Dr. Ravindra Singh is an accomplished academic and design professional with a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from UP Technical University, Lucknow, and an M.Des and Ph.D. in Industrial Design with a specialization in Universal Design from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design, and Manufacturing, Jabalpur (IIITDM). He began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at UP Institute of Design, (UPID) Noida, where he developed curricula for B.Des and M.Des programs and established essential lab facilities. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Delhi Technological University’s Department of Design, where he continues to contribute to the field through his passion for human-centric, inclusive design and products accessible to diverse user groups. Dr. Singh's research focuses on Universal Design, Innovative Product Design, Sustainability, and Frugal Design. He has published research articles in respected journals and presented at international conferences. His achievements include a 2009 exchange program at TU Darmstadt, Germany, and multiple awards such as the Drona Design Award (2023) and the I Design Award in medical equipment design (2014-15). Recognized for his expertise, he has served as a jury member for Indiaskill (NSDC, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) since 2021 and participated as an expert in the Asia-Pacific Best Practice Marathon organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Khabarovsk Territory and Khabarovsk Regional Institute of Education Development, Russia. Dr. Singh remains a committed advocate for inclusive and sustainable design practices in academia and industry.

Experience

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF DESIGN; DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY —

NOVEMBER 2018- PRESENT

Assistant Director, Centre for Community Development and Research, DTU

Coordinator, PhD admissions,

Dy Chairman MDes Admission 2024-25

Member, Departmental Purchase Committee,

Departmental Coordinator, Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC),

Member, IPR committee,

Member, Departmental Research Committee,

Convenor, Departmental Library Committee

Coordinator, Product Design Lab

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF DESIGN; UP INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, NOIDA — JULY

2017- OCTOBER 2018

I am involved in teaching BDes and MDes students through various courses a follows- Product Design, Design Representations, Ergonomics

Incharge, Academic

Member of Curriculum Development Committee Coordinator of PG Program (MDes)

GUEST FACULTY STATE UNIVERSITY OF PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS, ROHTAK — FEBRUARY 2017- MAY 2017
Taught undergraduate students

TEACHING ASSISTANT; IIITDM JABALPUR- AUGUST 2011- FEBRUARY 2017

I was involved in various activities related to Academic (Teaching B.Des. and M.Des. students),

Coordinator, Design Workshop (DeW, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016) in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, Coordinator, InnDeM 2012 International Conference on Innovations in Design and Manufacturing (InnDeM 2012) organised by Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur., Coordinator, IP Awake Workshop

Guided more than 50 design and manufacturing projects to various undergraduate and Post graduate students as Teaching Assistant.

FREELANCE DESIGNER; SEPTEMBER 2012- FEBRUARY 2017;

As a freelance designer I was involved in various projects related to Visual communication and Product design, i.e., Branding of Spreadon for Amarkantak food Pvt Ltd, Health camp awareness posters for Rapid Metro Gurgaon, various institutional workshops branding, Product Design- Industrial design for IoT based devices.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER ; DESIGNLIFE, MUMBAI — FEBRUARY 2011- JULY 2011

As an industrial Designer, my responsibility comprises the entire design process- That starts from client meet, understanding and differentiating needs , concept development and prototyping with engineering details.

Education

PhD, 2017- Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur

Master of Design, 2010- Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur

BTech (Mechanical Engineering)- 2007- Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Lucknow

UG Courses (BDes): Material and Processes for Designer, Physical Ergonomics, Design Research, Universal Design, Design Methods and Methodology, Processes and Methods in Industrial Design, Design Projects.

PG Courses (MDes & PhD: Industrial Design Processes and Practice, Design for Human Experiences, Form and Senses, Ergonomics for Industrial Design, Design for all Design Projects.

Curriculum Development

Developed BDes & MDes Curriculum (Industrial Design specialization) for Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design, Noida (An Institute established by AKTU Govt. of UP).

Developed BDes, MDes, and PhD curriculum for (Industrial Design specialization) Department of Design, Delhi Technological University, Delhi (Govt. of NCT).

