IDEAS (Interactive Digital Experiments with Artificial Intelligence Studio)

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Overview

About the Centre

IDEAS (Interactive Digital Experiments with Artificial Intelligence Studio) is Singapore’s first experimental studio within an educational institution dedicated to exploring the intersections of design, Generative AI, and creative technology. As a Centre of Excellence under TP School of Design, it continually evolves as new technologies emerge.

Source: CNA, YouTube

“Recently at Temasek Polytechnic, I met two design students. They showed me how they are learning to use AI tools as part of the design process. And I asked them: are you worried that AI might replace you one day? They said no. Because AI will not be able to replace the creativity, heart and human spirit they bring to their work. And I said to them – good on you! That is the mindset that will set you apart.”

— PM Lawrence Wong on his visit to IDEAS, National Day Rally 2025

Through projects such as DESIGNER UNKNOWN with Curtin University, GENERATIONS in conjunction with Singapore Design Week, and CulturaAI with Hong Kong PolyU AiDLab, students explore how design intuition  and machine learning converge.

Impact of IDEAS

Shape Future-Ready Designers – Aligning with Singapore’s AI National Strategy
Cultivates AI fluency and creative adaptability – Learning to harness AI as a partner to enhance human creativity
Foster Critical and Creative Thinking – Encouraging students to ask better questions and reflect on use of technology

Projects and Events

CULTURA AI: AI in Cross-Cultural Motif Exploration

What happens when polytechnic students, postgraduate mentors, and Hong Kong designers collaborate? Cultura AI is a cross-institutional cultural project with Hong Kong PolyU to reimagine tradition through AI. They used Code Create's AiDA software to adapt cultural motifs into digital garments and 3D-printed products, showcased at Singapore Design Week and in Hong Kong.

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{ GENERATIONS } Celebrating Generations of Creatives and Their Creative Generations

Where does creativity lead when past, present, and future designers collaborate? GENERATIONS brought TP alumni, students, educators, and industry partners together in a Singapore Design Week fringe event with Amazon Web Services, Adobe, STUCK Design, Figma, Ideactio, and the School of Metaskills to explore the future of education, work, play, and experience.

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Designer Unknown: Exploring Creative Horizons with AI

What new possibilities emerge when design meets the unknown? DESIGNER UNKNOWN is a cross-institutional collaboration between Temasek Polytechnic School of Design and Curtin University, where students from diverse disciplines explored human-AI collaboration, with outcomes exhibited at both Singapore and Australia campuses.

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Crafting Images Through Prompt Play

What images emerge when words become tools? This interactive installation allows users to explore prompt engineering for image generation in real time. By creatively adapting a MIDI controller's buttons and sliders, participants experiment with parameters like subject, camera settings, style, and tone to create compelling visuals on the spot. This experience introduces users to how prompt choices shape AI-generated outcomes.

Object x Diffusion: Interactive AI Visualisation

How can everyday objects spark design ideas? This installation uses machine learning to detect objects placed on a table and translates them into compelling visuals generated with the Stable Diffusion model in real time. By pressing preset keys and experimenting with props, users can explore how prompts shape outcomes; igniting curiosity and inspiring new directions in product, fashion, or architectural design.

Sculptura: AI–Human Form Exploration in Light

Can generative AI unlock new design possibilities? This project explores form and light through a series of 3D-printed lamps created by product design students. Using AI-powered form exploration tools such as HyperSketch, Vizcom, and Grasshopper 3D, the project bridges digital and physical worlds; blending art with functionality and showing how AI enhances creativity while keeping human ingenuity at its core.

Cultivating Curiosity: Design × AI in Secondary Schools

How can young learners grow confidence in digital creativity? A collaboration with Nan Chiau High School introduced secondary school students to AI-powered design, culminating in multi-screen exhibitions and a student-designed microsite. The collaboration nurtures curiosity, courage, and purposeful exposure to generative AI in design.

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AI Workshops for Students, Educators and Industry

IDEAS hosts learning journeys and customised workshops to explore the possibilities of AI and technology. These sessions equip participants with practical tools and knowledge to inspire new ways of thinking, creating, and collaborating through AI.

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