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School of Engineering and Informatics (for staff and students)

Intro to Product Design 1: Process (H7063F)

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Introduction to Product Design 1: Process

Module H7063F

Module details for 2024/25.

15 credits

FHEQ Level 3 (sub-degree)

Full Module Description

How are new products born? What does it take for an idea to become a fully finished, mass-manufactured product in a shelf, ready for sale?

This is the first of two modules aimed at providing the student with an initial taster of the field of product design, and the type of activities involved in professional practice. Students will develop an idea for a new product, and develop it into a fully functional prototype in response to a given design brief. In the process, students will gain knowledge of the basic processes, techniques, tools and theory behind new product development, and gain awareness of the multiple dimensions of a product. Students will learn how to understand a design brief, do research, enounce a clear problem statement, come up with ideas, develop and evaluate their ideas, communicate those ideas using a variety of tools and methods, and present their design solutions to an audience. The module assumes no previous knowledge and aims to equip the student through the right balance of both theory and practice. Students will spend a considerable amount of time developing their designs in the classroom, and are expected to spend an equally substantial amount of time on this task outside of the classroom.

Module Outline

How are new products born? What does it take for an idea to become a fully finished, mass-manufactured product in a shelf, ready for sale?

This is the first of two modules aimed at providing the student with an initial taster of the field of product design, and the type of activities involved in professional practice. Students will develop an idea for a new product, and develop it into a fully functional prototype in response to a given design brief. In the process, students will gain knowledge of the basic processes, techniques, tools and theory behind new product development, and gain awareness of the multiple dimensions of a product. Students will learn how to understand a design brief, do research, enounce a clear problem statement, come up with ideas, develop and evaluate their ideas, communicate those ideas using a variety of tools and methods, and present their design solutions to an audience. The module assumes no previous knowledge and aims to equip the student through the right balance of both theory and practice. Students will spend a considerable amount of time developing their designs in the classroom, and are expected to spend an equally substantial amount of time on this task outside of the classroom.

Module learning outcomes

Apply Design Thinking to solve a problem.

Use a number of Design Thinking techniques particularly around research and idea generation.

Create a digital portfolio that showcases and describes creative process.

TypeTimingWeighting
Coursework100.00%
Coursework components. Weighted as shown below.
PortfolioA1 Week 2 100.00%
Timing

Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.

Weighting

Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.

TermMethodDurationWeek pattern
Autumn SemesterSeminar3 hours11111111111

How to read the week pattern

The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.

Mr Chris Stocking

Assess convenor
/profiles/335362

Dr Polona Osojnik

Assess convenor
/profiles/387060

Prof Graeme Pedlingham

Assess convenor
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Dr Jill Kirby

Assess convenor
/profiles/212335

Dr Giovanni Contreras Garcia

Assess convenor, Convenor
/profiles/395592

Dr Emily Baker

Assess convenor
/profiles/123259

Dr Katherine Kruger

Assess convenor
/profiles/245567

Please note that the University will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver courses and modules in accordance with the descriptions set out here. However, the University keeps its courses and modules under review with the aim of enhancing quality. Some changes may therefore be made to the form or content of courses or modules shown as part of the normal process of curriculum management.

The University reserves the right to make changes to the contents or methods of delivery of, or to discontinue, merge or combine modules, if such action is reasonably considered necessary by the University. If there are not sufficient student numbers to make a module viable, the University reserves the right to cancel such a module. If the University withdraws or discontinues a module, it will use its reasonable endeavours to provide a suitable alternative module.

School of Engineering and Informatics (for staff and students)

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