Diploma in Communication Design (T59)
Course Overview
Communication Design is where creativity meets strategy—where stories take shape, visuals come alive, and ideas are crafted to connect, influence, and inspire. If you are someone who notices great branding, loves experimenting with design, or dreams of creating content that sparks conversations, this diploma will give you the tools, mindset, and platform to explore your creative potential.
You will learn to think like a creative strategist, craft compelling visual narratives, and bring brands to life through art direction, typography, motion design, UX/UI, and more. From posters to pop-ups, campaigns to digital experiences, you will design across media platforms that connect people and ideas. What makes this course distinctive is its versatility. You will move fluidly across creative roles—designer, storyteller, strategist, innovator—while blending design craft with emerging technologies and real-world strategy. You will collaborate with peers, respond to live industry briefs, and experiment with tools such as AR, VR, and interactive media.
Each project will push you to refine your voice, sharpen your style, and think critically about how design shapes the world.
By the time you graduate, you will not only have a portfolio—you will have a personal brand and the agility to thrive in advertising, branding, design studios, or other spaces where creativity drives impact.
EXPLORE YOUR PATH
Explore multiple pathways through a large offering of exciting electives, including Foundation Psychology, Game Design, Design for Business Impact, Sustainable Space Planning, Experimental Printmaking, Expressive Illustration, Creative Coding and Self-Publishing.
BE PART OF THE BEST
As Singapore’s first visual communication course, we have grown an extensive network of alumni who have consistently been awarded at prestigious local and international competitions, including Crowbar Awards, D&AD New Blood Awards, and more. Join the ranks of this network to be recognized as one of the best in the industry.
INDUSTRY-FOCUSED CURRICULUM
Get the opportunity to work closely with real clients and industry partners, providing the best learning experience to prepare you for the industry.
Entry Requirements
To be eligible for consideration for admission, applicants must obtain 26 points or better for the net ELR2B2 aggregate score (i.e. English Language, 2 relevant subjects and best 2 other subjects, including CCA Bonus Points) and meet the minimum entry requirements of this course. CCA cannot be used to meet the minimum entry requirements.
Subject
Grade
English Language
1-7
Mathematics (E or A)
1-7
Any one of the subject in the 2nd group of relevant subjects for ELR2B2-D Aggregate Type
- Art
- Biology
- Biotechnology
- Chemistry
- Computing / Computer Studies
- Creative 3D Animation
- Design & Technology
- Design Studies
- Food & Nutrition/ Nutrition & Food Science
- Electronics / Fundamentals of Electronics
- Higher Art
- Media Studies (English)
- Media Studies (Chinese)
- Physics
- Science (Chemistry, Biology)
- Science (Physics, Biology)
- Science (Physics, Chemistry)
1-6
2026 Planned Intake
65
Net ELR2B2 aggregate range (2026 JAE)
4 - 16
• Singapore-Cambridge GCE O Level applicants with good grades in the relevant subjects at their Singapore-Cambridge A Level may be granted subject exemption on a subject by subject basis.
• Applicants who are in the Singapore Integrated Programme are considered for admissions based on their Year 4 school results, pegged closely to the course entry requirements for Singapore-Cambridge GCE O Level qualification.
Note:
- Applicants with mild or severe colour vision deficiency may have difficulties meeting the course requirements and expectations. Interested applicants with mild or severe colour vision deficiency are highly encouraged to contact Temasek Polytechnic for more information.
- Applicants with severe visual impairment may have difficulties meeting the course requirements and expectations. Interested applicants with severe visual impairment are highly encouraged to contact Temasek Polytechnic for more information.
- Applicants with physical impairment or are physically dependent on mobility equipment may have difficulties meeting the course requirements and expectations. Applicants with impaired or limited motor functions may be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine their suitability for the course. Interested applicants with physical impairment are highly encouraged to contact Temasek Polytechnic for more information.
Early Admissions Exercise (EAE)
Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE)
Joint Polytechnic Admissions Exercise (JPAE)
Direct Admissions Exercise (DAE)
Currency of $elf
Value is two sides of the same coin. Currency of Self is an integrated campaign that flips how we define value. In a society where wealth often defines success, what if true worth was measured by who you are rather than what you earn? Through a multi-touchpoint experience, this campaign challenges your relationship with money and invites you to reflect on your self-worth. Because the most powerful currency isn't in your wallet—it's within you.