Administrative Positions

1. Editorial Board Member, Design for all Institute of India- issue October 2019,  http://www.designforall.in/

2. Guest Editor, Design for all Institute of India- issue October 2019

3. Project Monitoring Committee for School of Design, East Campus, Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, Feb 2019

4. E-Recourse Identification Committee (Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (Formerly Uttar Pradesh Technical University, Lucknow)

5. PhD. Coordinator, Department of Design, DTU, 2019- till date

6. Member of DPC, DoD, DTU, 2018- till date

7. BoS Member, UPID Noida, 2020- till date

8. Innovation Ambassador, MoE

9. Member of Board of Research Studies, Department of Design, NSUT, Delhi

10. Dy. Chairman, MDes Admission 2024, 2025

11. Jury in charge, DoD, DTU 2019- Till date

Professional Highlights & Achievements

2025

Expert, Industrial Design Technology, IndiaSkills 2025

Program Committee Member, 13th International Conference on Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE 2025)

Scientific Advisory Board Member, 9th International Design Conference DESIGN 2026(www.designconference.org)

2024

Jury Member (Industrial Design Technology), National Competition, IndiaSkills 2024, organized by NSDC, Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, India

Chief Expert (Industrial Design Technology), IndiaSkills 2023–2024

Jury Member (Industrial Design Technology), IndiaSkills 2024, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida

Expert (Industrial Design Technology), Maharashtra State Skill Competition 2024, Don Bosco, Mumbai

Scientific Advisory Board Member, 12th International Conference on Sustainability, Technology and Education (STE 2024), Budapest, Hungary (sustainability-conf.org)

2023

Scientific Advisory Board Member, 18th International Design Conference DESIGN 2024, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Science and Education, Croatia

Programme Committee Member, Futuring Design Education Conference 2023, organized by IIT Delhi and IDC, IIT Bombay

Design Drona Award 2023 – Best Faculty of the Year

Distinguished Alumni Award for Academic Excellence, Hindustan College of Science and Technology

Invited Panelist, DESIGN PREMIERE 2023, SPA Delhi

2022

Expert (Industrial Design Technology), Asia-Pacific Best Practice Marathon, organized by Ministry of Education and Science of the Khabarovsk Territory and Khabarovsk Regional Institute of Education Development

Jury Member, National Competition for IndiaSkill (Industrial Design Technology)

Expert Talk, Design Methodology: Finding Effective Solutions, Avantika University (Online)

2021

Global Teaching Excellence Award (Innovative Faculty of the Year) – 2021

2020

Research Excellence Award – 2020

2019

• Expert Panelist, Design Conference (DESCON 2019), Amity University, Noida

• Invited Speaker, EMPOWER 2019 – Assistive Technology Conference in partnership with Microsoft, I-Tec IIT Delhi Technopark, Sonipat

2008–2014

• I Design Award (2014–15) – Medical Equipment Design Category

• Selected for Student Exchange Program, TU Darmstadt, Germany

High end equipment handled

Laser cutting machine, Eye Tracking Camera, Vacuum forming, wood working machine, Dremel Precision Tools etc.

Skills

Soft skills: CorelDraw, Rhino, Solidworks, Keyshot
Prototype skills: Wood, Bamboo, MDF, FRP, PU Foam and Metals

Doctoral Thesis Supervision

Submitted

1. Anuradha Kumari (Roll No. 2K19/PHDDES/02), A FRAMEWORK FOR FRUGAL DESIGN AND ITS ASSESSMENT, DOD, DTU 

To be Submitted shortly

1. Yashika Kumar (Roll No. 2K19/PHDDES/02),DESIGN FRAMEWORK OF THE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PEOPLE WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY,  DOD, DTU [To be Submitted: October 2025].

Publication

International Journals

1. Singh, R., & Tandon, P. (2016). User values-based evaluation model to assess product universality. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 55, 46-59. [SCIE]

2. Singh, R., & Tandon, P. (2018). Framework for improving universal design practice. International Journal of Product Development, 22(5), 377-407.[SCOPUS]

3. Mishra, A., Singh, R., &Tandon, P. (2020). Ergonomics Risk Factors among Hairdressers Working in India: A case study. Ergonomics International Journal, 4(4).

4. Singh R, Seniaray S, Saxena P (2020). A Framework for the Improvement of Frugal Design Practices. Designs. 4(3):37.[ SCOPUS]

5. Pandey, A., & Singh. R., (2021). A Designer’s Perspective on Ankylosing Spondylitis and its Impact on Quality of Life. Ergonomics International Journal, 5(2).

6. M. Zaki, R. Mune, Singh. R., (2023) An Ergonomic Investigation of Musculoskeletal Strain in Laundry Ironers Ergonomics International Journal, 7(5).

