AKTU Innovation & Design Thinking Lab Syllabus 2026-27 (AID151/AID251) — Complete Guide

The AKTU Innovation & Design Thinking Lab Syllabus 2026-27 is one of the most practical additions to the new B.Tech First Year curriculum. Unlike a conventional theory subject, this course is explicitly designed as Project-Based Learning (PBL): students work in teams, study a real problem, conduct user research, generate solutions, build a prototype, test it and finally pitch the result.

In the official AKTU First Year CSE Stream syllabus for the 2026-27 academic session, Innovation & Design Thinking Lab is listed as AID151 in Semester I and AID251 in Semester II. The course carries 2 credits and 45 NCrF hours. The same AID151/AID251 Design Thinking course is included across AKTU's first-year B.Tech stream structure.

AKTU Innovation & Design Thinking Lab 2026-27: Course Details

What is Design Thinking in AKTU?

Design Thinking is taught as a human-centred problem-solving process. Instead of starting with a technology and searching for somewhere to use it, students begin by understanding people, identifying their needs and defining a meaningful problem.

The official course follows this cycle:

Empathize
   ↓
Define
   ↓
Ideate
   ↓
Prototype
   ↓
Test
   ↓
Iterate
   ↓
Pitch

The important idea is that testing can send a team back to an earlier stage. A prototype is not treated as a final product; it is a way to learn what works and what needs to change.

AKTU Innovation & Design Thinking Lab Objectives

• Understand Design Thinking as a human-centred approach to problem solving.
• Develop empathy and identify genuine user needs.
• Learn brainstorming, ideation and lateral-thinking techniques.
• Build low-cost prototypes and test them with users.
• Develop teamwork, communication, innovation and entrepreneurial skills through a hands-on project.

Design Thinking Modules in the 2026-27 AKTU Syllabus

Module 1 — Introduction to Design Thinking & Innovation — 6 Hours

This module introduces the meaning of Design Thinking and explains how it differs from conventional problem solving. Students learn the five main stages, the difference between innovation and invention, creativity and the innovation mindset. The course also introduces examples of Design Thinking success stories and the team project.

Module 2 — Empathize: Understanding the User — 8 Hours

The Empathize module focuses on human-centred design and user research. Students learn observation, interviews, surveys, empathy maps, stakeholder analysis and personas. The studio activity involves field observation and user interviews for the team's chosen problem.

Module 3 — Define & Ideate — 10 Hours

Students synthesize research into a clear Point of View (POV), create How Might We questions and learn structured brainstorming techniques such as SCAMPER, mind mapping and lateral thinking. Ideas can then be prioritized with tools such as an impact-effort matrix and dot voting.

Module 4 — Prototype — 12 Hours

This is the largest module by planned hours. Students learn why prototypes are useful and explore paper prototypes, low-fidelity models, working models and digital mock-ups. The syllabus also introduces rapid prototyping with materials and tools such as cardboard, clay, basic 3D printing, Tinkercad, Figma and Canva.

Module 5 — Test, Iterate & Pitch — 9 Hours

The final module covers user testing, collecting feedback, iteration and refinement. Students are also introduced to basic value propositions and business-model thinking before preparing and delivering the final project pitch.

Module-Wise Hours

How the AKTU Design Thinking Project Is Conducted

The accompanying SOP provides a clear project workflow.

Team Formation

Students are organized into teams of 4–5 members. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged where possible. Every team elects a Team Lead, with the role rotating across project stages so different members get leadership experience.

Each team also maintains a shared Design Journal from Day 1. The journal can be a physical logbook or a digital document containing research notes, sketches, photographs, decisions, feedback and iteration history.

Weekly Tutorial + Studio Model

The intended structure is approximately 1 hour of tutorial plus 2 hours of studio work. The faculty member acts as a facilitator or mentor rather than simply delivering lectures.

Each session ends with a short team stand-up describing progress and the next steps, and the team's work is recorded in the Design Journal.

AKTU Design Thinking Stage-Gate Timeline

AKTU Innovation & Design Thinking Lab Evaluation 2026-27

The course uses a 50 + 50 evaluation structure.

Internal Assessment Rubric

What Kind of Projects Can Students Build?

The syllabus encourages real problems rather than purely theoretical topics. Suitable areas include:

• Campus and community problems
• Waste management and water conservation
• Accessibility for people with disabilities
• Canteen and queue management
• Education and student services
• Healthcare and community services
• Sustainability and environmental problems
• Low-cost engineering or technology solutions
• Smart-city and local infrastructure problems
• Entrepreneurial or small-business problems

The technology does not have to be complicated. A paper prototype, physical mock-up, mobile-app wireframe, simple website or basic working hardware model can all be useful when they help a team test its idea.

Important Design Thinking Terms for AKTU Students

• Human-Centred Design
• Empathy Map
• User Persona
• Stakeholder Analysis
• Problem Statement
• Point of View (POV)
• How Might We Questions
• Brainstorming
• SCAMPER
• Mind Mapping
• Impact-Effort Matrix
• Dot Voting
• Low-Fidelity Prototype
• User Testing
• Iteration
• Value Proposition
• Business Model Canvas
• Project Pitch

How to Prepare for the Innovation & Design Thinking Lab

1. Do not wait for the final month. The course is intentionally spread across stage-gate milestones.
2. Maintain the Design Journal from Day 1. It contributes to internal assessment.
3. Talk to real users. Do not invent user needs without research.
4. Document rejected ideas too. They show the reasoning behind the final concept.
5. Build early. A simple prototype can expose problems before a team spends time on a polished solution.
6. Test and iterate. Feedback is part of the syllabus, not a final formality.
7. Prepare the pitch continuously. The final presentation should explain the problem, users, insight, solution, prototype and learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the course code for AKTU Innovation & Design Thinking Lab?

The official course code is AID151/AID251, depending on the semester.

How many credits is the Innovation & Design Thinking Lab?

The course carries 2 credits and 45 NCrF hours.

How many students should be in a team?

The SOP organizes students into teams of approximately 4–5 members, with mixed-discipline teams encouraged where possible.

Is there a written end-semester theory paper?

The course is project-based. The external assessment focuses on the final prototype demonstration, project pitch and viva rather than a conventional theory-paper format.

How is Innovation & Design Thinking Lab evaluated?

It uses 50 marks of internal assessment for stage-wise deliverables, teamwork and the Design Journal, plus 50 marks of external evaluation for the final prototype, pitch and viva.

What are the five main Design Thinking stages?

Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. The AKTU workflow adds iteration and a final pitch after testing.

Official AKTU Reference

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow