WM9N5-15 Product Design
Introductory description
The design, development and introduction of new products is essential for the competitiveness of start-ups and corporations. Product design has tremendous bearing in entrepreneurship success, it can imbibe any new business with intellectual property and other key differentiators that create "value". Effective product design knowledge can help entrepreneurs create products that meet the needs of their target customers and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Intensification of competition, rapidly changing technologies and shorter product life cycles, require an integrated approach to the management of product development. Expert designers can create products with the "right" capabilities, at attractive prices while compressing time-to-market cycles.
This module is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to create innovative and highly functional products. It blends both theoretical and practical instruction, where students will be taken through the various stages of the product design process, including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing. They will also be introduced to design thinking and user-centered design methodologies, ultimately equipping them to create products that are user-friendly and meet the needs of customers.
In addition, students will gain introductory knowledge in material science, manufacturing processes, and engineering principles. This will allow them to make better design choices, where the outcomes would not only be aesthetically pleasing but also functional and efficient.
As a part of the course, students will be required to work on individual and group design tasks. These will allow the application of knowledge and skills to real-world challenges, and gain hands-on experience while designing products following client briefs.
Module aims
This module will provide non-engineering students, and those with little prior background knowledge or experience in the topic, with the knowledge and skills to design innovative and functional products that meet the needs of users. Specifically, its aims include:
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Understand the product design process – Gain insight into key stages, including research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and design management.
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Apply design thinking and user-centered approaches – Develop the ability to create products that are functional, meaningful, and contextually relevant.
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Develop technical skills for product design – Build knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, and engineering principles to design practical and efficient products.
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Integrate sustainability and ethical considerations – Learn to design products with environmental and social responsibility in mind.
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
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Apply design thinking and user-centered methodologies to identify customer needs and define product requirements
- Generate and evaluate creative design solutions through structured ideation techniques, justifying choices based on feasibility, functionality, and user appeal
- Develop a functional prototype using appropriate tools/materials, demonstrating key features of the proposed solution
- Collaborate effectively in a team to present a product concept, incorporating basic considerations of manufacturability, cost, and user feedback
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.
View reading list on Talis Aspire
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.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 6 sessions of 1 hour (4%) |
| Seminars | 16 sessions of 1 hour (11%) |
| Practical classes | 8 sessions of 1 hour (5%) |
| Online learning (independent) | 25 sessions of 1 hour (17%) |
| Private study | 35 hours (23%) |
| Assessment | 60 hours (40%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
During private study students would need to learn to sketch manually and using the taught software, learn to use the 3D modelling software and go through the assigned, readings, podcasts and videos.
During the 8 hours of practical classes, they will have access to 3D printing facilities in the new WMG Design Innovation Lab. Depending on the complexity of their designs, a print could take between 3-4 hours; hence, access to the above lab would be limited to students simply loading their prints and then periodically checking the 3D printers to ensure that no faults had occurred. If their first print proved "unsuccessful", they would have enough time to iterate and produce another.
Costs
| Category | Description | Funded by | Cost to student |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment and project costs |
There are costs associated with the purchase of illustration stationary and 3D printing. |
Department | £0.00 |
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Individual Assessment - Product Design Project | 70% | 42 hours | Yes (extension) |
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This individual assignment requires students to undertake a product design project, progressing from ideation to prototyping, testing, and final validation. Each student will select a real-world design brief (set by the tutors), conduct secondary research, develop concepts, refine a chosen design through modelling and prototyping, and evaluate its market feasibility. The assignment will require both technical and creative problem-solving, with evaluation based on innovation, functionality, feasibility, and user experience. The final submission includes a design report, prototype (or high-fidelity simulation), and details explaining the design process and outcomes. |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Group Assessment - Crowdfunding Strategy | 30% | 18 hours | No |
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Critically evaluate the potential of crowdfunding to launch a new tangible product. Peer assessment will be used to determine the final student mark. |
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Reassessment component |
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| Crowdfunding Strategy | No | ||
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Referring to their in-module work on designing a new product, students will critically evaluate the potential of crowdfunding to launch a tangible product, analysing key models, success factors, and challenges. Additionally, students will include their personal insights on crowdfunding as a funding strategy, key learnings from the evaluation process, and how their understanding has evolved compared to working in a group setting. |
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Feedback on assessment
Summative feedback will be provided after case studies / practical workshops, which will be focused upon the learning targets of each session. Feedback will also be provided to any questions which arise from students with the lecture session.
Written feedback will be provided using the standard WMG feedback templates.
There is currently no information about the courses for which this module is core or optional.