Our five-pronged approach focuses on your individual strengths to develop your unique qualities towards making you an exemplary pi- designer.
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Bridging Creativity with New-Age Communication
Communication Design at the postgraduate level equips you to shape ideas, craft narratives, and design experiences that influence how people connect with each other and with the world.
From hands-on making to AI and other evolving technologies, shape the world around you. Through strategic, multidisciplinary, and future-facing practice, you will bridge creativity with technology to lead meaningful communication across formats and media.
Explore the breadth of communication design — from branding to digital experiences — while sharpening your unique design perspective.
Go beyond visuals to craft narratives and systems that are ethical, inclusive, and future-ready.
Engage in live projects, collaborations, and internships that ground your learning in real-world practice.
Build a distinctive portfolio and professional identity, preparing to lead in design, research, or entrepreneurial ventures.
Visual Storytelling, Branding, User Experience, Systems Thinking, Information Design, Digital Design, Strategic Narratives, User Interface Design
Develop exposure to the diverse disciplines of communication design while strengthening applied knowledge in design thinking, visual storytelling, user experience, and branding. Projects are tailored to your interests, helping you begin shaping a portfolio aligned with your design aspirations.
Professional Practice, Industry Collaboration, Applied Research, Capstone Project, Strategic Communication, Social Impact Design, Immersive Experiences, Creative Leadership
Deepen your expertise through immersive projects, industry collaborations, and applied research. Advance into complex applications and professional contexts while refining your unique voice. The year includes an industry internship and portfolio development, culminating in a capstone project that launches you as a creative practitioner.
"In my professional journey, I believe internships and interactions with industry mentors give us real insights into what’s actually happening out there — helping us prepare for the industry."
“Kannimanga” is a hand-drawn animated film set in Kerala, exploring intergenerational bonds through a granddaughter’s return, using restrained colors, layered textures and ambient sound to evoke memory and place. - Rachel Tom Antony (Batch 2021 - 2025)
AdWise is a UX project reimagining ads as respectful, co-created experiences through a Creator Studio and User App, using ethical design, clear IA and AI innovation for transparent, engaging interactions. - Sayyed Abuzar Ali (Batch 2021- 2025)
Animal Agency
The Crayons Network
Multia
WNS
Mudwater
Digital Jalebi
Airbucks infotech Pvt. Ltd.
Gartner
Mudnwater
DDB Mudra Group
Material Library
Gutenberg
From the initial struggles with uncertainty and creative block to the eventual satisfaction of finalising designs and receiving positive feedback, each step has contributed to a deeper understanding of the design process.
Beautiful concepts mean nothing if they can't plug into reality, make sure your work is grounded in real world applications.
Communication Design is one of the fastest-moving fields and proliferates in all media and enterprises. From a mobile app, advertisement, poster, movie, or book to designing museums, installations and events, a communication designer is involved in conceptualising and creating designs that combine visuals and words. Communication design is a wide stream, offering many opportunities for creative endeavours. The overarching responsibility of a communication designer is to engage your target audience and deliver a message successfully.
Aarti Uberoi is a multi-disciplinary design practitioner with over two decades of experience as a consultant, academician and entrepreneur. An alumna of Massey University, New Zealand and NIFT, New Delhi. She also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) from Nottingham Trent University, UK.
course leader
Soham is a journalist and interdisciplinary artist with a body of work ranging from stage production, information design, illustrated ground-reports, documentary films and immersive story-telling.
With nearly ten years of experience, Avanish has an M.A. in Sequential Design & Illustration from the University of Brighton, UK, and a Graduate Diploma in Communication Design from the IILM School of Design, Gurgaon.
With a PGCert in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education from the University of London and a Masters in Animation Direction from Supinfocom, Pranay Patwardhan is an art director and design educator with over 12 years of experience across the fields of animation, advertising, and video games.
IIAD’s purpose-built campus is designed to foster a dynamic and collaborative learning environment. With state-of-the-art studios, digital labs, and a well-equipped library, the campus provides students with the tools and resources needed to explore and develop their creative potential. The campus also offers open spaces for discussions and relaxation, promoting a supportive and inspiring atmosphere for future designers.
At IIAD, students have the unique opportunity to engage with industry experts through masterclasses and workshops, held in state-of-the-art campus facilities.
