Introductory description

Product design is an essential aspect of entrepreneurship because it plays a crucial role in determining the success of a business. Effective product design knowledge can help entrepreneurs create products that meet the needs of their target customers and differentiate themselves from competitors. Design, development and introduction of new products is hence the key to the long term competitiveness and survival of start-ups and corporations.

Intensification of competition, rapidly changing technologies and shorter product life cycles, require an integrated approach to management of product development in order to create better quality products with enhanced capabilities, at attractive prices with compressed time to market cycles. Today customers often buy products without making a conscious distinction between tangible product, service or brand.

This module is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to create innovative and functional products. It offers a curriculum that blends both theoretical and practical instruction, where students will be taken through the complete product design process, including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing. They will also be introduced to design thinking and user-centered design methodologies, which will equip them to create products that are user-friendly and meet the needs of customers.

In addition, students will gain knowledge in material science, manufacturing processes, and engineering principles. This will allow them to understand the technical aspects of product design, and help them to design products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and efficient.

Sustainability and ethical considerations in product design will also be addressed, ensuring that students are equipped to create products that are environmentally responsible and ethical.

As a part of the course, students will be required to work on individual and group design tasks. These will allow students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world challenges, and gain hands-on experience in designing products.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

 Product development process
 Effective Design Management
 Lean New Product Introduction
 The relationship of tangible product and brand
 Management of creativity
 Concurrent Engineering
 Organisation for effective product design and development
 Design protection and intellectual property rights
 Case study
 Tools, Techniques, and Technologies including;
- Concept generation and Selection
- Design for Assembly/Manufacture
- Life Cycle Costing and Design to Cost
- Design Validation
 Industrial Experiences
 User / Customer View
 Innovative Products

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Appraise the main features of the product design process
• Create an emotionally resonant and contextually relevant product as a part of a team using appropriate design methodologies
• Apply technical skills to design a product that is functional, efficient and manufacturable
• Design a product as a part of team that is sustainable, ethical and socially responsible
• Apply innovative thinking as a part of a team to generate a novel and feasible product idea designed to solve a specified problem

Indicative reading list

Lockwood, T. (2010). Design Thinking: Integrating Innovation, Customer Experience, and Brand Value. Allworth Press.
Ulrich, K. T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2017). Product Design and Development. McGraw-Hill Education.
Olsen, D. (2015). The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback. Wiley.

Subject specific skills

Ideation and brainstorming: Students will learn how to generate new and innovative product ideas using various ideation and brainstorming techniques.

Research and analysis: Students will learn how to conduct market research, user research, and competitive analysis to identify user needs and market opportunities.

Sketching and prototyping: Students will learn how to create sketches and prototypes of their product ideas using various tools and materials, such as paper, 3D printing, and digital prototyping software.

Design thinking and user-centered design: Students will learn how to apply design thinking and user-centered design methodologies.

Technical design skills: Students will learn how to apply technical design skills in areas such as material science, manufacturing processes, and engineering principles.

Transferable skills

Project management: Students will learn how to manage product design and development projects, including project planning, execution, risk management, and evaluation.

Collaboration and teamwork: Students will learn how to work effectively in teams, including cross-functional teams, multidisciplinary teams, and international teams.

Communication and presentation skills: Students will learn how to effectively communicate and present their design concepts to a variety of audiences, including clients, stakeholders, and users.

Entrepreneurship and business skills: Students will learn how to identify market opportunities, develop business models, and create value propositions, and gain a deep understanding of the product development process from ideation to launch.