Alchemy Lab
Alchemy (Lab) explores beauty as something that begins from within, reimagining skincare through ingestible beauty supplements that support skin health and overall well-being. Designed for 18–22-year-olds, the project targets young adults at the start of their beauty journey who seek gentler alternatives to harsh topical products. The project reframes beauty beyond surface-level results, positioning it as confidence, resilience, and long-term skin health. Through science-backed positioning, a sleek visual identity, and a trend-driven aesthetic, Alchemy (Lab) bridges beauty and wellness, presenting a holistic approach to modern skincare.
Crowbar 2024 Gold – Illustration & Graphic Design
Under the Blanket
"Do you want kids?" You'll be asked this at some point in your life. Under the Blanket is a light-hearted campaign that aims to redefine the playbook of perfect parenting. Having kids is a huge choice, filled with dilemmas and debates. But why is it rarely talked about? Join us, Under the Blanket, where we combine laughter with responsibility. Through open dialogue and shared experiences, our mission is to inspire a generation that values authentic discussions about children.
Crowbar 2022 Silver, Below-the-line Collaterals
The Love Sick Clinic
The Love Sick Clinic is a satirical campaign educating Singaporean teenagers about STDs through humour and relatability. Diverging from conventional scare tactics, it employs satire to dissect the behavioural and psychological nuances causing unprotected sex. Unveiling unhealthy relationship habits and the sway of infatuation on judgement, the campaign reframes these issues as "symptoms" to allow for easier identification and recognition of these thinking and behaviours. This strategy empowers individuals to discern when love influences their decisions, fostering profound understanding and encouraging responsible choices for STD protection.
Crowbar 2022 Best of Category
Bin Apetit
Bin Appétit is a recycling system and campaign where trash is represented as ‘food’ for bins, making use of popular food dishes to educate the correct methods of recycling. By displaying what ‘food' each bin can ‘consume,’ Singaporeans can engage in a fun and unconventional way to learn about recyclable items, as well as what they should avoid ‘feeding’ the bins.
Crowbar 2022 Gold, Brand Identity
Glass Hotel
Glass Hotel is a hospitality concept that re-imagines and elevates one’s hotel experience through a shared collective of memories around the world. A celebration of culture and community, one can re-live their travel experiences whilst unleashing their inner explorative selves that crave discovery. Glass Hotel presents the opportunity to slow down and “re-live” those little moments—a restart; unlocking untapped perspectives on the way we view life.
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
- TPFun
You will take this set of subjects that builds your foundation skills, strengthens your craft, and encourages you to experiment and discover with confidence.
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIM2396 | Typography
The subject will train students in the craft of selecting, manipulating and composing type for effective and creative communication. Students will learn type anatomy, type classification and micro-typographic manipulation that affect readability. It will also involve the usage of grid systems to create consistent and effective design solutions. |
4 | ||
| DIM2397 | Art Direction & Copywriting
This subject focuses on using art direction to guide and strategise the generation and communication of creative ideas visually. It provides an understanding of visual literacy through elements, principles, metaphors and tonality for designers to craft mood boards, style boards and content guides. Through copywriting and storyboarding, students learn to construct compelling narratives for various media formats. |
4 | ||
| DIM1372 | 3D Visualisation
This subject introduces students to basic 3D modelling and rendering techniques. Students will explore form, texture, lighting, and perspective to visualize spatial and product-based design solutions using digital tools. |
2 | ||
| DIM1371 | Motion Graphics
This subject will introduce the techniques and process of producing animated visuals in a time-based sequence software. It will cover animated design solutions beyond the traditional static print medium. |
2 | ||
| DIM2399 | Design Studio: Craft
This hands-on, experimental subject focuses on the craft of communication design. Students explore tactile design, experimental printmaking, and self-publication, using techniques such as Risograph printing to push creative boundaries. The subject encourages experimentation and critical reflection through the making process, fostering a deeper understanding of design as both practice and communication. |
6 | ||
| DCF1051 | Ideas & Concepts
This subject introduces essential tools and methods for ideation, fostering divergent thinking and creative exploration. It cultivates students' critical awareness and stimulates criticality in conceptualising and visualising creative solutions. Through exploration, curiosity, and observation, students will learn to apply these approaches to contexts within our ever-changing world. |
2 | ||
| DCF1052 | Narratives in Design
This subject explores storytelling as a powerful strategic tool within the creative process across various design disciplines. |
2 | ||
| DCF1053 | Aesthetic & Design Sensibility
This subject explores the visual language of design, emphasising both its aesthetic and communicative functions. Students will develop an understanding of the Elements of Visual Art and the Principles of Design in both two-and three-dimensional forms. The subject also introduces foundational skills in material manipulation and form-making to support creative expression. |
4 | ||
| DCF1054 | Design Software Essentials
This subject equips students with training in essential, industry- standard design software commonly used across creative fields. Students will undertake a personalised learning pathway to build digital fluency through guided learning materials and self-directed activities. |
2 | ||
| DCF1055 | Foundation Studio
This subject develops fundamental discipline specific skills, enabling students to apply them within the design process. It also introduces contextual studies as a framework to integrate historical, cultural and social considerations into their design practice. |
6 | ||
| DIM2398 | Information Design
This subject introduces students to the core principles of information design, focusing on how to organise and present content in ways that are clear, purposeful, and visually effective. Students will begin by learning how to extract key ideas, identify relationships, and make sense of information from different sources, developing an understanding of what needs to be communicated before designing how it should appear. |
2 |
You will take this set of subjects that develops your ability to shape concepts, create solutions, and work across interdisciplinary contexts.
