After one month at TalTech: Praneeth Margam from India
How do our freshmen find their experience in a new country and university? What surprised them, what their daily routines and plans for future are in the series of materials ‘After one month at TalTech’.
The third story is from Praneeth Margam from India studying Design and Technology Futures at TalTech.
From Electronics to Design
I come from Electronics background and during my Bachelor’s, in my final semester I have implemented design thinking process in my project. That was not among our subjects, but our professors taught us this process — a journey from a problem to solution. This is how I started reading more about design and then I was looking for Master’s programmes in this domain.
So before going for Master’s I worked as UX designer in startups in India. And that gave me more context — “ah, this is the field I would like to go forward with and this is where I belong”.
Then I came across Estonia, which is considered a Silicon Valley of Europe, and I think it is true because I can see a lot of very good startups from here. Then I began my application for Design and Technology Futures programme. It all went very smoothly and I have even received a tuition waiver, which has boosted my spirits.
A good start
We are at the beginning of the new decade in terms of design. Unfortunately it has started with covid but we are looking forward with the positive spirits. So I want to study how design influences technology how they make it more human-centric. This is what motivated me to apply for Design and Technology Futures.
I planned my study in such a way that I don’t miss any subject or activity at the University. I am getting to interact with international students and have offline classes which is perfect for a design programme, where you are more on a practical side, so we brainstorm, work in teams and that’s how we come up with the ideas and solutions.
Hogwarts from Harry Potter
I straight away thought of Hogwarts from Harry Potter because the University campus is surrounded by a thick tree cover which feels like there are no walls, no boundaries. Even the gym is in the mini jungle. Here at TalTech it feels magical, in the mornings when we walk in nature it’s a self-warm up, which gives you a different experience altogether.
Daily routine
It all started with chaos. There are a lot of things: design study, gym, working on startup ideas and other activities to do, most of the time they are coinciding and are hard to manage. I am working on how to manage my time efficiently. I have met some Estonian friends, they are teaching me a lot of things from language to culture of this beautiful place.
Estonian bucket list
Ice skating. I’m waiting for snow to come and for everything to freeze. I also heard about the ice road to the islands and am looking forward to it as well. Also excited for the spring season here to go surfing, because the weather was not the best when I arrived. I am also very curious about mushroom picking. Mostly nature-related things. And probably once I’m done with the things to do in Estonia I will make another list for European and other countries nearby.
Hackathon
Hackathon was the best part. So I just got this invitation and I immediately jumped in. We were given different problems by various companies in Ülemiste City and we chose “The problems in hybrid work culture”. This topic is very close to me, because during the pandemic I have realized that working from home was a paradigm shift for me and many people like me, who never thought of doing something like this. It is not simply remote work, it is that everyone is forced to do it this way.
So we kind of dived into the problem that current employees are facing whether it is online or hybrid type of work and then we came up with an idea which we named Wybe. We won the hackathon and are preparing to participate in Prototron and StarterTallinn as well. In the coming days I want to get into the startup ecosystem of Estonia as a product designer.
My first impression
First impression was nature. I love nature and the moment my flight was in the skies over Tallinn I could see how everything was covered with trees.
And then the public transport. I used it when I just landed and all the time ever since. I just plan my day and public transport makes everything so much more convenient and simple.
Also Old Town was a totally new experience for me. And the climate yeah, coming from India it is a big transition weather wise. I am still adapting to it. Hopefully I will enjoy the winters although everyone is warning me but I’m taking it positively, like “okay, let it come and I will just face it”.
Significance of design in Startups
Every startup has one major objective which is to solve their customers’ pain points and they strive to bring out the best value proposition in the market helping them grow into a unicorn. Through design processes any service or product or technology is made human centric. I would like to mention one Estonian startup, Wise (a virtual bank) which is making borderless payments hassle free. Through a blend of technology and design they are revolutionizing traditional banking.
Plans for future
At present we are working on the validation of our startup idea and looking forward to solving bigger problems through design. Apart from that I would like to explore design to the core. Thus researching on topics like design for good and sustainable design which would benefit man-kind and the planet.
The journey has just begun.
Find a suitable programme in English at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) to make the first step toward your international career.
