Experiential Product and Interior Design

About the Course

Design unique, impactful and highly experiential products and interior spaces with interactive digital solutions through user and emotion-centred design methodology!

Gain a solid foundation in developing impactful product and interior design solutions for an interactive experience. Explore the latest technologies through your creative design process and learn to develop user- and emotion-centred designs.

The Diploma in Experiential Product & Interior Design is for you if you want to become a multi-disciplinary designer who can develop and design innovative experiences in different experiential dimensions from interactive products to interior spaces.

Benefits

Develop solutions through multi-disciplinary design processes and the latest digital technologies.
Be equipped with a broad spectrum of skills in product-, interior- and service-experience design.
Be trained by professionals who are former design and creative leaders from renowned design firms like Hirsch Bedner Associates, Accor, ONG&ONG Architects, WOHA, LTW Designworks, Philips, Electrolux, Reuters and The Lo & Behold Group.
Gain experience in working on real-life industry projects.
Look forward to exciting careers in Electrolux Singapore, UOB, OCBC Bank, Zendesk, Accenture, Facebook, Deloitte and Kingsmen International.

NYP Professional Competency Model (NYP-PCM) - its unique features

This diploma will be taught using the NYP-PCM starting AY2023.

Industry Relevance

Endorsed by industry leaders like Grandwork Interior, Electrolux and Foolproof, it is informed by real industry intelligence and needs.

Professional Accreditation

You gain additional industry certifications while you complete your diploma, putting you ahead of the pack.

Agile Response

The curriculum reacts dynamically and quickly to industry changes. You'll be equipped with the latest skills & knowledge.

Integrated Learning

Concurrently learn multiple disciplines. Be taught by guest lecturers from Foolproof and member firms from the Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS).

Read More about NYP-PCM

Course Structure

The NYP Professional Competency Model for the Diploma in Experiential Product & Interior Design consists of:

27 Competency Units – Within each interdisciplinary Competency Unit, skills and knowledge from different disciplines are integrated and taught holistically. This enables the students to fulfil specific work-tasks upon completion. Completing the Competency Units will also equip our students with seven Course Competencies.

Four Competency Canvases – where skills and knowledge learnt are assessed for competency, together with a Work-Integration-Unit (WIU) which is a workplace contextualised project. You have to complete all four to graduate.
One Final Year Project (FYP).
One Internship Programme (ITP).

11 General Studies Modules (GSMs) – these modules give you exposure to other areas of interest and allow you to go beyond your chosen area of specialisation.

Students enrolled in Diploma in Experiential Product and Interior Design under the Professional Competency Model will have to complete 27 Competency Units (CmUs). Within each interdisciplinary CmU, skills and knowledge from different disciplines are integrated and taught holistically, enabling students to fulfil specific worktasks upon completion.

Completing the CmUs will also equip our students with the six Course Competencies (CCs) below.

User-Centred Research
Experience Prototyping
Immersive Experience Design

UX/UI Design
Service Experience Design
Business Design

and one of the following two elective course competencies:

Interactive Experience
3D Experience

Students will also need to complete Work-Integration-Unit (WIU) which can be in the form of an internship or project that mirror work situations where students can demonstrate their skills and competencies.

CmUs / WIUs in Year 1

Design Exploration [60 hours]

Design Exploration is an essential process for all learners to perform at the beginning of every project to influence the design direction and it’s (project) outcome. Learners will demonstrate how they make their decisions through collaborative tasks in observational research. They will demonstrate how they make connections to form creative ideas that may be applicable in different design disciplines by analysing the data that they have collected.

Drawing & Rendering [60 hours]

Visual communication is one of the most effective ways of conveying information as the cognitive function of the human brain processes images and graphics faster. This CmU allows learners to apply elements of drawing to visualise, draw shapes and forms using various media and techniques. Through this CmU, learners will gain essential perceptual drawing skills including perspective. They will ideate and communicate effectively through sketching and exploration.

Design & Media Sensitivities [60 hours]

Design & Media Sensitivities is an essential primer to introduce principles of design and visual elements that apply to 2D and 3D design. Learners will effectively apply the use of colour theory, grids, gestalt principles and typography as integral elements of the visual design created. They will use imagery through collages to create meaning as a form of communication. Learners will also use digital tools in manipulating imagery and artwork.