7. Kumar, Y., Singh, R., & Kataria, C. (2024). An approach to identify assistive technology attributes for people with locomotor disability by using a refined Kano model. Journal of Engineering Design, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2024.2347115 [SCI]

8. A. Kumari, R. Singh and L. K. Das,(2024) "A Conceptual Model to Assess the Effectiveness of Frugal Product Design Frameworks," in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, doi: 10.1109/TEM.2024.3429159. [SCIE]

9. A. Kumari, R. Singh and L. K. Das,(2025) "Uncovering the barriers: the root causes of frugal design failures". International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 11, 1061-1076.  [SCOPUS]

10. Kumar, Y., Singh, R., & Kataria, C. (2025). Understanding and exploring barriers of assistive technology for individuals with mobility disabilities. Assistive Technology, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2025.2548562 [SSCI]

International Conferences

1. Singh, R., & Tandon, P. (2016). A Sustainable Approach to Develop Universal Products. 6th International Kansei Engineering and Emotion Research Conference, University of Leeds, UK.

2. Singh, R., Das, P., (2020).  An Approach to Develop Accessible and Affordable Products.30th CIRP Design Conference, Kruger Park, South Africa

3. Kumari, A., Singh, R., (2021) Evaluation of Work-Related Stress Amongst Industrial Workers. In Singari R.M., Mathiyazhagan K., Kumar H. (eds) Advances in Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer, Singapore.

4. Singh. R., & Tandon, P. (2021). An Approach to enhance product universality using vague numbers during initial design. Proceedings of the Design Society,1, 395-404.

5. Seniaray, S., Gupta, T., Payal, Singh, R. (2022). Emotion Recognition for Individuals with Autism. In: Kurosu, M. (eds) Human-Computer Interaction. Technological Innovation. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13303. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05409-9_3

6. Kumari, A., Singh, R., & Das, L. K. "Frugal Design: An Empirical Conceptualization and Measurement" in IEEE I-COSTE 2023, Shangir-La's Fijian Resort, Yanuca Island

7. Kumari, A., Singh, R., & Das, L. K. ,"An approach to evaluate the Accessibility and inclusion of public space", in the International Conference on Innovative Research in Science and Technology (IRST-2023)

8. Chadha, S., Singh, R. & Das, L.K. (2023, December 14-16). _Designing inclusive learning environment: A review on addressing learning disabilities and teaching methodologies. ACED 2023 conference jointly with Humanizing Work and Work Environment (HWWE) & BRICSplus HFE Conference 2023. Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

9. Kumar, Y,, Singh, R., C, kataria (2023). CHALLENGES AND EXISTING APPROACHES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE PEOPLE WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY: A REVIEW, IHIC-2023 ,October , at New Delhi.

10. Chadha, S., Singh, R., & Das, L. K. (2025). Empathizing with parents and teachers for educating children with special learning needs [Online]. In Proceedings of Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Equity and Digital Strategies (SEEDS 2024) (pp. 87–106). Atlantis Highlights in Economics, Business and Management, part of Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-714-4_7.

11. Sankritya, A., Singh, R., & Das, L. (2024). Sustainability and jewellery: A review. In Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Equity, and Digital Strategies Conference.

Book (Editor)

Futuristic Trends in IOT

Publisher: IIP 

Book Chapters

1. Singh R., Seniaray S., Das P.P. (2021) Role of IoT in Universal Design. In: Hussain C.M., Di Sia P. (eds) Handbook of Smart Materials, Technologies, and Devices. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58675-1_128-1

2. Kumar Y., Singh R. (2024) IoT and Locomotor Disability. Futuristic trends in IoT, IIP 

Newsletter

Design for all Institute of India, Feb Issue 2015

Guest Editor 

Design for all institute of India, November Issue 2023

Design for all institute of India, October Issue 2019

References

1. Prof. Lalit Kumar Das, Honorary Distinguished Professor at DTU, EX-Head IDDC, IIT Delhi, lalitdas@dtu.ac.in, 

2. Prof. Puneet Tandon (PhD, Supervisor), Joint Professor of Design and Mechanical Engineering Discipline at Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur. ptandon@iiitdmj.ac.in 

3. Dr. Prabir Mukhopadhyay, Associate Professor of Design, at Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur. prabir@iiitdmj.ac.in