Above: Design research approach

Affordable Youth Mobility

Student: Ramesh Gound
Member school: National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India
Programme: Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Design, Transportation & Automobile Design Discipline, Industrial Design

The 'youth' worldwide are the buyers of the future. They lead fast, dynamic and more consumer savvy lifestyles. The aim of this project is to create a 'mobility solution' which is not necessarily a conventional car, for which the customer is a young single person, approximately 18-23 years old. The challenge was to capture the imagination and passion of an entire generation at a price they can afford.

The first design, 'Mobility within me' uses the backpack as an inspiration and the user can carry the shell when not using it. Mobility is created when needed and disappears when there is not in use.

The second design entitled 'Affordability in sharing' targets youth who want to assimilate into high class society and possess branded objects, but given the prohibitive cost, prefer 'buy one get one' free offers so that they can share. This buying habit was a key direction for designing future mobility, where two users can plug in their vehicles and have the pleasure of a car with more fun through further bonding, like sharing a cigarette. A bike is a strong powerful symbol of power, freedom and passion amongst the youth. Further, it was closer to youth desire and affordability.

This project was an excellent experience in terms of expanding a young designer's horizons beyond conventional thought into meaningful radical thinking.

For more information, please contact:

Samir More
Communications and Media
Relations Officer
National Institute of Design
Paldi, Ahmedabad.
t: +91 79 26623692
f: +91 79 26621167
e:
w: www.nid.edu