Storytelling Through Media [60 hours]

Storytelling in the context of Media is important and utilise fundamental tools required to create compelling stories. Through this CmU, learners will harness essential narrative tools such as story structure, visual aesthetics, and dramatic techniques to incite audience engagement and interest. To apply, learners will create and communicate their own stories to audiences.

Behavioural Insights [30 hours]

Behavioural Insights aims to change people’s behaviours by examining needs and goals, understanding their experiences, and adopting new behaviours by using a framework to analyse qualitative and quantitative research data formally. Learners will learn to converge data to a reframe condition through human-centric approach by applying empathy in uncovering design opportunities.

Digital Prototyping [60 hours]

Digital prototyping is an exploratory stage in the design process that allows designers to explore various iterations of conceptual designs rapidly and economically before production commences. Through this CmU, learners will develop competencies in visualising iterative digital prototypes and design validation through user feedback before production. Learners will employ visualisation, prototyping software tools, and techniques to better develop digital prototypes to understand design ideas better.

3D Forms & Aesthetics [60 hours]

3D modelling and rendering allows designers to translate design ideas into functionally attractive design concepts and proposals. Through this CmU, learners will be exposed to the principles of design aesthetics and production tools required for translation of design ideas into functionally attractive, engaging, and persuasive 3D assets for objects and environments. Learners will develop competencies in 3D visualisation tools, including 3D modelling, surface modelling, and understanding of how material, texture, and colour impact design aesthetics.

2D Digital Experience [60 hours]

Digital 2D drawing allows designers to communicate ideas and concepts by highlighting lines, shapes and forms. Through this CmU, learners will develop 2D computer-assisted drawing skills for creating design documentation. Learners will be competent to communicate ideas and concepts using drawing and 2D rendering techniques to illustrate and communicate design concepts and proposals.

Design Thinking for Business [30 hours]

Design Thinking for Business outlines how companies harness Design Thinking methodologies to discover and initiate innovation within their organisations. Through this CmU, learners will adopt a systematic approach to identify the gaps in a business environment and implement creative problem-solving skills to develop new products for the future. Learners will be competent to apply empathy in research, use critical thinking to define problem statements, ideate new concepts with creative thinking tools, and prototype ideas effectively to gather user-testing feedback.

User-Centred Studio Practice (WIU) [60 hours]

User-centred design helps to understand users’ needs and preferences regarding features of a product, task, goals, user flows. etc and thus improving user experience. In this WIU, learners will communicate and collaborate in teams to gather user requirements, identify opportunities, apply the design process and prototype a creative solution for the user.

Design for Emotions (WIU) [60 hours]

Emotional design is about creating design which evokes emotions that leads to a positive user experience. Learners will deepen knowledge of how products & services elicit emotion and design influence on decision making. They will gain hands-on experience by formulating design intentions that affect emotion and applying tools and techniques to implement emotion in design processes.

CmUs / WIUs in Year 2

Customer Experience Design [30 hours]

Customer Experience Design optimises customer experiences at all touchpoints before, during, and after conversion. Through this CmU, learners will develop customer-centred strategies to answer customers’ needs at each step of the user’s journey to build a solid customer-based relationship. Learners will be competent to apply various Customer Experience (CX) strategies to optimise the experience customers will have in interacting with the brand, products, and services.

Phygital Design [60 hours]

Phygital Design connects the digital world with physical world to create novel interactive experiences. Phygital Design aims to introduce learners to principles and tools that meets this industry demand. Through this CmU, learners will understand digital and physical prototyping to elicit emotions through interactions. Learners will apply physical and interface prototyping techniques, interaction design principles, and aesthetic concepts that appeal to the senses.

3D Digital Visualisation [60 hours]

3D Digital Visualisation involves 3D hybrid modelling and rendering techniques to produce ideation and replicate conceptual variants. Through this CmU, learners are expected to create a unique personal brand, keep a sketch journal, and compile a portfolio demonstrating professional 3D hybrid modelling and visualisation competencies. Learners will be competent to identify and apply advanced 2D layout, illustration and photo manipulation techniques, and 3D modelling and rendering strategies to create rapid ideation and digital animation.