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIM2400 | Brand & Design Strategy
This subject covers the conceptualisation of an effective brand strategy and the implementation of a brand proposal. Topics include the analysis of competitive landscape, importance of a brand strategy, how to synthesize a brand blueprint, construct a brand architecture, conceptualise and design brand marks, and create a coherent and unified identity system across brand touchpoints. |
4 | ||
| DIM2401 | UXUI Design
This subject introduces students to the fundamentals of UX/UI design with a strong focus on how users navigate digital content and how thoughtful structure influences perception and clarity. Students will learn to design screen flows that are intuitive, purposeful and sensitive to user needs, while beginning to consider how tone and hierarchy reflect a brand’s intended positioning. Students will conduct lightweight user research, develop task flows, wireframe key screens, gain awareness about basic responsive layout awareness and build interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools. |
4 | ||
| DIM2402 | Design Studio: Brand
A practice-based studio that delves into branding and identity design. Students will develop brand solutions that align with contemporary market trends and consumer experiences. Key areas of learning include market research and proposal conceptualisation, exploration and iterative process, production skills for online and offline touchpoints, project management techniques, and effective presentation skills. Industry briefs may be introduced in the subject. |
6 | ||
| DIM3383 | Brand Activation
This subject covers the translation of brand strategy into tangible, on-the-ground experiences. Students will learn to design retail systems, pop-up experiences, and activation campaigns that amplify brand presence and create lasting consumer impressions and engagement. |
4 | ||
| DIM3384 | Advertising & Creative Strategy
This subject explores strategic thinking in the context of persuasive communication, with a focus in marketing and advertising context. Students will learn to develop creative strategies and ideas, craft compelling messages, and design campaigns for diverse platforms, such as social-first, experiential, and integrated media, to shape influence in today's attention economy. |
4 | ||
| DIM2403 | Digital Innovation
This subject introduces students to the creative use of technology to design spatial and sensory experiences. Topics may include ermerging technology like AR/VR, projection mapping, and interactive systems, enabling students to integrate immersive environments into communication design projects. |
2 | ||
| DIM3385 | Design Studio: Experience
This subject explores how design can shape immersive and engaging experiences across multiple touchpoints, including digital platforms, interactive spaces, and audience-facing installations. Working in response to live briefs from industry clients, students will investigate how people interact with content in public or shared environments, and develop concepts that shape how audiences experience, engage with, or interpret those moments and messages. Students will engage in iterative design explorations such as journey maps, low-fidelity prototypes, narrative touchpoints, and screen-based or ambient interactions. Emphasis is placed on designing how people move through, respond to, and make meaning from experiences over time, equipping students to design for evolving modes of interaction across both digital and physical formats. |
6 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC1056 | Data & Code as Creative Tools
This subject introduces students to creative methods for using data and code in design. Through accessible low-code and no-code platforms, students explore how computational thinking, and structured data can be playfully reimagined. Emphasis is placed on using these tools to generate interactive design outcomes and expand creative possibilities. |
2 | ||
| DEC1057 | Interactive & Immersive Technologies
This subject explores how emerging technologies—such as sensors, microcontrollers and motion trackers—enable designers to create responsive and immersive experiences. Students experiment with physical computing to prototype interactive systems, gaining an intuitive understanding of how technology can shape user engagement and interaction. |
2 | ||
| DEC2058 | Design Realisation through Technology
This subject brings together digital fabrication and physical prototyping practices to help students realise interactive concepts as tangible outcomes. Through tools like 3D printing, laser-cutting, and hands-on iteration, students refine their ideas into functional prototypes that demonstrate thoughtful application of technology in design. |
4 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC1059 | People-Centred & Inclusive Design
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of people-centred and inclusive design. Through user research, empathy-building, and accessibility principles, students learn to uncover real needs and engage diverse perspectives with clarity and care. The subject encourages thoughtful design grounded in the realities of people and the contexts they live in. |
2 | ||
| DEC1060 | Facilitating Innovation through Design
Students explore how design enables innovation within cross-functional teams and complex environments. Through practical frameworks, tools and case studies, they learn to frame opportunities, support co-creation and guide creative collaboration. The subject highlights the designer's role as a facilitator of change, helping teams navigate ambiguity and unlock new value. |
2 | ||
| DEC2061 | Prototyping for Service Innovation
This subject focuses on using prototyping to explore and communicate ideas across service and system-level contexts. Students learn how to develop physical and digital mock-ups, test experiences across multiple touchpoints, and refine their solutions through rapid iteration. Data and user feedback are used to inform design decisions and enhance service outcomes in real-world contexts. |
