What You'll Learn

Visual Design

This module offers a focused study of graphic concepts and practice of graphic design. Students will build upon basic graphic recognition and application through principles of design, art direction, typography, information graphics and imaging software. By the end of the module, students will explore and apply their knowledge gained through an integrated design project. This module also would provide students with opportunities to expand the various aspects of design and integrating them into other modules.

Research Methods

Having a deep understanding of who you are creating for is the first step in creating desirable content, campaigns, programmes, products, and services. This is a skill that all media and design students need. This module introduces students to the research tools needed to understand their stakeholders and test out their ideas. In this module, students will develop fluency in deriving insights to tackle the problems/issues at hand through research. They will practise teamwork and develop problem solving skills when analysing data.

Digital Product Design

This module introduces students to the framework for designing meaningful interactions between people and the digital products or services that they use. Students will learn to design products and services that are relevant to people’s needs and expectations in both tangible and intangible aspects. To support this, students will study methods from interaction design, with appropriate methods in ancillary domains such as aesthetics and psychology. The module will also explore various tools and techniques to prototype user experience and communicate user scenarios.

Photography & Imaging

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.

Writing for News, Features & Branded Content

Creating written content for journalism, marketing and promotions is an integral part of the media and communication industry. Our graduates would need to be proficient in the various types of writing such as news, features and branded content for traditional and new media platforms in order to be effective media and communication professionals. This module will equip students with the basic writing skills to handle the various forms of writing necessary in digital media and communication.

Data Fluency

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.

Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact

This module aims to equip students with a very broad overview of Artificial Intelligence, and its societal and ethical impacts in modern society. Students will build a simple AI model with online tools and discuss how to promote good ethics in AI. Upon the completion of this module, students should demonstrate the competency of using AI to address their chosen UN SDG.

Thinking Critically about the UN SDGs

Polywide Elective 1

Sports For Life

Sports for Life (SFL) is a physical education programme that has become part of the Graduation Criteria for ALL Year 1 students matriculated since AY2018/19. During this e-learning Semester, Year 1 students can choose their preferred module from a selection of 9 sports. SFL aims to encourage students to lead an active lifestyle by following a holistic e-learning package with videos and supplementary materials that focuses on acquiring knowledge, rules of the game, basic sports techniques and maintaining fitness. Besides physical activity, the e-learning curriculum also comprises of syllabus on Mental Wellness and Personal Leadership using 7 Habits of Highly Effective College Students.

Brand Studio 1 (Digital Marketing)

In this modern, fast-paced and dynamic digital world, digital marketing serves as an essential tool for marketers to understand users’ online behaviour to spread awareness, generate buzz and engage with their target consumers. This studio module equips students with the skills and knowledge to apply consumer and user empathy in digital user journey mapping, design feasible and measurable digital marketing campaigns for brands. Students will also learn to employ various concepts and strategies to effectively use social media to build a professional online presence.

Developing a Brand

A product is something we do. A logo is something we show. A slogan is something we say. But a brand is what we are. All of the great organizations, companies, and even people in our world today came to be this way because of the brands they’ve created around themselves. And building a strong brand requires time, effort, and attention to detail. This module will cover brand-building from three key angles: the application of brand psychology in helping us understand social factors and expectations, how brands manage their reputations, and factors that affect user experience with regard to brands. By the end of this module, you’ll have a competent overview of all the parts you’ll need to consider when creating and maintaining a strong brand.

Public Relations

Every business needs to communicate with the various publics that they engage with: customers, community, government, employees, and so on. This module equips students with the fundamentals of public relations practice (also otherwise known as ‘Owned’ and “Earned” media in the POE framework), as well the skills required to handle the changing nature of public relations taking into account digital and social media. They will use problem-solving, empathy and creativity to connect with different groups, and build mutually beneficial relationships.

Design & Comm Elective

Prototyping Fundamentals offered by XPD In this module, students will learn different strategies and techniques in prototyping and be able to design and make simple prototypes for their concept. Students will also develop understanding of simple machine operation and sensitivity towards common materials and their properties, and foster a hands-on experimental approach to design. Motion Design offered by VCMD This module is fundamentally designed to translate and apply the language of motion. Students will interpret and demonstrate the principles of animation as applied motion graphics. Students will be familiarized with industry tools and processes and will eventually be able to employ these principles and processes in motion design projects.