Web Design [30 hours]

Web design is about creating aesthetically pleasing websites that appeal to the user and improve the user experience. Web Design equips learners with an understanding of fundamental design principles for creating aesthetically pleasing and user-centric web design. Through this CmU, learners will be exposed to constructing an information architecture document, collecting ideas, and aesthetically arranging and implementing them as a web page. Learners will create effective web design using design fundamentals and apply best practices in accessibility and usability to design websites that allow users easy access to information they seek.

Product, Service and Circular Design [30 hours]

Product Service and Circular Design is a holistic approach in designing products and services to be restorative and regenerative, changing the mindset of product ownership to services that recapture values constantly evolving through the eco-system. Learners will develop competencies in developing innovative product and service solutions with a circular design thinking mindset. Learners will also demonstrate competencies in making viable business proposals to solve real-world challenges, adding value and impact to the business, society, and environment.

Business Communications [30 hours]

Effective communications are a fundamental part of good business presentations. Business Communications will equip learners with the skills needed for a designer to write and present effectively in a business context. Through this CmU, learners will learn to apply the basic principles of effective business writing and English language use, emphasising grammar, syntax, and structure. Learners will be competent in creating business presentations and writing persuasive messages on different communication channels to write convincing business documents.

Contextual Inquiry [30 hours]

Contextual Inquiry is a user-centred design research method requiring co-design and participatory design strategies to produce solutions in experience design. Learners will be introduced to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research strategies and methods to gather qualitative research data. Learners will be competent in conducting observational studies, rationalising workflows, and prototyping contextual design proposals using scenario creation to enhance user experiences.

Interactive Prototyping [30 hours]

Installations and exhibitions in the public space requires human imagination and engagement with the built environment. Interactive Prototyping aims to introduce learners to participatory and sensorial experience prototyping that activates engagement within different environments. Through this CmU, learners will understand digital and physical prototyping, interaction design practice, narrative design, and aesthetic and design sensibilities. Learners will be competent to apply principles and techniques related to prototype engineering, concepts of sound, touch, smell and other non-visual aesthetic cues, and non-linear narrative styles into engaging public installations and exhibition designs.

Immersive Experience Design [60 hours]

Design embraces and accommodates a broad spectrum of human experiences in order to connect with its users. Immersive Experience Design will introduce learners to designing for the senses. Through this CmU, learners will develop the knowledge and skills to create engaging digitally immersive experiences in physical and digital spaces. Learners will be competent to integrate audio, visual, and interactive elements using design, storytelling, and environment to conceptualise and develop immersive experiences for different platforms.

Content Production [30 hours]

Audiences are drawn to strong narratives that communicate themes and messages that engage and resonate with them. Content Production introduces learners to crafting design narratives and developing content strategies to communicate design concepts to audiences. Through this CmU, learners will develop proficiency in design writing, content development and strategy, narrative design, and concept creation. Learners will be competent to create meaningful story content concepts that engage audiences using design narratives, linear and non-linear narrative styles of storytelling.

Collaborative Design [30 hours]

Collaborative Design provides a positive and powerful way of harnessing the power of collaboration as a core principle of service design working by involving a broad group of stakeholders. Learners will develop competencies in participatory design, working with various stakeholders to co-discover and co-create mutual benefits to create desirable, feasible, and viable solutions. Learners will also be competent to work effectively and collaboratively in achieving project aim and objectives through team effort.

Design Entrepreneurship [30 hours]

Design Entrepreneurship provides a comprehensive overview of innovative practices within a business environment. Learners will develop knowledge, skills, and attributes that enhances entrepreneurship aspirations in design, particularly the ability to create design start-ups using customer experience transformation and agile ideation. Learners will be competent to employ the skills and knowledge necessary to create a sustainable business start-up by establishing innovation processes and formulating realistic strategies for implementation in a design-led business environment.

