Education Program

Master DDDI

A postgraduate programme for designers who want to change how the world makes things.

Duration 1 year (full-time)
Format Residential + field projects
Location Bali, Indonesia (with international modules)
Language English

Programme Overview

The Master in Design for Distributed Innovation (DDDI) is a one-year postgraduate programme developed by MDG in partnership with leading international design schools and research institutions.

It is designed for practitioners — designers, architects, engineers, planners — who want to deepen their practice at the intersection of distributed manufacturing, circular economy, and community-centred design.

Why Bali?

Bali offers a unique living laboratory: a place where ancient craft traditions and ecological intelligence meet contemporary design challenges. Students engage directly with Balinese artisan communities, rice terrace systems, traditional building practices, and the dynamic pressures of tourism and globalisation.

Curriculum

Term 1 — Foundations

  • Design for Distributed Innovation: theory and history
  • Circular economy and regenerative systems thinking
  • Digital fabrication tools and processes
  • Balinese craft traditions and material culture
  • Community research methods

Term 2 — Field Practice

  • Embedded community design projects in Bali villages
  • Collaborative workshops with local artisans
  • Guest lectures from international practitioners
  • Material experiments in the Fab Lab

Term 3 — Research & Thesis

  • Independent research project
  • Public presentation and peer review
  • Alumni network integration

Outcomes

Graduates of DDDI leave with:

  • Advanced design research skills
  • Hands-on digital fabrication experience
  • A deep understanding of community-centred design
  • A network of practitioners across design, technology, and ecology
  • A research thesis contributing to the field

MDDI Is not Live

MDDI closed in 2025, ending a short but very intense lifespam. The program is evolving at the moment.