The creation of four additional NIDs was suggested as part of the central government's 2007 National Design Policy.

NID AP temporarily ran its four years Bachelor of Design program at Acharya Nagarjuna University on Guntur - Vijayawada highway (NH 16) till December 2023.

[4] The transit campus for the institute was set up at the EEE & ECE Block, Acharya Nagarjuna University.

The campus included Studios, Knowledge Management Centre (Library) and IT Labs.

In early 2024, the institute shifted to its permanent 50-acre (20 ha) campus in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India.