Design for Retail Experience (WIU) [60 hours]

The retail industry provides shoppers with good retail experiences through the re-imagination of space and flow. Through this CmU, learners will create memorable retail experiences through the culmination of Customer Experience Design and Visual Merchandising. Learners will be competent to develop and create multiple sensorial touchpoints that will form a bridge between users and retailers in either a physical or digital storefront.

Design for Social Impact (WIU) [60 hours]

Design for Social Impact provides learners with an empathetic design experience through projects designed for positive social impact in communities. Through this CmU, learners will research and solve a social issue identified through a potential partner organisation. Learners will gain competencies in problem-solving, empathetic design, and social entrepreneurship to develop an implementable design solution within a community.

Choose 2 out of the 4 CmUs below

Retail Design & Visual Merchandising [30 hours]

Shoppers have positive retail experience from the space design and factor of retail design and visual merchandising. This CmU provides opportunities for learners to understand the fundamental concepts of retail experiential and space design by applying basic principles of visual merchandising. Learners will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and processes in retail space design and brand experience, from the display, merchandising plan, and lighting in a spatial context. Learners will be competent to leverage technology and omnichannel marketing strategy to design a phygital retail experience.

Service Experience & Product Design [30 hours]

Service Experience and Product Design introduces experiential service and product design methodologies that drive meaningful user interactions. Through this CmU, learners will develop competencies in using service design thinking processes and methods to undertake user challenges and identify opportunities for product design. Learners will develop design solutions that demonstrate sensitivity to the characteristics of cultural and social groups by applying essential service design tools and human-centred design methodology.

OR

Web Development [30 hours]

Web Development provides the knowledge of creating and developing a website through the standard methods like Agile methodologies. Through this CmU, learners will develop websites using design standards and specifications, improve websites usability in empathetic design, develop engaging web content and deploy an online website. Learners will be competent to apply web development programming skills to create websites and design thinking concepts to convert visitors into customers.

Mobile Development [30 hours]

Mobile development is the process of creating software applications that run on a mobile device. Learners will be introduced to mobile user experience design through the creation of mobile web applications. Learners will develop proficiency in creating responsive mobile applications, enhancing the user experience of mobile content, utilising APIs for content exploration, developing mobile touchpoints and cross-browser development.

CmUs / WIUs in Year 3

Experiential Scenario Creation [30 hours]

Scenarios and narrative storytelling are used to identify and anticipate issues and design opportunities in a future world. Through this CmU, learners will develop competencies in scenario anticipation, participatory design, and collaborative forecasting to create a future world scenario with meaningful experiences.

Design Facilitation [30 hours]

Design facilitation offers individuals and teams to work effectively in achieving project objectives through motivation and engagement. Learners will develop competencies using facilitation methods in organising, facilitating team collaboration and stakeholder management. Learners will also demonstrate confidence in problem-solving and the facilitator role in communicating with teams to adopt service experience design practice.

Branding & Marketing [30 hours]

Branding & Marketing strategies enable designers to build positive personal and corporate brand images and marketing products and services on an experiential level. Through this CmU, learners will develop strategies that cultivate a positive brand and consumer relationship between product communication at all levels. Learners will be competent to create brand campaign ideas through decision segmentation, targeting, pricing, sales and promotion used in consumer marketing tactics.

Futures Design Project (WIU) [180 hours]

Futures Design Project aims to provide a foundational hands-on design studio practice framework for learners to learn, imagine, and prototype alternative future realities by considering social and cultural, ethical and legal, health and environmental, political and economic issues related to emerging technologies. Through this CmU, learners will understand scenario planning, trend forecasting, eco-system thinking, and applications of emerging technologies. They will be competent to apply divergent exploration techniques, scenario creation, basic trend analysis that will translate into design opportunities for the next decade.

Professional Portfolio (WIU) [60 hours]

Learners will work independently to produce a professional portfolio to consolidate their best works that meet industry expectations. It also prepares them to present their works and portfolio to any potential employer.

Internship Programme (WIU) [480 / 960 HOURS]

Through this Internship Programme, learners will be assigned to real-life workplace environments to receive On-the-Job Training (OJT), where they can apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the course. The supervisors or mentors will guide the learners at the workplace to develop the relevant competencies; simultaneously, their learning will also be facilitated by school internship mentors throughout the internship period. This co-supervision will allow learners to develop competencies and experiences at the workplace. In addition, they will acquire essential work values and ethics, which include being responsible, taking the initiative and exercising integrity. Through this internship programme, learners will be industry and future-ready.

