This course fulfills the IPRO course learning objectives by learning and applying user-centered design methods for designing and developing products. Students work in small interdisciplinary teams to conceive and design a simple product. The final deliverables of the class are a prototype that demonstrates the benefits of the concept and a preliminary business model for the idea.

Projects in this class will be student driven: it will be up to you and your team to identify a need and then develop a product that addresses that need. The final deliverable will be a prototype of your concept that demonstrates the benefits of your solution. You will also be responsible for developing a preliminary business plan for the concept. We will provide the guidance and tools for identifying and developing your product, but we have found that these projects are more successful when they are based on student interest.

We believe that good products will:

• Solve for a real user need / address a real market (should be attractive to an existing company, venture fund, or NGO);
• Have ten parts or less (this is about the level of complexity that your team will be able to prototype);
• Can fit through a door (this is a good way to keep the scale of the product small); and
• Can be prototyped with the resources and funds available to you (each team will have a $500 budget for your prototype, so you likely cannot use exotic materials).

Product design naturally leverages the skills of engineers (e.g., aerospace, biomedical, electrical, mechanical) and architects, but the class will be interesting and relevant to all disciplines. Students who are interested in design, entrepreneurship, prototyping, and product development (obviously) are encouraged to sign up.

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