BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMME
Innovating for Humanity
Introduction to Industrial Design
Industrial Design is dedicated to innovating for humanity. It focuses on creating new products, services, spaces, communications, apps, user experiences and businesses that resonate with people. Industrial designers combine a deep understanding of human interaction with innovative solutions, utilising both tangible and intangible resources.
This highly-specialised course melds technology, unconventional engineering, artistry and entrepreneurship, attracting students who are curious about arts and technology and have a penchant for challenging the status quo. They are visionaries eager to pioneer new paths and embrace roles as diverse as artists, scientists, makers, communicators, entrepreneurs, inventors, researchers, technologists and engineers.
Why Choose Industrial Design?
The programme offers an immersive learning environment fostering continuous development, supported by mentoring from distinguished design educators, industry leaders and President’s Design Award laureates. Industrial Designers are valued for their creative problem-solving skills and their ability to connect diverse fields — a talent not easily replicated by automation or artificial intelligence.
Career Prospects
Graduates can pursue various paths in fields and roles including:
• Product Design
• Service Design
• Interaction Design
• User Experience
• Visual Communication
• Creative Technologists
• Physical & Digital Innovation
• Design Entrepreneurs
• Motion Designer
• Strategist
• Design Researcher
• Design Facilitator
• Storyteller
The BA (Hons) Industrial Design curriculum is divided into three main progressive levels: Design Fundamentals, Design Platforms and Final Year Thesis. Students learn fundamental design knowledge, skills and capabilities in the first three semesters (Design Fundamentals), put these into practice in the next four semesters through a series of conceptual and industry projects (Design Platforms) and finally demonstrate their proficiency with a thesis project in the final year (Final Year Thesis).
B
for Body Platform
Platform Led by Associate Professor Hans Tan
B For Body’ is another platform where students deconstruct simple products to distil their components and create a new BODY. Guided by a playful take on the principle ‘Form Follows Function,’ students also reflect on their personal design philosophies, leading to further product redesigns.
Project titled “D For Doorbell”
Clement Koh Yuen Jie, Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2026
Project Triage+
Teo Swee Yin and Loh Yi Zhi
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2025
Damian Lim Jia Yu
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2026
Elvin Saracan
University of Alberta, Bachelor of Design, Class of 2025
Triage+ is a cutting-edge handheld printer designed specifically for disaster relief scenarios. This innovative device empowers first responders by streamlining the patient triage process, saving crucial seconds in emergency situations. It eliminates human errors, while an integrated scanner detects vital signs, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of the triage process. Triage+ represents a revolutionary advancement in the printer market, aiming to redefine the standards of rapid and effective patient assessment during disasters. Triage+ has won the Next Gen Award at the Red Dot Design Award 2024.
Final Year Thesis Projects
Mammosense
Social & Service Transformation
Luke Goh
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2024
National Winner of the James Dyson Award 2024
Many women avoid mammograms due to pain and discomfort, leading to delayed breast cancer detection. Using LiDAR technology, Mammosense helps radiographers determine the optimal compression force, to minimise discomfort whilst achieving clear imaging.
Tapestree
Design Futures & Critical Inquiry
Nazurah Rohayat
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2024
Tapestree celebrates the rich tapestry of cultural heritage found in Singapore by blending traditional patterns into a unified design. By leveraging AI, Nazurah was able to merge these distinct cultural motifs into a cohesive visual narrative that reflects the nation’s diversity.
ADesign Futures & Critical Inquiry
Develops empathetic leaders of innovation who enhance the human experience through exploration and provocation. This design visionary will project speculative futures that machines cannot envision through disruptive thinking and demonstrate high-level inquisitiveness about design ethics, appropriateness, and intended and unintended consequences.
Learning Outcomes
1. Contextualise & Critique: Critically analyse and evaluate contemporary design challenges within their broader social, cultural, economic, environmental and philosophical contexts.
2. Envision & Communicate: Formulate a design proposition that challenges paradigms, disrupts conventional thinking, and inspires new viewpoints.
3. Iterate & Synthesise: Engage in rigorous, open-ended design processes that embrace experimentation, iteration, and critical reflection to synthesise research, analysis, and ideation into impactful design propositions.
B CProduct Innovation
Develops innovators with design-led thinking and creative skills synthesised with engineering or technology. They apply their creativity to user- and business-focused benefits through design thinking while achieving commercial success through developing tangible or virtual products.
Learning Outcomes
1. Proof of Concept & Testing: Every project must have a working model and undergo real-world testing.
2. Economic Viability & Adoption: Projects should be practical and financially sustainable to meet real-world needs.
3. Expert Collaboration: Handoff ideas to technical experts for collaborative development.
4. Technical Performance & Market Positioning: Ensure projects perform well and compete in the market.
5. Commercial Value & RealWorld Application: Projects should be commercial and practical, even if they are not part of a bigger system.
Social & Service Transformation
Develops creators to meet the growing needs of innovationfocused organisations and service economies, tackling social problems through problem framing, research investigations, and visual facilitation.
Learning Outcomes
1. Holistic Understanding of the Customer Journey: Design an end-to-end experience by orchestrating multiple touchpoints.
2. Alignment with Organisational Goals & Strategies: Map out the end to end service process, including frontstage and backstage activities.
3. Ecosystemic Approach: Apply systemic thinking to understand the interconnections within a service ecosystem and establish new collaborations for coproducing services.
4. Facilitation & Communication: Facilitate multi-disciplinary collaboration and develop skills to communicate service design concepts and solutions.
5. Ethics & Sustainability Consideration: Integrate ethical considerations into the research and design process for environmentally and socially responsible solutions.
Profiles of Alumni
Wina Nashita Rakana Adisetya
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2024
Service Designer, SIT Office of SITizen Experience
“The DID programme provided me with a comprehensive education that fosters creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication. The flexibility to tailor my learning experience allowed me to explore design research and user experience, gaining a unique perspective on complex challenges. Through collaborative projects and real-world applications, I developed strong skills in navigating diverse perspectives, balancing competing demands, and driving meaningful outcomes. DID’s supportive environment encouraged me to embrace my creativity and quirks, explore unconventional ideas, and build confidence in my abilities. As I grew within the programme, I discovered my strengths, explored various design roles, and developed a strong foundation to tackle complex challenges and make a positive impact.”
Sim Hao Jie
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design, Class of 2016 Awardee of CDE Alumni Rising Star Award 2024
“NUS DID offered me a comprehensive and holistic design education that encourages exploration across various disciplines. While I chose to focus on industrial design, my immersion in an environment that embraces diverse design practices has enriched my perspective and shaped me into a wellrounded designer capable of tackling challenges from multiple angles. The programme emphasises self-initiated learning and critical thinking, allowing me to explore my unique niches in design. Combined with opportunities for industry collaborations and overseas exchanges, the programme equips me with a competitive edge in the global design landscape. I highly recommend DID to aspiring creative students eager to challenge themselves and apply their skills to make a positive impact on society.”
Admission Requirements
Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level
A pass in H1 Mathematics or Physics or Economics or Art; OR
A pass in GCE ‘O’ Level Additional Mathematics.
Polytechnic Diploma
All accredited full-time diplomas, meeting mathematics requirements.
LASELLE/NAFA Diploma
An accredited diploma, meeting mathematics requirements.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
A pass in SL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or Physics or Economics or Visual Arts; OR
A pass in HL Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation.
NUS High School Diploma
A good major GPA in Mathematics or Physics or Arts.
International Qualifications
A pass in Year 12 or Higher Level Arts or Economics or Mathematics or Physics.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for the Admission Aptitude Test (AAT) and an interview as part of the selection process.
