fbpx

co-op track

World-class flexible learning that includes a one month industry placement. Guaranteed.

Program overview

DSA’s User Experience Design program reflects the global future of design education combining the best ways of teaching by using online and face to face learning experiences. The course is 12 weeks with 12–14 hours of study per week delivered our my.designschoolasia.com learning platform plus one month of co-op industry placement at a leading digital product company that you get paid for.

“DSA is one of the greatest places if you want to develop yourself professionally. The experience I have gained from this course is definitely an important stepping stone in progressing my career.”

Pannarat Thanaboonrungsiri
Accelerator track student, Morphosis Apps

An education in communication and innovation is at the core of this postgraduate program for designers who want to accelerate their career in people-centered design, digital environments and creative experiences by engaging users through remarkable design solutions at scale, and foster their entrepreneurship either in corporate, SME or start-up businesses.

We deliver transformative education for designers who want to make change through the lens of insight development, experience and imagination, prototyping and modelling, innovation and entrepreneurship, value creation, and leadership and negotiation.

You will receive instruction through seminars and lectures to support your practice equipping you with the intellectual engagement, technical skills and professional development for a career in user experience–working on social, cultural and economic ‘live’ project briefs through an imaginative approach to interdisciplinary design that makes things better for society.

You will establish a strong interdisciplinary collaboration and designerly ways of knowing about value creation using entrepreneurship and innovation business methods developing your visual, verbal and written rhetoric to communicate your project to a non-design, non-technology audience.

Your co-op placement will allow you the opportunity to transfer your education and technical expertise to industry. You will be expected to work closely with peers and actively contribute to the co-op’s current projects across strategy, business and capability, and design outcomes.

Attendance

Part-time (12 weeks) plus one month co-op industry placement

Starts

August 2022

Tuition fees

THB51,000 | SG$2,104
15% discount early enrolment offer

Apply

Visit our how to apply page to make sure you meet the cross-school entry requirements. You can apply for the program via the enquire to study form.

Ask a question

Get in touch if you have question or would like to find out more.
admissions@designschoolasia.com

Graduate showcase

Presenting our graduate students’ independent research projects in response to the social, cultural and economic challenges of the new normal era.

https://dsashows.com

Student work in progress gallery

Program curriculum

Define your professional identity as a user experience designer. Our primary function is to deliver the highest quality design education to you through structured units of learning to support your professional development as one of Asia Pacific’s most talented emerging user experience designers.

We will teach and support your digital transformation guided by the principles of people-centred design using our Common Basic Framework of learning. Create remarkable experiences across people, technology and organisation to accelerate your career in Asia’s fastest-growing creative industry.

Tier 1 Insight and Development

This first module focusses on the principles of human centered design and customer journey mapping. You will unpack how to define, develop and deliver a project using design sprints as a learning cycle of iteration, active experimentation, concrete experience and reflection through the lens of the people using your project; and how to visualize the story of customers interactions with your product. Supported by learning the research methods, ethics and analysis to make informed decisions. You will receive the first live project ‘brief’ in week 1 to get up on running with your emerging design practice.

Tier 1 Experience and Imagination

This module unpacks what design can do, and what design should do. Developing your capability in understanding the principles of visual communication and how to remix them through speculation and disruption–referencing historical texts from designers and current best practices to inform your comprehension of the rich history of design. Specialisation modules in scaling projects, and userflow and wireframe ideation support your second project which you will co-create and collaborate with peers.

Tier 1 Prototyping and Modelling

This module focusses on the iteration of prototyping and modelling principles allowing a continuous development workflow, encompassing all aspects of user experience in a comprehensive design (most notably, appearance and behaviour), and providing an approach covering a wide range of levels of granularity, fidelity, and abstraction using the basic techniques used for design inquiry of materials, processes and drawing to develop rapid prototyping techniques as a research and development method for human centred design. The module will also focus on your knowledge of design as a mode of inquiry through critical reading and writing. Specialisation modules of prototyping ideation and accessibility and inclusivity affordance support this module.

Tier 2 Independent Research Project

This module is the summation of your user experience design practice and innovation journey which will enable you to synthesize the learning, skills and knowledge of the program. You will produce a remarkable self-initiated proposition in response to a contextual or systematic user experience challenge. You are required to submit an original user experience design, pitch presentation, Lean Canvas and defend your work in a viva face to face examination. All independent research projects will be showcased at a public facing online digital event to present the work to the design community at large after the final examination.

Tier 2 Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This first Tier-2 module will simulate preparation for going to market with an entrepreneurial mindset with your Independent Research Project (IRP) using current Lean Startup principles and methodologies, widely used by silicon valley angel investors, venture capitalists and impresarios: You will present your final project to the examining board applying these principles and methods and consider developing further after the program, either as an incubation project or an initiative inside an enterprise. Having a ‘can-do’ attitude, an understanding in what motivates your customers, five weeks of co-op industry placement and 12 weeks of transformative education will be the runway of your career.

Tier 2 Value Creation

This module focusses on two key areas of project and stakeholder management, and marketing; developing strategies in both for your final project proposition to communicate to its audience and make change happen. You will develop a holistic brand by organising the entire story around the customer experience because your users want to be understood, heard and served. Problem and service context statement specialisation modules drawn from business school and management consulting methodologies support this module.

Tier 2 Co-op Industry Placement

Five weeks of co-op industry placement in a leading user experience design company for you to apply the learning and knowledge from 10 weeks of study to the professional practice of design. You will be expected to work as an experienced member of the team therefore personal skills are as important as design ability: demonstrating you can work to a deadline an being easy to deal with are equally as important as technical competencies. A learning conversation between you and the co-op industry partner will evaluate this through peer feedback in the form of a written dialogue.


Tier 2 Leadership and Negotiation

This final module focusses on your self-actualisation in communication rhetoric using visual, verbal and written storytelling narratives; a language that is simple enough to unpack complex design challenges and communicate effectively to project stakeholders, clients, and importantly the project customers. Specialisation learning units in presentation skills and evaluation metrics prepare you for your career or further studies at postgraduate level.

Co-op education in industry

A collaborative relationship between DSA and industry who work together for the benefit of giving students placements, embedding employability, and preparing multi-professional designers for a rewarding career.

Studying at DSA

Find out about the DSA blended learning experience, the benefits of studying with us and how to apply, as the best experiences are the ones created by people who are happy.

Accessible education commitment

We are committed to broadening access to design education that supports students to achieve their aspirations though our online campus and industry co-op; because education should be without boundaries.

DSA common basic framework

Our teaching and learning principles follow an interdisciplinary approach to design education through the lens of people, technology and organisation. We built this school for you. Not everyone, just for you.

Regional education and industry expertise

DSA programmes are developed for Asia Pacific’s creative industries backed by UK higher education professional standards.

Graham Newman | FounderBio

Meet the DSA founder | Graham Newman
MRes RCA, PGCHE, FRSA

Graham has extensive expertise in design education and practice in Asia Pacific for over 20 years having taught at leading universities in Bangkok, Singapore and Jakarta. Graham’s design education philosophy is forged by his Masters of Research experience at the Royal College of Art, and his own design practice during which he has won several international design awards including development of the world’s first interactive music CD-Rom.

Graham holds a PGCert in Higher Education (PGCHE) where his aptitude in blended co-op learning environments was grounded, and is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Read More →

[custom-twitter-feeds]