Diploma in MAD, Experience & Product Design (S29) | Singapore Polytechnic

Stories are the most powerful way to communicate. A good story captures our attention, makes us feel, shapes the way we think and even influences our actions. Telling a good story is essential in the media and creative industry whether you choose to be a writer or a journalist, a games developer or a designer, a brand specialist or an animated content creator. Through the study of storytelling, students will recognise the power of story in connecting people and shaping the way we see the world. They will learn key concepts from ideation to character development, story world building and narrative structure. They will examine themes and create original stories that will resonate with a target audience. They will learn tools in video storytelling. Ultimately, students will present their story in the form of a media product using audio visual technology.

Design plays a vital role in shaping and improving the user experience across all disciplines in the creative industry. It is a basic skillset that is core to the creation of effective animations, games, videos, marketing campaigns, etc that users interact with daily in the real-world. This module aims to cultivate these skillsets through the introduction of the basic principles of design. Students will engage in hands-on photography, digital imagining and illustration exercises to expose them to the importance of visual hierarchy and flow, colour theory, typography and other core design elements. They will undergo training to understand the importance of the design process from developing creative concepts, to sketching for communication and finally art directing effective designs for their users across various platforms.

Creating an experience for users requires creativity and understanding of users. In this module, students will learn ideation techniques to generate interesting ideas, and how to identify entrepreneurial opportunities for their creative solutions. They will also be exposed to basic concepts in psychology to better understand themselves, and others.

This module fosters an awareness and appreciation for animation, game art and design development of interactive media content. You will experience the exciting creative process of design, development and execution in a studio setting. This is an introduction to the specialisation Animation & Games (AG).

Take a curious peek behind the workings of how brands become successful. You will learn how a brand can describe itself to its users, differentiate itself from its competitors, and convey its unique style and DNA through the practice of textual and visual forms. This is an introduction to the specialisations Visual Communication & Motion Design (VCMD) and Digital Media & Communications (DMC).

This module equips you with the skills to connect, interact and dialogue with communities to create effective and delightful solutions. You will gain the ability to understand communities by collecting data, analysing observations and addressing insights before streamlining information to target audiences in an instantly understandable fashion. This is an introduction to the specialisation Experience & Product Design (XPD) & Creative Community Engagement with Psychology (CCEP).

See the harmony between music, performance and production. You will gain knowledge of the fundamentals of music and hands-on experience at the digital audio workstations to produce simple pieces. Your creations can be used for apps, games and videos. This is an introduction to the specialisation Sound & Music (SM).

Unleash your creativity with Storytelling for Digital Media. Dive into the craft of telling compelling stories for the screen in both factual and scripted genres. Explore the Hero's Journey, learn how to engage your target audience, and bring your ideas to life by filming and editing your own video. This is your chance to create content that connects.

This module dives deep into User Experience and Figma, going beyond the basics to give you in-depth expertise in designing engaging digital interfaces. Paired with research methods, you’ll learn how to uncover user needs, analyze data, and turn insights into polished designs. By the end, you’ll be crafting top-notch user-centered experiences with confidence and precision.

In this module, students will learn how to use Rhino for creating 3D models and KeyShot for realistic renderings. The course covers 2D drafting skills and progresses to building 3D models for prototyping their design ideas. Students will also understand basic machine operations and adopt a hands-on, experimental approach to design.

This module exposes students to the theory and practice of digital photography within the framework of an integrative digital workflow in content creation, including the finer points of digital image enhancement, manipulation & compositing. Students will be taught product and portrait photography and learn the essentials of controlling and balancing artificial lights with natural lights to achieve impactful aesthetics for photography. Students will focus on studio and outdoor digital photography, and be equipped with the fundamentals of preparing digital images and intermediate techniques of image manipulation & compositing. By the end of the module, students would have created a portfolio of photographic fine prints and digital content for commercial applications.

Develop data fluency skills such as formulating questions, processing and analysing data to articulate numerical and graphical summaries. Build a simple data dashboard to generate insights and support a solution for a chosen SDG.

Appreciate the use of both creative and computational thinking skills to solve a SDG-related problem. Apply focused and diffuse thinking , brainstorming techniques, and the four pillars of computational thinking to a chosen SDG.

Develop critical and analytical thinking skills, along with the ability to present your point of view with credible and relevant evidence. Enhance your knowledge and appreciation of local and global issues covered in the 17 SDGs, with a focus on the former.

Please refer to Elective Modules Framework for more information.

In this module, you’ll explore the close connection between research and design through hands-on projects. Learn to back your design decisions with solid user research and evaluation. You’ll dive into both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather and interpret insights, guided by core UX principles and design laws. This module emphasizes iterative design evaluation, teaching you to critically assess and refine your work through usability testing. By the end, you’ll create designs that not only meet but exceed user expectations.

In this module, students will develop a deep understanding of User Interface (UI) design beyond visual aesthetics to design mobile websites and applications with excellent usability. Students will explore visual principles and techniques specific to the UI design process to create visually appealing and cohesive UI designs. Through hands-on exercises and practical assignments, students will explore best practices specific to industry tools such as Figma, creating design components, animating prototypes. By the end of the module, students will learn how to turn wireframes and interaction architecture into interactive prototypes that can be tested with prospective users and iteratively refined into a high quality design that is ready for a hand-off to the development team for implementation.