Sustainable Innovation Project

Work in multi-disciplinary groups to apply the design thinking method and tools backed by research and qualitative data, to tackle local issues mapped to the UN SDGs. You will also tap on what you have learnt in the CCC modules that come before this module to create sustainable and innovative prototype solutions for real-life issues faced by a local community in need. In the process, you will develop empathy for the community you have identified for your project and a better understanding of yourselves.

Polywide Elective 2

Brand Studio 2 (Advertising)

This module is an extension of Brand Studio 1. The shifting consumer behaviour, new platforms, and ad types are reshaping the advertising landscape, and many organisations can struggle to respond effectively to the change. This module will prepare students as multi-faceted communicators and explore creative strategy, concept formation, art direction, and copywriting in Advertising (also known as "Paid" media in the POE framework). Throughout this module, students will analyse the advertising process as a means of communication and its emotional appeal. Students will be engaged in practical communication assignments as appropriate to the subject matter and create a showcase portfolio of projects.

Digital Analytics

In this module, students will be equipped with the skills to utilise a variety analytics tools and interpret data obtained from these sources to refine marketing strategies which will influence the overall business strategy of companies. They will have the opportunity to develop adaptability and problem-solving skills through the analysis of data to develop key insights which help create effective campaigns.

Digital Content Development

In the current business landscape, digital content is one of the driving forces behind marketing communication and brand building. Digital marketers create engaging content to connect with their audience and achieve their business objectives. Digital content also allows brands to create the desired disruption that brings attention to the business. This module introduces how digital content can be an important tool to create brand image and sell a product or service. Students will apply what they learn in this module to strategically plan, create, deliver and optimise digital content in the most strategic manner.

Creative Video Content Creation

Video content is booming, and it’s everywhere. Brand realise the value of video and its success can give the organisation a powerful lead over their competitors. This module exposes students to the theory and practice of digital video production for video content creation. Students will be taught the importance of video content creation through learning social media marketing. Students will learn the essential form of scriptwriting, story structure, film grammar, video camera techniques, audio capture techniques, set art direction, non-linear editing techniques and learn the essentials of controlling and balancing artificial lights with natural lights to achieve an impactful aesthetics for videography. Students will focus on pre-production, production and post-production and be equipped with the fundamentals to prepare a digital video in various formats for different platforms. By the end of the module, students will be expected to create a showreel of commercially viable work.

MAD Studio Project

The MAD Studio Project aims to build on the interdisciplinary practices taught in PlayLab in order to further develop students’ ability to generate new ideas and contribute to innovations. Students will work in mixed groups and take on complex, real-world industry projects. They will draw on the domain knowledge and skills from their own tracks, as well as those of their peers from other tracks, in order to gain a deeper understanding of an issue, and transform them into new knowledge which confronts the challenges of the present world. This module is a facilitated time and space for students to explore across the disciplines of creative perspectives, which necessarily includes research and design, problem-solving and communication of ideas. The teaching facilitation will also embrace the design inquiry cycle that enables learners to mind shift and lead into a convergence of viewpoints.

Persuasive Communication with Data Storytelling

Final Year Project

This module serves as a platform for students to reinforce their skillset and knowledge in order to develop effective and creative integrated communication strategies and campaigns based on provided live clients’ briefs. Students will craft their integrated communications proposals for their clients – from situation analysis, conducting quantitative, qualitative interviews, creating personas of key target segments, ideation/prototyping/co-creation, to the selection of various communication strategies, promotional tools and evaluation of what constitutes to be successful campaign measuring metrics.

Creative Freelancing & Media Law

Turn your passion into profit: develop practical commercial skills, explore media law for the creatives and experience a taste of the gig economy. This module will show you how to hack it, negotiate it and close the deal. Recognise the legal rights you have as a media content creator, how to jump over the legal land-mines and navigate the real-life ethical dilemmas faced by media practitioners. Learners will engage in professional practices with real clients in areas such as self-promotion, acquiring leads, estimating costs of services proposal writing and invoicing.

Transdisciplinary Project

The Final-Year Project 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 PlayLab and the MAD Studio Project, 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 and an entrepreneurial spirit in tackling complex problems.

Polywide Elective 3

Internship Programme

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

Personal Branding and Career Agility

Effective Writing for the Workplace