DIPLOMA IN COMMUNICATION DESIGN
Design is everywhere. The designers who shape it start here. This diploma builds the visual literacy, software skills, and creative thinking to take your first steps into the industry.
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF...
POST O/A LEVEL OR ITE GRADUATE WANTING TO WORK IN DESIGN
and your looking for a practical programme that builds real skills.
CREATIVELY INCLINED WITH NO FORMAL DESIGN TRAINING
and wants a structured starting point
CONSIDERING A CAREER AS DESIGNER OR ART DIRECTIOR
who wants a foundation that opens doors.
WHERE YOU'RE HEADED
This diploma is a launchpad into the engine room of the creative industries. Our graduates are equipped to step into roles such as:
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Junior Designer: Contribute design work across branding, editorial, and digital projects.
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Graphic Designer: Create visual communication across print, digital, and brand contexts.
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Visual Designer: Apply design thinking to produce clear, effective communication work.
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Design Assistant: Support creative teams in agencies, studios, or in-house design teams.
WHAT YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH
01
Create vector graphics, brand assets, and layouts in Illustrator and Photoshop.
02
Design identity systems, publications, and packaging that communicate consistently.
03
Apply typography, composition, and visual principles across print and digital.
04
Build a self-initiated project that demonstrates thinking, craft, and direction.
MODULES
Modules: 9
Full time duration: 19 months (Twice a week)
Part time: 25 months (Once a week)
VISUAL
COMMUNICATION
This module introduces the foundations of visual communication, including design elements, principles, composition, and media. Through practical work and critical discussion, students explore how visual choices convey meaning, solve communication problems, and shape audience understanding. The module builds a broad foundation for later work in advertising, branding, and design.
DIGITAL STUDIOS 1: ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
This module introduces Adobe Illustrator as a tool for creating scalable graphics for advertising and design. Students learn essential skills in drawing, shape-building, colour, typography, and basic 3D features, and apply them to produce brand, campaign, and publication assets. By the end of the module, students will be able to develop polished vector-based work for a professional portfolio.
DIGITAL STUDIOS II: ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
This module develops practical Adobe Photoshop skills for image editing, retouching, compositing, and visual enhancement. Students learn how to prepare and refine images for advertising, social media, and branded communication across different media outputs. The module strengthens students’ ability to create polished visuals that support contemporary creative practice.
TYPOGRAPHY AND COMM. DESIGN
This module introduces typography as a core visual language in communication design. Students explore the history, anatomy, structure, and application of type, and learn how typographic choices shape readability, tone, hierarchy, and visual meaning. The module builds a strong foundation for using typography purposefully across print and digital contexts.
CORPORATE IDENTITY AND DESIGN
This module introduces the key elements of corporate identity, including brand personality, storytelling, symbols, logos, colour, semiotics, and design systems. Students explore how these elements work together to build a clear and consistent identity that shapes perception and supports communication across touchpoints. The module develops an understanding of how visual identity strengthens branding in practice.
PACKAGING AND PRINT TECHNOLOGY
This module introduces the principles of packaging design, from concept development to three-dimensional form. Students learn how structure, materials, printing processes, sustainability, and visual design work together to shape packaging outcomes. The module develops practical skills in creating packaging that is both visually effective and production-aware.
EDITORIAL
DESIGN
This module introduces editorial design and digital publishing as forms of structured visual communication. Students learn how to organise content, work with grids, typography, imagery, and layout systems, and design publications with a clear tone and identity. The module develops practical skills in producing audience-focused editorial work for print and digital formats.
USER INTERFACE DESIGN I
This module introduces the fundamentals of user interface design for digital products and online experiences. Students learn how to structure layouts, use interface components, and apply colour, typography, and hierarchy to create clear and functional screens. The module builds practical skills in designing user-focused interfaces that support effective interaction.
COMMUNICATION DESIGN PROJECT
This module develops strategic thinking for social media communication in contemporary brand contexts. Students learn how to analyse audiences, plan content across platforms, combine organic and paid approaches, and evaluate performance using dashboards and metrics. The module prepares students to develop social media plans that are both insight-led and presentation-ready.
WHO YOU WILL LEARN FROM
INDUSTRY PRACTITIONERS,
NOT JUST ACADEMICS
KENJI CHOO
Academic Director
MAD School
JAEL CHNG
Senior Designer
Dentsu Creative
VIVIENNE KOH
Creative Director
FloofCorp
JEREMIAH SU
Founder
The Beyond
WHO YOU WILL LEARN FROM
TESTIMONIALS FROM
OUR PAST STUDENTS
"Starting from zero and building a real portfolio was something I did not think was possible so quickly. MAD proved me wrong."
Joanna Ortega
Senior Copywriter
"I recommend MAD to anyone who wants a design education that is genuinely connected to the industry."
Xiner Yeo
Art Director
"This diploma gave me the foundation that everything else was built on. The software skills, the design thinking, the portfolio, all of it started here at MAD."
Andy Xu
Creative Director
"I started this diploma not knowing what career I wanted. By the end, I had a portfolio, a direction, and the confidence to pursue it. MAD is where my creative career began and eventually, where I came back to teach."
Sherwin Teo
Creative