4 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC1062 | Strategic Brand Building
This subject introduces the fundamentals of brand strategy and management. Students learn how to position a brand, define its value, and develop coherent brand systems that connect with audiences. Through case studies and hands-on exercises, they explore how brands stay relevant and align with business goals. |
2 | ||
| DEC1063 | Consumer Psychology & Brand Influence
This subject explores how consumer behaviour and psychology shape brand interactions. Students examine decision-making patterns, emotional drivers, and behavioural insights to better understand how people relate to brands. The subject bridges marketing strategy with human perception, helping students build more meaningful and persuasive brand experiences. |
2 | ||
| DEC2064 | Storytelling for Brand Engagement
This subject explores how storytelling and data-driven insights come together to engage audiences across marketing platforms. Students learn to craft compelling brand narratives, apply performance analytics, and develop targeted strategies that align with consumer behaviours. Through integrated campaigns, they activate brands that are both creatively distinctive and strategically informed. |
4 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC1065 | Digital Content Strategy
This subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social media and content strategy. They learn how to plan, manage, and measure content across platforms to build brand presence and engage audiences. Students explore performance analytics and platform-specific behaviours to craft strategic, consistent, and effective digital content. |
2 | ||
| DEC1066 | Crafting Stories for Digital Media
This subject focuses on storytelling techniques for digital content creators. Students learn how to structure compelling narratives, storyboard ideas, and write with clarity and purpose. Drawing on principles from journalism, content marketing and digital publishing, the subject helps students shape stories that resonate across media formats and audience types. |
2 | ||
| DEC2067 | Media Production for Content Creators
This subject equips students with practical production skills for digital content creation. They learn how to plan, shoot, and edit photo and video content while working with lighting, sound and composition. Through hands-on projects, students produce engaging media assets that align with platform and audience needs, building content that is both technically sound and creatively effective. |
4 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC1068 | Creative Business Essentials
This subject introduces students to the practical realities of running a creative business. From understanding business structures and managing finance to finding clients, students learn how to operate independently and sustainably. Project management, client communication, and business administration are explored through the lens of creative practice. |
2 | ||
| DEC1069 | Ethics, IP & the Creative Economy
This subject introduces the legal and ethical considerations relevant to creative professionals. Students learn the basics of intellectual property, copyright and contract law, along with the responsibilities involved in fair and ethical business practice. Real-world examples help students understand how to protect their work and navigate client agreements with confidence. |
2 | ||
| DEC2070 | Creative Practice for the Marketplace
This subject prepares students to take their creative work to market. They learn how to position their value, tailor messaging to different audiences, and develop pitching strategies that resonate. From crafting narratives to developing and presenting business ideas, students build confidence in articulating and promoting their creative ventures. |
4 |
You will take this set of subjects that deepens your professional readiness through industry exposure, equipping you to produce high-quality work for real-world applications.
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIM3386 | CMD Professional Practice
This subject prepares students for entry into the industry by introducing professional standards and practices in design. Through workshops conducted by industry practitioners, students will gain insights into the application of design across various sectors. They will learn to build a personal brand and prepare for the relevant industries. Portfolio review sessions with industry partners will be conducted to support employment opportunities. |
4 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIM3387 | CMD Capstone Studio
This subject serves as the culmination of the diploma, allowing students to develop a self-directed final project that reflects their personal interests and professional goals. Students will define a problem, conduct in-depth research, develop a strategic design proposal, and execute a resolved design solution. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, originality, and design excellence across relevant platforms and media. |
6 | ||
| DIM3388 | Collaborative Industry Experience
This subject provides students with the opportunity to work collaboratively in teams with industry partners on a real-world design challenge. Students will apply their skills in research, ideation, and execution within a team setting, fostering communication, creative negotiation, and project management. |
4 | ||
| DGL3071 | Guided Work-based Learning
This subject provides opportunity for students to be involved in industry attachment through collaboration with industry partners. The industry-specific knowledge and skills acquired during the attachment would be facilitated by organisation supervisors and school liaison officers to enhance learning and application of knowledge in a real-world workplace environment. |
10 |
You will also take this set of subjects that equips you with the crucial 21st-century life skills you need to navigate the modern world as an agile, forward-thinking individual and team player.
