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Description of Courses
Core Courses
MD 6110 INTERACTION DESIGN LANGUAGES (3 AUs)
Through lectures and seminars input from visiting lecturers and staff professors, this course explores issues, theories and cultures associated with interaction design from an historical as well as contemporary perspective. Interaction Languages emerge from the creative usage of conventional communication tools combined with the invention of innovative solutions based on the sharing of experiences and of social relations. These emergent languages offer a starting point for the exploration of alternative communication model and interaction paradigms based on the hybridisation of diverse codes (non verbal, body language, multi-sensorial) and the utilisation of integrated digital interactive media.
The aim is to raise awareness to the changing role of Art and Design within contemporary society, to establish personal strategies with regards to undertaking interactive design scenarios and to synchronise interactive design languages to material and processes.
MD 6120 INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (3 AUs)
With technologies evolving at a rapid pace, the course aims at monitoring and analysing emergent technologies, both software and hardware that constitute the operating platform of interaction design solutions, and sustaining the design hypothesis both in term of potentiality and feasibility. In parallel to theory, the course develops some basic practical skills for the realisation of interactive prototypes and installations based on the utilisation of sensor and electronic components in an open source perspective.
The aim is to conceptualise new strategies, outcomes and challenge perceived notions of “the answers” to interactive design problems, to explore the inter-relationship between the interactive design frontiers opened by new technologies and consider new cross cultural issues. The course establishes a major source of information and develops skills appropriate to the review, interpretation and the critical appraisal of existing knowledge and information. The students will be asked to apply suitable research methods and evaluate the results.
Core Investigations
Investigations are four-week courses, in which design-oriented activity is integrated with hands on activities, exercises and brainstorming sessions which aim to develop specific skills. Each investigation experiments a separate focus on a fundamental aspect of interaction design.
MD 6130 VISUAL INTERACTIONS (2 AUs)
This course explores graphical user interfaces and programming, visual languages and interaction paradigms in relation to media integration and convergence, personal and public interfaces, mobility and other emergent interaction fields.
MD 6140 TANGIBLE INTERACTIONS (2 AUs)
Students in this course learn tangible interaction design and interactive behaviours and the basic electronics necessary for prototyping physical interactions, interactive products and installations.
Core Design Workshops
Lasting an average of four weeks and under the guidance of a project leader (visiting lecturer or chosen among the faculty), workshops aim at creating concepts and scenarios in the fields of interactive objects, tools and environments, media formats and languages, and digital services. Specific themes are chosen merging NTU/DA vision on interaction design with the inputs from research, market and corporate culture. Interactive-Design themes are, on one side, the sedimentation of the design challenges experimented in the past years of research and educational activities of both institutes. On the other side, they represent the framework for orientating future activities.
Every student will be exposed to innovative research topics participating to cross-disciplinary, team-based activity and will be supported in performing a specific role, in developing a sensibility towards the understanding of the process, in collaborating with others to integrate and hack resources coming from different sources, and in facilitating the knowledge transfer.
Design Workshops are introduced by way of a design brief prepared by academic staff, followed by a short period of preliminary research and inspiration, driven by a tutor, aimed at exploring the complexity of the proposed course.
Analysis of competitors, mapping of trends, technological and semantic audit are some of the contents of this preliminary phase.
The creative core phase of the workshop will be personally driven by the project leader and will consist in a phase of concept generation and development. Students will be asked to put in practice some of the theoretical courses they are studying: Interaction design as a language (core 1) and as a practice (core 2)
MD 6150 DESIGN WORKSHOP 1 – ENVISIONING (2 AUs)
From ideas to concept scenarios, this course helps students in envisioning future scenarios for user experiences based on innovative interactive technologies crossing socio-cultural and strategic values. The design process starts with the elaboration of design concepts and applying a problem setting approach. Alternating divergence and convergence phases, the concepts are confronted with – and validated through – the concurrent activities, such as activity analysis, user understanding, technology road mapping, business strategy, etc.
MD 6160 DESIGN WORKSHOP 2 - STRATEGY AND BUSINESS (2 AUs)
The focus of this workshop is on the role of interaction design in developing user driven business propositions for products and services within the framework of contemporary design and processes and considering design as a communication tool on a competitive consumers market.
MD 6170 DESIGN WORKSHOP 3 - INTERACTION DESIGN RESEARCH (2 AUs)
The Interaction Design Research course provides students with the logics, models and tools for valorising a research approach within complex processes starting from the role of interaction design in the design process (methods and techniques), to the understanding of the socio-economical impact of interactive technologies and to the understanding of needs, expectations and desires of users in a medium/long term perspective.
The aim of the design workshop is to identify, map and define the research framework for the final dissertation project.
Core Exploration
MD 6180 I-Design Culture Experience (2 AUs)
Explorations represent the link between Interactive Design perspective and the cultural/economical context. Students get an insight in the state of the art of technology and creativity through presentation of case studies by companies, studios and research centres operating in the field. The students are exposed to opportunities to participate in conferences, visit exhibitions, museums, major cultural events enabling student to come in contact with the operators and the realities that actively contribute to the development of the interaction design culture. As part of the activity, the “interactive design portrait” – is a way to depict what is the nature of interactive design, obtained by combining empathy, sensitivity, personal competence and interpretation of students and staff. Students will demonstrate their competence in understanding the context through activity reports. They will also be monitored for their active participation to all scheduled events.
