Overview:
The NHB-SIT Joint Lab for Digital Heritage is seeking a Creative Technologist with skills in web development, software prototyping, design research, and digital innovation.
The Joint Lab is a collaboration between the National Heritage Board (NHB) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), established to build foundational digital heritage capabilities through innovation, applied research, and public engagement. Its work supports digital transformation across documentation, preservation, exhibition-making, research, and audience engagement, including emerging formats such as time-based media, born-digital artworks, 3D assets, digital twins, interactive experiences, and digital archives.
This role is suited for someone who is proactive, curious, and comfortable working across technology, design, and research. You will collaborate with researchers, heritage professionals, designers, and technical teams to understand user needs, prototype ideas, facilitate design activities, and develop digital tools for heritage research and public engagement.
Key Responsibilities:
Web Development & Technical Prototyping
- Design, develop, and maintain user-friendly web applications, prototypes, and digital tools for heritage research, documentation, interpretation, and public engagement.
- Contribute to front-end and basic back-end development, including API integration, data handling, and deployment workflows.
- Create proof-of-concept applications and interactive prototypes for digital heritage experiences.
- Support projects involving digital archives, 3D assets, multimedia collections, born-digital materials, digital twins, or other emerging digital heritage formats.
Design Research & User-Centered Design
- Apply design thinking and user-centred design methods to understand project contexts, define user needs, frame problems, generate ideas, and test solutions.
- Support design research activities, including stakeholder interviews, user observations, journey mapping, desktop research, usability testing, and synthesis of insights.
- Create low- to high-fidelity prototypes, wireframes, and interaction flows to explore and communicate design ideas.
- Assist in planning, facilitating, and documenting design workshops, co-creation sessions, stakeholder engagements, and collaborative ideation activities.
- Collaborate with researchers, heritage professionals, designers, and technical teams to translate insights and project needs into practical digital solutions.
Research Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
- Contribute to research documentation and publication outputs, including literature reviews, project reports, case studies, conference submissions, and research papers where relevant.
- Document code, design decisions, research insights, workflows, and technical processes to support knowledge transfer and project continuity.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Degree in data science, AI, database development (especially in the area of human-centred design, UX/Ui, front-end development, game development)
- A proactive, self-motivated attitude and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Interest in digital heritage, cultural technologies, museums, archives, exhibitions, or public engagement.
- Interest or experience in creative coding, interactive installations, digital storytelling, data visualization, 3D web technologies, immersive media, digital preservation, or cultural collections. (Preferred)
- Previous personal projects, internships, coursework, or portfolio work in web development, creative technology, design research, interaction design, or interactive media. (Preferred)
Web & Software Development
- Good knowledge of web development fundamentals, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Experience or coursework with front-end frameworks such as React, Vue.js, or similar technologies.
- Some exposure to back-end development using Node.js, Python, or similar frameworks.
- Experience with version control systems such as Git. (Preferred)
- Experience working with simple data storage, APIs, or cloud platforms such as Firebase, Supabase, Airtable, Google Sheets APIs, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or MySQL. (Preferred)
- Familiarity with web hosting, deployment environments, cloud platforms, or basic DevOps workflows. (Preferred)
Design Research & Prototyping
- Interest in design research, design thinking, user-centred design, service design, or interaction design.
- Ability to translate user needs, research insights, and stakeholder requirements into practical digital concepts or prototypes.
- Willingness to support design workshops, stakeholder sessions, and collaborative research activities.
- Experience creating wireframes, prototypes, user flows, design systems, or interface mock-ups using tools such as Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms. (Preferred)
- Exposure to qualitative research methods, usability testing, stakeholder engagement, workshop facilitation, or co-design methods. (Preferred)
Research, Writing & Documentation
- Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to document processes, summarize insights, and contribute to reports or research outputs.
- Experience contributing to research papers, academic writing, project reports, technical documentation, or conference submissions. (Preferred)
About the Joint Lab:
The NHB–SIT Joint Lab for Digital Heritage is a strategic partnership designed to advance digital transformation through targeted innovation, applied research, design-led experimentation, and public engagement. Its work supports new capabilities for documentation, preservation, exhibition-making, research, and audience engagement.
By exploring emerging digital formats, technologies, and human-centred design approaches, the Joint Lab aims to benefit NHB, the wider heritage sector, and adjacent industries through skills development, new technology applications, research dissemination, and community engagement.