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTP1103 | Effective Personal Leadership
This subject examines self-management and self-leadership through an exploration of values and beliefs, necessary for adapting to the world of work. It covers topics such as self-management and awareness, values and ethics, interpersonal communication, teamwork, resilience and emotional intelligence for enhancing leadership capabilities. These can significantly influence careers, relationships, and overall well-being. This subject is a reflective exploration of ‘leadership from within’ to have a greater awareness for the development of attributes required in an effective values-centred leader for oneself and for others. |
3 | ||
| GTP1203 | Career Readiness & Communication
This subject equips students with career preparation skills through better understanding of their career interests, values, skills and aspirations. Topics covered include personal branding, job search strategies, resume and cover letter writing, and interview techniques. In addition, students will gain awareness of workplace communication to succeed in their careers and achieve professional goals. |
3 | ||
| GTP1303 | Current Issues & Critical Thinking
This subject provides a comprehensive introduction to critical thinking by engaging students with current local and global issues. Students will learn to analyse diverse perspectives and uncover underlying assumptions in opinions, evaluate the credibility and bias of information sources, and construct well-reasoned, evidence-based arguments using established critical-thinking frameworks. They will also assess the societal, ethical, and personal implications of contemporary problems, and develop the ability to communicate their conclusions clearly and persuasively, employing appropriate digital tools to support their ideas. |
4 | ||
| INV1001 | Innovation & Entrepreneurship
The subject is designed for learners from all disciplines to embrace innovation in either their specialised field or beyond. Learners will be taught to apply the Design Thinking framework to develop problem statements, ideate and identify feasible solutions. Learners will be exposed to several tools for prototyping. In addition, commercial awareness will be imbued in learners through various innovation and entrepreneurship concepts or tools. This subject also prepares students to be self-directed lifelong learners who are digital and information literate. It nurtures communicative and collaborative citizens who can use objective analysis in problem-solving. |
2 | ||
| LSW1002 | Sports & Wellness
This subject reinforces the fundamental knowledge learnt on health, fitness, exercise and sports. Hands-on time will be allocated for a greater variety of fitness exercises and sports skills in a recreational setting. In addition, theoretical knowledge such as sports safety and risk management when participating in physical activities will be introduced. Guidance will be provided for improvement of physical fitness, acquiring of sports skills and relating theoretical knowledge to the physical activities. |
2 | ||
| TGS1002 | Global Studies
This subject provides essential skills and knowledge to prepare students for an overseas experience. They will examine the elements of culture and learn the key principles of cross-cultural communication. In addition, they will gain an appreciation and awareness of the political, economic, technological and social landscape to function effectively in a global environment. The subject prepares students to be responsible global citizens and leaders who can contribute to the global community through effective communication and collaboration. |
3 | ||
| TGS1003 | Sustainability & Climate Action
This subject prepares students to be responsible global citizens and future leaders who can contribute to the global community. It introduces the topics of sustainability and explores how human societies can act to build a sustainable future. This subject focuses on the impact of climate change, potential solutions to climate change, and the future of the green economy from global and local perspectives. |
3 | ||
| DSI3074 | Student Internship Programme
This structured programme is designed to link your learning with the real work environment. You will be placed in organisation(s) with opportunities to apply the concepts and skills acquired in the course of your study. Besides reinforcing technical concepts and mastering of skills in areas that you have been trained, the practical training will enable you to build important skills such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and to cultivate good attitude and a strong work ethic. |
16 |
| Subject Code | Subject | Credit Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTP1304 | Beyond the Classroom: Guided Learning
This subject empowers students to take charge of their personal learning in a chosen area of inquiry. Students will broaden or deepen their knowledge and skills, fostering a proactive approach to lifelong learning. Following a scaffolded process, students will design and execute a personalised learning plan that extends beyond traditional classroom walls. The journey culminates in a curated portfolio that highlights their achievements and growth. |
3 |
Graduation Requirements
Cumulative Grade Point Average
min 1.0
TP Fundamentals Subjects
min 36 credit units
Diploma Subjects - Core Subjects
70 credit units
Diploma Subjects – Elective Subjects
min 18 credit units
Total Credit Units Completed
min 124 credit units
Contact
- deshotline@tp.edu.sg
- Website: https://www.tp.edu.sg/des
-
School of Design
Temasek Polytechnic
Central Block 28-28A
21 Tampines Ave 1
Singapore 529757
