Akanksha Singh

PhD Scholar | Designer

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

About

Designing with 'Mind over matter' | Always looking for the next design problem to solve. I design human-centered experiences and envision systems in which tools, spaces, and people interact. I create holistic products that integrate both physical and digital environments across platforms and services. Reach out for a quick design jam / Socratic debate on design and it's philosophies or just a fun chat.

Experience

  • Sessional Teaching Associate (Lecturer) at Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA)
    Jul 2025 - Present · 1 yr

    Course Taught: Design Thinking for Business (ADA5111) In this role, I facilitated the Design Thinking unit for Master of Business students, many of whom were stepping into the design world for the very first time. My goal was to help them realise that yes, they can draw, think creatively, push ideas farther than they expected, and approach messy problems with confidence. This hands-on, in-person course introduced students to the core mindsets of design: curiosity, experimentation, collaboration, and the art of reframing a problem until new possibilities emerge. Each week, we dove into activities that blended drawing, research sprints, playful simulations, and group-based exploration, because learning design is always richer with a little organised chaos. Across the semester, I supported students as they learned to: * Understand and apply the fundamentals of Design Thinking * Navigate ill-defined, real-world challenges * Use design methods to uncover new perspectives and opportunities * Develop, test, and refine a startup plan * Build transferable skills like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, that can translate directly into business contexts in the future This role allowed me to bring together my research on empathy, my love for facilitation, and my commitment to helping students experience the real potential of design thinking. It was as rewarding as it was energising.

  • Ph.D. Scholar at IITB-Monash Research Academy
    Jul 2023 - Present · 3 yrs

    A Joint PhD program with Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and Monash University, Australia. Collaborating with supervisors Purba Joshi, Ilya Fridman and Daphne Flynn my research will focus on developing empathy tools for age-friendly cities.

  • Design and Innovation Fellowship at IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay
    Jul 2022 - Jul 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Throughout the fellowship, I focused on bridging the gap between academia and industry, aiming to accelerate the innovation process through collaboration. My collaborative project with Ligneous Furniture on the development of school furniture for the US market was exhibited at the EDspaces Furniture Expo in Portland, Oregon and is currently being manufactured and exported. Simultaneously, on our journey to build engaging online courses, Prof B.K. Chakravarthy and I conducted thorough research to map the factors that determine the efficiency of an Online course. Having access to the online course content that was previously a part of our Design, Technology and Innovation course, we evaluated and redesigned the content to provide maximum retention and learning.

  • Masters Student at Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad
    Aug 2020 - Jul 2022 · 2 yrs

    Pursued Masters of Design specializing in Experiential design in terms of space, products, and materials. While amplifying my knowledge through experimentation and challenging projects, I also collaborated with individuals with a vast range of expertise to look at the different aspects of product development and execution.

  • Teaching Assistant at IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay
    Nov 2021 - May 2022 · 7 mos

    Working on research and development of an online Entrepreneurship Skills course for beginners that involves learning modules from industry experts and real-life examples and discussions on ideas and businesses. Under the guidance of Professor BK Chakraborty, from IDC School of Design at IIT Bombay.