At IIAD’s flexible studio spaces, students can explore their creative potential in the field of communication design. These versatile environments are designed to foster innovation and experimentation, providing a supportive space for students to develop their skills in various design disciplines, from graphic design and illustration to photography and digital media.
IIAD's Knowledge Research Centre offers students a comprehensive collection of resources to support their academic pursuits. The library collection includes books, journals and up-to-date digital materials, providing the foundation for in-depth research and creative inspiration.
At IIAD's advanced mac lab, students get to bring their digital visions to reality. The lab offers an exploratory zone where they can design and prototype their ideas with the latest software and technology.
Open spaces at the campus allow IIAD's up-and-coming desginers to explore, innovate and create outside confinements.
IIAD’s photography lab is equipped with tools like DSLR cameras, professional lighting, backgrounds and screens made available for students to explore visuals, moving images and for documentation purposes.
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Communication design is one creative discipline that doesn’t bind you to a niche—the jobs and possibilities are limitless. Technically speaking, it is the strategic creation and transfer of meaningful information through visual compositions. It involves crafting messages that influence audience behaviour, perception and attitude across various mediums like print, digital and social media.
Communication designers are experts in fields of advertising, branding, web design, and information design. However, positioned at the crossroads of diverse creative disciplines, this field is required in virtually every sector, from shaping the interface of your mobile phone to the seamless operation of urban city systems.
Communication design includes graphic design but extends its scope to include a more comprehensive approach to effective communication.
Communication designers don’t just focus on aesthetics—they harness visual language to solve communication problems effectively. Here is a comprehensive list outlining their roles and responsibilities:
Depending on your level and interest of study, you can opt for degree, diploma or certificate-level courses in Communication Design. You can pursue undergraduate or postgraduate level in full-time, part-time or online modes as per the availability at the concerned institution. For your ease of understanding, the table below highlights relevant options and their details:
Fascinated by animation, graphic design, filmmaking or visual storytelling? Learn why IIAD’s tailored Communication Design course is the launchpad to your creative brilliance.
At IIAD, the 4-year Communication Design course (UG) is a pathway to refining vital visual communication skills. Beginning with the foundation programme, which attempts to bridge your high-school learning with specialised visual design studies, the course integrates design practice, thinking and research.
Here, you will learn to craft compelling visual narratives using language, images, videos and other graphic elements. You will also get the opportunity to explore various disciplines like graphic design, animation, storytelling, branding, advertising and user-experience design. This course is tailored to equip you with the essential skills and relevant experiences, ensuring you are industry-ready.
Build your fundamental understanding of design at IIAD over 2 or 3 years, then smoothly transition to your desired university abroad by opting for a flexible model that aligns with your goals. One model provides a concentrated two-year academic track, leading to an opportunity for international advancement to an international university of your choice. In an alternative model, you have the flexibility to opt for a transfer to a university of your preference after completing three years of education within a programme of your choice at IIAD.
To explore more details, connect with our admission counsellors or visit our international progressions page.
The curriculum, adapting to changes in digital and print media, ensures our Communication Design course meets industry needs—offering practical skills for the job market.
Recently, the Communication Design department collaborated with the eighth edition of Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa wherein they worked with local entrepreneurs to develop visual branding and communication systems to celebrate the grassroot communities and their traditions.
Another milestone project is the digitisation of the museum experience at the National Museum, in collaboration with Tricolour India Schauspiel Pvt. Ltd.
Students of the Communication Design course actively contributed to live projects with installations at Select Citywalk and Katha Publications (One Katha At A Time).
They also played a pivotal role in notable initiatives such as Project Mapping for Martyr’s Memorial Museum, Rumiyana for Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, and Folktale Through Multimedia Animation Films.
This cultivates skills to navigate brand and client dynamics, adopting a user-centric design approach, fostering collaboration, and providing practical insights into complex design processes.
IIAD ensures significant industry exposure for communication design students through collaborations with industry leaders like IBM, Cognizant, Bain & Co., Yuj Design, Square Boat, Legatto HealthCare, WNS Global, Learn with Leaders, Boat, Buffalo Soldiers, Brand Catapult, Digital Jalebi, Pepper Square, AICL Communications, E & Y, Lollypop Design, Sostronk, Userfacet, Vega Industries, Lopez Design, Infoedge India, Yatra, and more, with several of these regularly recruiting talent from IIAD.
Facilitated by active collaborations with design professionals, faculty and peers across disciplines, students at IIAD cultivate a growth mindset by learning from each other. The Communication Design curriculum ensures substantial industry exposure through a variety of masterclasses, workshops and mentorship programs led by industry experts both online and offline. This holistic approach enriches students with real-world insights and practical skills.
Prominent contributors from various creative fields have shared their insights through masterclasses and workshops. Among them, Ruchi Batra, Design Director, IBM, led a session on Interactive Experience (iX). Other notable contributors include Anamika Haksar (filmmaker and theatre enthusiast); Varun Grover (writer, comedian, poet, and filmmaker), MK Raina (actor and filmmaker), Vandana Kataria (filmmaker and production designer), and Sudhanva Deshpande (theatre director and actor). Each of these experts shared their insights and knowledge in areas such as filmmaking, storytelling, acting, production design, and Indian New Wave Cinema.
At IIAD, students receive global exposure through international workshops, elevating their learning experiences. One such workshop was led by Dr. Jake Abrams, Associate Professor in Illustration Animation, Kingston School of Art, Knights Park on poetic objects. The Communication Design department boasts a track record of success, with both students and alumni earning prestigious accolades and awards.
Upon successfully finishing the course, you get the chance to showcase your projects at the yearly exhibition, where distinguished professionals from the design industry attend.
Over the years, IIAD has been graced by the attendance of diverse and influential individuals as guests for the show. These include M K Raina (Theatre Actor & Director), Dadi Pudamjee (Founder, The Ishara Puppet Theatre), Manish Vashist (Design Director, UX Group Manager, IBM India), Laila Tyabji (Founder, Dastkar), Dr. Sraboni Bhaduri (Head of Brand & Consumer Insights at Future Brands), Sunil Vashisth (Sr. Vice President of Strategy at Future Brands), Nikhil Joshi (Partner, Digital Jalebi), Indrani De Parker (Designer and Faculty, IIIT), Amardeep Behl (Managing Director, AB Design Habit & Co. Pvt Ltd), Samar Jodha (Founder, Red Balloon), Arini and Medha Soni (Founder and CEO, I, Arini), to name a few.
IIAD’s communication design course is unique because it’s not your typical classroom setup. Instead, it’s all about hands-on learning in a studio environment, focusing on developing your practical skills. What makes it stand out even more is the active collaboration between professionals, faculty, and students from different disciplines. This mix of perspectives allows students to learn not just from their instructors but also from each other.
In this course, networking, pitching ideas, and getting feedback from experts are key components. This approach not only gives students a taste of entrepreneurship but also makes them more job-ready.
The teaching method covers everything from visualisation and design tools to visual narratives and digital storytelling. Through a five-step process, students discover their unique style by exploring, getting exposure to industry trends, and chatting with professionals.
IIAD’s communication design faculty is a diverse group with names including Sakshi Jain, Aarti Uberoi, Shaaz Ahmed, Chandrika Kumari, Devan Das, Gagan Narhe, Ikroop Sandhu, Avanish Sathianathan, Oshin Vipra Sagar, Inderjit Singh Jassel, Kaushikee Gupta, and Pranay Patwardhan. They bring real-world experience to the table, making the learning experience at IIAD both practical and industry-oriented. To know more, please visit the website.
A career in communication design opens up diverse opportunities across several fields on different levels. Here are some key options:
Notable alumni who have landed with reputable organisations include Aakriti Jain at Grid Design Studio, Lilly Topo at Sostrong, Inder Raj Singh Virdi at freightcom, Lopamudra Bose at Bain & Company, Mallika Johari at Cognizant, Sushmita Rai at Centre for Policy Research, Malavika Thampi at House of Masaba, Duvve Gautam at cult.sport, Angad Singh Jassar at Digitow Design Studio and Komal Singh Bhargava at cashkaro.com.
IIAD alumni have pursued master’s degrees at various institutions globally, including York University and La Salle College in Canada, Loughborough University in the UK, UCA, England and Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University, USA. Locally, alumni have continued their education at institutions like Jamia Milia Islamia and Delhi Technological University in New Delhi.
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