Final Year Project (WIU) [480/960 HOURS]

This WIU requires learners to integrate and consolidate the principles and applicable skills learnt throughout the course. Learners will be tasked to complete different types of projects, which may involve working in collaboration with industry partners. Learners are expected to present their work at various points throughout the development cycle and will be given feedback on their performance.

Choose 1 out of the 2 CmUs below

Environmental Design [60 hours]

Environmental Design introduces knowledge in addressing surrounding environmental parameters when designing spaces, products and experiences. It seeks to integrate a sustainable, energy-efficient and conducive environment through an interdisciplinary design context. Learners will be competent in designing interior spaces and products that are ecologically sustainable to the end-users. They will be applying principles in environment design with an emphasis on sensitivity to user experiences.

Creative Coding [30 hours]

Creative Coding introduces code and data as expressive tools for creative practice. Learners will be equipped with practical computational skills to design, focusing on generating visual and spatial forms. Learners will understand core concepts and techniques of coding, apply problem-solving knowledge and skills, and investigate new modes of visual and spatial expression using code and data. They will be competent in adapting and applying creative coding concepts and techniques to generate innovative designs for various media.

Four Competency Canvases – where skills and knowledge learnt are assessed for competency, together with a Work-Integration-Unit (WIU) which is a workplace contextualised project. You are required to complete all four Competency Canvases to graduate.

The following list reflects the Competency Units and Work-Integration Units mapped under each Competency Canvas.

Human-Centred Design

Design Exploration
Drawing & Rendering
Design for Communication
Storytelling Through Media
User-Centred Studio Practice (WIU)

Design for Emotions

Behavioural Insights
Digital Prototyping
3D Forms & Aesthetics
2D Digital Experience
Design Thinking for Business
Design for Emotions (WIU)

Design for Business

Customer Experience Design
Phygital Design
3D Digital Visualisation
Web Design
Business Communications
Service Experience & Circular Design
Web Development Or Retail Design & Visual Merchandising
Design for Retail Experience (WIU)

Design for Social Impact

Contextual Inquiry
Interactive Prototyping
Immersive Experience Design
Content Production
Design Entrepreneurship
Collaborative Design
Mobile Web Development Or Service Experience & Product Design
Design for Social Impact (WIU)

Collaboration with Industry Partners

Why Our Partners are On Board

Crystal ChuCreative Director, Kingsmen Exhibits"The new programme will support the area of spatial design in a more holistic way. Interestingly, it is aligned to Kingsmen’s way of designing by storytelling, creating experiences and visual branding. Being transdisciplinary in the practice of design is also important to the business of design.

This will better serve the clients, stakeholders, operators and end-users. The audience is ever evolving and there is now the need to design meaningful experiences beyond spatial or visual aesthetics.

The new programme will facilitate the growth of the industry by providing designers who understand this emerging trend. Kingsmen is excited to see that this new programme is going to support the development of such capabilities in Singapore. We will definitely welcome these future designers."

Shigekawa HidekatuDirector, H.A.M Creations"The course is well defined and emphasises a lot on the professional competencies of a designer.

The new programme provides good coverage of the various skills required by the industry. There is a growing need for graduates to be equipped with the skills to work in a multi-disciplinary setting and have enough knowledge and capability to contribute to an organisation beyond design.

We look forward to welcoming future graduates of this course."

Leslie FountainExecutive Director, Global XD Practice Lead, Foolproof"As a global experience design company, Foolproof sees the importance of the emerging design disciplines to transform business and society.

Established in Singapore in 2012, Foolproof has been active in developing the local design industry. We are pleased to see NYP’s commitment to producing graduates who combine the right mix of multi-disciplinary design skills with critical thinking, data and business acumen.

Your programme is needed more than ever to help regional organisations transform in our changing world to better meet the needs of people, our communities and remain sustainable. We fully endorse this programme."

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Experiential Product & Interior Design (C32)