IN-PERSON MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY. SECTION A
Abstract
Traditional design education tends to conceptualize products as simple formal objects that need to be styled, optimized, and produced. The Ghost in the Machine: Product as Social Architect is a pedagogic experiment developed in response to this assumption for first-year Industrial Design students at RV University, Bengaluru. The course introduces students to the notion of “ontological designing,” which proposes that design is a two-way process in which we shape our world and, in turn, our world shapes us. By positioning the city of Bengaluru as a living laboratory, the course enables students to engage with the often-invisible agency of everyday products. Rather than viewing objects merely as physical assemblies, students examine them as active agents that structure and influence social life. This curriculum approach, termed the Anatomy of Influence, integrates the affordance theory of Don Norman with the ontological design framework of Anne-Marie Willis. Through the study of urban contexts and the analytical examination of objects, students investigate how material choices and spatial thresholds contribute to the formation of habits and behavioral patterns. The module culminates not in the redesign of a product, but in the development of a critical installation that represents these underlying sociological dynamics. This experimental pedagogy aims to shift the focus of foundation-level students from the aesthetic attributes of objects toward a deeper understanding of the systemic implications of design decisions, thereby reframing design as a form of social architecture.
Aiswarya Sivarajan is an Industrial Design educator based in Bengaluru, India, and a faculty member at RV University. With a background in design, her work spans product design and studio-based teaching. Her interests include design pedagogy, material culture, and the relationship between everyday objects and user experience. She focuses on creating learning environments that encourage observation, critical thinking, and exploratory making, and contributes to academic and collaborative initiatives in design education.
Bonny Sunny is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher working at the intersection of industrial design, product strategy, and emerging technologies. A postgraduate in Transportation and Automobile Design from the National Institute of Design, India, he currently serves as an Associate Professor at RV University. His professional experience spans product planning at Samsung India and co-founding a design consultancy, leading projects from concept to launch. His research focuses on sustainability, AI, and human psychology, with applications across consumer electronics, medical devices, automotive design, XR, and social innovation.
Arun Joji is a Product Design educator based in Bengaluru, teaching at RV University. His work bridges design practice and pedagogy, focusing on user-centered thinking and the role of everyday experiences in shaping interactions. In the studio, he fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on exploration, encouraging students to navigate ambiguity and develop their own design voice. Beyond teaching, he enjoys working with ceramics and glass, cycling and motorcycle travel, adventure activities, and finds inspiration in cinema and quiet, solitary moments.
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Wednesday 24th June, 2026