Elective Courses
MD 6190 SUSTAINABLE SCENARIOS (2 AUs)
It is known that small scale and local interventions have a potential effect on a global scale. Following the objective to maximise personal freedom while reducing the global impact, design has to strongly consider how to manage the aspects related to the sustainability of its solutions in term of global impact and in term of business and economical perspective. The course will analyse the interaction existing between products and environment, starting from the definition of new socio-cultural scenarios to the analysis of compatible productive strategies, the implications on aesthetics and design practice up to the new services and products.
MD 6200 CORPORATE CULTURE AND ENVISIONING (2 AUs)
Designers, managers and entrepreneurs these days have to be aware of the importance of the design process and its contribution in shaping business strategies by exploring, analysing and understanding the relation between creativity and business, design vision and socio-economical factors, aesthetic and branding.
The course aims to understand the meaning of a “design vision based approach”, highlighting the role of design in the complexity of the advanced market, crossing educational, research and corporate needs and values.
MD 6210 DESIGNING FOR A MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT (2 AUs)
Globalisation is the word of the third millennium with its socio-economical but also cultural implications. Less evident than the practical effects on the reorganisation of the industrial processes, but rapidly growing, is the cultural effect that from the initial emulation of eastern life style is turning into a richer situation of “global remix” in which local values and grass root initiatives play the leading role in contaminating and cross-pollinating consumer behaviours. The course aims at analysing how design theory/practice interprets the dynamic dialogue between local and global perspectives with an emphasis on cultural specifications, exchange, pollution and contamination.
MD 6220 INTERACTIVE ART AND PERFORMANCE (2 AUs)
Digital technology is inevitably changing art and how artists perform. Digital technologies are increasingly infiltrating into the diverse aspects of cultural practice, and human culture at large is influenced by the presence of digital technologies. The world of Art is quickly transforming with the advent of new interface technologies. Artistic, intuitive, conceptual, social and critical forms of interaction design showcase how digital processes can become essential elements of the artistic process. The course aims at analysing how art theory/practice interprets the dynamic transformation in the world of art and performance and how this profoundly changes the audience who now can actually transmit their own opinions online.
MD 6230 FUTURE CITIES AND MOBILITY (2 AUs)
Cities are transforming rapidly. The advent of technologies for communication is bringing people closer and has simulated new demand for higher mobility. As the pace of urbanisation and computerisation accelerate, telecommunications and mobility will become increasingly intertwined. Pervasive computing and communication will provide greater flexibility for managing personal mobility. The course aims to analyse this flexibility and how this becomes the key to building smart, sustainable cities that provide a high degree of mobility and access to urban living.
MD 6240 SERVICE ENVIRONMENT AND INTERFACES (2 AUs)
Communication technologies are developing so quickly that individuals have now become accustomed to their functioning, and can actually collaborate remotely. There is a two-way interplay between an individual and an artificial intelligence system and there is a continuous need to create utilitarian tools, formal experiments and to understand the new social conditions created by such interaction.
The course aims to understand the new interfaces and techniques for obtaining user inputs, new forms for tools for information display, new modes for person – person and person-machine communication and new social contexts for interactive systems.
Dissertation Project
DISSERTATION PROJECT (6 AUs)
In the Dissertation Project, the student will choose to investigate an interaction design theme within a research framework proposed by the faculty in close relation with corporate and market processes. Design research project differs from an ordinary design project in that it produces not just a design but also more universally applicable knowledge or insight which helps people design better in the future. The Dissertation project is presented in the form of a visual presentation, a written report, an exhibit or installation.
Period of Candidature
The Programme will last for twelve months, and it is composed of two semesters. The academic activities are equally divided between NTU and DA. Students will be required to spend six months in Singapore and six months in Milan. The minimum candidature is two semesters (one year), and the maximum candidature is four semesters (two years).
Admission Requirements
In order to be admitted to the programme, a student has to fulfil the admission criteria of NTU for similar programmes. Programme specific admissions requirements are:
- Proficiency in English language, demonstrated by TOEFL or GRE
- Bachelor degree in a relevant subject. The degree could be from
- Design field: Industrial\Product design, Graphic\Visual Design, Media Design.
- Human Sciences: Art & Communication, Communication Science, Psychology
- Technology : Information Science, Electronic Engineering
- Proven capacity to develop his/her own professional competencies in the field of Interactive Design
- Aptitude, motivation and maturity to thrive in the environment of both Institutions
For International students whose mother tongue is not English, the applicant must submit a copy of their TOEFEL score (at least 580).
1 Please take into account that students interested in this topic might come from a very large number of disciplines, within the design, social sciences and technological fields. Moreover, since our NTU/DA Master programme is aimed at an international audience, Please consider that the very same discipline might be taught under different names in different countries.
Deadline for Application
The Application period is to be confirmed for the inaugural batch intake.
Contacts
If you wish to know more about the programme, contact:
Programme Manager
Email: NTU-DA@ntu.edu.sg
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