which included tree planting projects and awareness programmes for the United Nations.
Future Plan
Debashish hopes to be able to open his own business after completing his studies.
“One thing that the University has taught me is to balance my work and my life,” he added.