The focus of this course is the integration of design and engineering in creating new products.
The course is about experiencing the process of developing new product ideas, improving design skills, and learning methods for human-centered innovation.
By the end of the course, students will be able :
- to develop an understanding of the design process of a new product
- to improve the ability to identify a design problem
- to learn creative-thinking techniques
- to learn user research methods
- to appreciate how design can impact people, society and environment
design engineering, design process, design thinking, creativity, user research
Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
The class will consist in lectures that students will apply to a design project. Students will report their progress in the design process in a "design notebook". At the end of the course, students will give a presentation of their design process and design outcome.
Project-type team work: Based on a design brief, groups of 5-6 students will re-frame the problem, conduct user research and imagine a design concept. They will be asked to create representations of their ideas, through prototypes, and to demonstrate the scenario of its usage.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Introduction to Engineering Design and presentation of the design project (theme, schedule and evaluation) | Understand the role and significance of Engineering Design in technological innovation |
Class 2 | Design Thinking Approach | Explore the methods and tools of Design Thinking approach |
Class 3 | Product planning, customers needs identification, product specifications | Understand how to collect customers needs |
Class 4 | System engineering, functional analysis and product architecture | Learn how to describe a system and product architecture |
Class 5 | Creativity and conceptual design, prototyping | Learn techniques for ideation and creativity |
Class 6 | Ergonomics and usability testing | Learn methods and tools for ergonomics and usability tests |
Class 7 | Product lifecycle and design for sustainability | Understand the significance of the "product lifecycle" and its long-term impact |
Class 8 | Communicating design outcomes | Give a presentation of design process and design outcomes |
ENGINEERING DESIGN, A PROJECT-BASED INTRODUCTION (2013) C. Dym, P. Little, E. Orwin. Ed. Wiley. 4th Edition.
UNIVERSAL METHODS OF DESIGN (2012) B. Martin, B. Hanington. Ed. Rockport
プロダクトデザイン 商品開発に関わるすべての人へ (2009) Japan Industrial Designer's Association (JIDA). Collective. ワークスコーポレーション Eds.
All materials will be available on OCW-i
- Report & design notebook: 50 % (individual)
- Final presentation: 40 % (team)
- Participation: 10 % (individual)
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