Official Call for Papers | INDIS 2026 International Conference on Design & Innovation Studies Receives Support from the Ministry of Education, India — First Time Asia Design Week Hosted in India

INDIS 2026 International Conference on Design & Innovation Studies

Call for Papers Now Open!

International Conference on Design & Innovation Studies
2026 Asia Design Week – India Edition
& Asian Vanguard Art and Design Exhibition (AVADE)

Conference Dates: 28–30 September 2026

Supporting Organizations: Ministry of Education, India & Asia Design Week
Organizer: Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Co-Organizers: MIT Institute of Design, MIT-ADT University
Overall Curators: Mr. Li Sheng & Prof. Pratul Chandra Kalita

INDIS 2026 is the inaugural official edition of this international conference series. Hosted by the Department of Design at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and supported by the Ministry of Education, India together with Asia Design Week, the conference serves as a premier academic and industry platform focused on design and innovation, bringing together global stakeholders.

In today’s world, design has become a core driver of technological advancement, social development, cultural inheritance, and industrial upgrading. The integrated development of design and innovation has also emerged as a key global research area. This conference aims to break down disciplinary barriers, establish a professional and international exchange and collaboration system, and promote high-quality development of design disciplines.

1. Conference Mission and Positioning

Under the core theme “Design-Driven Innovation for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future,” the conference warmly invites researchers, practitioners, design educators, policymakers, and industry leaders worldwide to explore how design innovation, empowered by technology, can advance sustainable development, social inclusion, and industrial transformation. The event seeks to build long-term, stable international academic cooperation and knowledge-sharing mechanisms, fostering deep integration between design and multiple disciplines.

Design is no longer limited to aesthetic expression; it has become a core force shaping technology, society, culture, and industry. The emergence of design-innovation integration as an independent research field represents a central trend in global academia in recent years.

Major Official Highlight: With strong support from the Ministry of Education, India, INDIS 2026 marks the first time Asia Design Week is jointly hosted in India. Leveraging this landmark event, the conference will be elevated into a global design industry and academic exchange hub covering Asia and radiating worldwide. It will simultaneously feature high-end exhibitions, cross-cultural design exchanges, and international cross-border industry collaborations, further enhancing its global influence and industry value.

Preview of Key Highlights: For the first time in India, the conference will jointly host Asia Design Week, directly upgrading it into a world-class design exchange platform that encompasses exhibitions, cultural exchanges, and cross-border creative industry cooperation.

2. Call for Submissions and Publication of Outcomes

The conference invites original, unpublished academic and practical contributions from around the world, including research papers, industry case studies, creative design outcomes, and interdisciplinary research reports, covering design, management, emerging technologies, and related fields. In addition, outstanding student design projects from universities worldwide are welcome. Selected projects will be exhibited on-site and officially included in the INDIS Design Project Handbook for publication.

2.1 Core Design Topics

• Communication & Visual Design: Graphic and information design, typography, visual storytelling, motion graphics, animation design, interactive media design, etc.
• Product / Industrial Design: Consumer and lifestyle product development, sustainable design, circular economy practices, inclusive and universal design, etc.
• Transportation & Mobility Design: Automotive and mobility experience design, intelligent and electric vehicle design, ergonomics and safety design of mobility systems, etc.
• Space & Environmental Design: Interior and spatial experience design, architecture, wayfinding systems, urban livability design, climate-adaptive environmental design, etc.
• Ergonomics & User Experience Design: Human factors, human-computer interaction, usability analysis, information architecture, human-AI collaboration, etc.
• Design Education & Pedagogy Research: Studio teaching models, design research methods, curriculum innovation, design education assessment, etc.

2.2 Interdisciplinary Topics

Computational design and intelligent manufacturing, AI-driven design, biomimetic design, frugal innovation, sustainable materials development, scenario-oriented design solutions, product-service system design, full lifecycle design, design strategy, innovation management, business model innovation, design-driven entrepreneurship and enterprise incubation.

3. Academic Publication and Outcome Assurance

All peer-reviewed and accepted papers will be published in the official Springer proceedings with an ISBN. Selected high-quality papers may be recommended for publication in special issues of relevant journals (subject to the publisher’s cooperation agreement), ensuring authors’ academic rights and recognition.

4. Submission Guidelines and Requirements

4.1 Author Submission Guidelines

• Submissions must be original and unpublished, and not under review elsewhere. Plagiarism and multiple submissions are strictly prohibited. All manuscripts will be checked via iThenticate/Turnitin.
• Four submission types are accepted: full research papers, industry case papers, design research outcomes, and poster/short papers.
• Manuscripts must follow the official template, submitted in PDF format, and undergo double-blind review. Author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, and self-identifying references must be removed.
• Papers should include a precise title, 150–250-word abstract, 4–6 keywords, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. Design research papers must also include relevant process documentation and outcome evaluation frameworks.
• At least one author of each accepted paper must register and present in person at the conference. Failure to present will result in removal from the proceedings.
• Use of AI tools must be disclosed; authors bear full responsibility for accuracy and originality.

4.2 Reviewer Guidelines

• Strict double-blind peer review will be applied.
• Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not upload manuscripts to external AI platforms.
• Reviews must be objective, fair, and constructive, focusing on originality, methodological rigor, relevance, and academic/practical value.
• Reviewers with conflicts of interest (collaborative relationships, same institution, competitive interests) must recuse themselves.

5. Conference Program

The conference will feature keynote speeches, peer-reviewed paper presentations, thematic workshops, industry roundtables, design exhibitions, and university-industry matchmaking sessions, promoting deep integration across academia, industry, and business.

Key Dates

• Call for Papers Announcement: 28 February 2026
• Submission System Opens: 5 April 2026
• Full Paper Submission Deadline: 15 April 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: 30 June 2026
• Final Paper Submission Deadline: 25 August 2026
• Conference Dates: 28–30 September 2026

INDIS 2026 warmly invites researchers, faculty, students, practitioners, and entrepreneurs in the design field to submit papers and participate, jointly exploring pathways for design innovation and building an international collaboration platform to advance design and innovation across Asia and the world.

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Strong Preview
The 2026 Asian Vanguard Art and Design Award (AVADA) will be further upgraded. With additional heavyweight Co-Organizers and Supporting Organizations, the exhibition tour will visit more than 15 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Submissions will open soon — stay tuned and feel free to contact us for collaboration opportunities!