In this module, students will explore visual design & branding, focusing on digital products and its impact on UX. They will learn to integrate a brand's personality into designs using Adobe Creative Suite, creating graphics, product mockups, and digital marketing assets aligning to brand guidelines. Practical applications extend to designing digital merchandise, publications, and social media content. Through hands-on experience, students will learn to craft cohesive branding experiences across different platforms, ensuring that every element, from app interfaces to digital ads, aligns with and enhances the brand's personality and message.

In this module, students will explore the transition from 3D prototyping to 3D animation using Blender, focusing on creating video content that highlights the features and functionality of their products. This module will delve into essential aspects such as environment modeling, lighting, texturing, and key animation principles like speed control. Students will also learn techniques for mastering camera movements to enhance their visual storytelling, thereby effectively communicating their design concepts through animation.

Work in multi-disciplinary groups to apply design thinking methods, backed by research and qualitative data, to tackle local sustainable issues mapped to the SDGs. Tap into knowledge and skills learnt in CCC modules to create innovative prototypes for real-life issues faced by local communities.

Please refer to Elective Modules Framework for more information.

This module will provide students with a project-based, collaborative learning experience focused on applying service design principles to create innovative services that address real-world needs. Utilizing the service design blueprint, students will work in a dynamic studio environment to conceptualize, develop, and refine service experiences, ensuring seamless integration across all user touchpoints from initial concept to implementation.

In this module, students will embark on a comprehensive journey through the art and science of web design and development, equipping them with the skills needed to create compelling, user-friendly websites. Covering everything from information architecture and responsive design to the use of CMS like WordPress and Shopify, as well as Google Analytics for enhancing UX, students will also learn the essentials of HTML, CSS, and Figma's development mode. Through practical experience and an agile development approach, students will be prepared to tackle a wide range of web projects, ensuring their creations not only look great but function seamlessly across all platforms.

In this module, students will be introduced to an advanced understanding of the intersection between behavioral psychology and UX design, going beyond basic UX laws to delve into how user interfaces can be crafted to deeply resonate with users on a psychological level. By exploring emotional design, cognitive biases, persuasive design, and user motivation, students will learn to create more intuitive, engaging, and effective digital products that cater to the nuanced behaviors and preferences of users.

​Tinker Lab is part of the Project Core modules that will be offered to all second year MAD students in semester 2. It is designed to strengthen students' skills and mindset as they work in a transdisciplinary team, tapping onto the transdisciplinary framework, process and tools to innovate solutions. Tinker Lab builds on the practices taught in X-Lab to further develop students’ ability to inspire innovation with purpose, encouraging participants to make a meaningful impact through their creations. This module aims to foster a mindset where tinkering is not just about play but about leveraging technology to bring about positive change (e.g. Sustainability Goals). Participants are invited to explore the endless possibilities of using their skills and ideas as catalysts for meaningful impact, whether on a personal, communal, or global scale. Through hands-on exploration, and collaborative projects, participants will uncover their potential as change-makers and learn to embrace creativity, experimentation, and iteration as tools.

This module will provide students with the skills to masterfully communicate through motion, teaching them to apply animation principles within motion graphics. Through hands-on training with industry-standard tools such as Adobe After Effects, Media Encoder, and Premiere Pro, students will become adept at incorporating motion design into their product projects, enhancing the user experience with dynamic and engaging visual elements.

Develop data visualisation skills and apply narrative elements and persuasive delivery techniques to communicate data effectively. Learn to craft compelling narratives, based on hard facts and data, to call stakeholders into taking action to tackle the SDGs.

Appreciate the use of both creative and computational thinking skills to solve a SDG-related problem. Apply focused and diffuse thinking , brainstorming techniques, and the four pillars of computational thinking to a chosen SDG.

Innovation Lab is an opportunity for students to integrate, apply and deepen the knowledge, skillsets and competencies (both technical and general) they have gained over the course of their study. Building on the skills taught in Experience Lab and the Tinker Lab, students will work in mixed groups to tackle complex real-world issues through industry projects. They will learn how to research and generate new, innovative solutions that go beyond a single domain, while considering other factors such as meeting a business-end, dealing with resource constraints, as well as taking advantage of social, cultural and economic trends. They will also learn how to communicate with their stakeholders and manage a project. By the end of this module, students will deepen their skills in acquiring and synthesising knowledge from across disciplines and develop resilience in tackling complex problems

In this project, students will need to integrate and consolidate the principles and applicable skills learnt throughout the course. Students will undertake diverse projects, ranging from experience design to service design, and collaboration with industry partners or joining competition may be involved. Students are expected to present their work at various points throughout the development cycle.

This module aims to immerse students with real-world industry experience. This programme comprises a 22-week enhanced internship programme integrating a structured learning outcome which facilitates authentic learning

Please refer to Elective Modules Framework for more information.