Skip to content

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

Toggle the language menu. Current language: EN

Product development and design

Semester 1 · 47585 · Master in Industrial Mechanical Engineering · 6CP · EN


The course provides insights into the new trends in product development and design.
First, students will be guided in the adoption of a managerial view to understand how to structure an innovation process and how to incorporate the Voice of the Customer (VOC) in new product development decisions. Furthermore, they will learn how to investigate the patterns of consumer decision making through market research, thus better understanding the utility and desirability of new products.
Second, they will be able to understand an engineering view of designing industrial products. Here, students will learn best practices in generation of new product concepts and their subsequent evaluation, which will take place by means of state-of-the-art systems and methods.

Lecturers: Yuri Borgianni

Teaching Hours: 32
Lab Hours: 24
Mandatory Attendance: Not mandatory, but highly recommended

Course Topics
- Product innovation - New product development processes - Voice of the Customer - Conjoint Analysis - Quality Function Deployment - Forecasting techniques for new products - Engineering design cycles - Product planning and specifications - Conceptual design - Design creativity and assessment thereof - Human-product interaction - User Experience - Eye-tracking in design research

Teaching format
Frontal lectures, exercises, laboratory and experimental activities

Educational objectives
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO) Knowledge and understanding Students should acquire the knowledge and the understanding of: • New product development process and related concepts • Essential tools and methods for customer involvement in new product development • Tools and approaches for market research in new product development • Engineering design cycles • Creative conceptual design • User Experience in engineering and product design • Systems to test human-product interaction Applying knowledge and understanding • Ability to frame a product development process and its governance structure • Ability to apply the Quality Function Deployment tool to a simple product • Ability to properly design a Conjoint Analysis • Ability to understand the main drivers behind product development and design • Ability to meditate about concepts instead of rushing to solutions • Ability to identify the main elements to be tested to allow the appraisal of design ideas and new products • Ability to organize tests aimed to evaluate people’s experience with new products Making judgements • Ability to transfer the knowledge and methods learned to real practical applications thanks to groupworks, exercises and simulation of experimental activities within product development and design Communication skills • Ability to prepare, conduct and join interactive discussions in class • Ability to structure, prepare, and present arguments related to product development and design Ability to learn • Ability to autonomously extend the knowledge acquired during the study course by reading and understanding

Additional educational objectives and learning outcomes
-

Assessment
Written exam to verify the understanding of the contents and practical activities shown during the two modules. The duration of the written exam is 3 hours.

Evaluation criteria
The mark is calculated as the average between the scores achieved in each single module. The following criteria are taken into consideration for the assignment of the marks: • Ability to accurately illustrate concepts about the topics of the course • Clarity of answers • Mastery of specialistic terminology

Required readings

Lecture notes and documents for exercises will be available on the Microsoft Teams of the course.



Supplementary readings

Books and articles will be possibly suggested by the lecturers during the course.



Further information
-


Download as pdf

Sustainable Development Goals
This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals.

9 12

Modules

Semester 1 · 47585A · Master in Industrial Mechanical Engineering · 3CP · EN

Module A — Product Development

The course provides insights into the new trends in product development and design.
First, students will be guided in the adoption of a managerial view to understand how to structure an innovation process and how to incorporate the Voice of the Customer (VOC) in new product development decisions. Furthermore, they will learn how to investigate the patterns of consumer decision making through market research, thus better understanding the utility and desirability of new products.
Second, they will be able to understand an engineering view of designing industrial products. Here, students will learn best practices in generation of new product concepts and their subsequent evaluation, which will take place by means of state-of-the-art systems and methods.

Lecturers: Margherita Molinaro

Teaching Hours: 16
Lab Hours: 12

Course Topics
Customer-oriented product development • New product development process: history and phases • Portfolio management framework • From customer needs to product characteristics: the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) • Open innovation and crowdsourcing Market research for new products • Survey-based market research: the Conjoint Analysis • Forecasting new products: techniques and strategies • The role of crowdfunding

Teaching format
Frontal lectures and exercises

Required readings

-



Supplementary readings

-



Semester 1 · 47585B · Master in Industrial Mechanical Engineering · 3CP · EN

Module B — Engineering and Product Design

The course provides insights into the new trends in product development and design.
First, students will be guided in the adoption of a managerial view to understand how to structure an innovation process and how to incorporate the Voice of the Customer (VOC) in new product development decisions. Furthermore, they will learn how to investigate the patterns of consumer decision making through market research, thus better understanding the utility and desirability of new products.
Second, they will be able to understand an engineering view of designing industrial products. Here, students will learn best practices in generation of new product concepts and their subsequent evaluation, which will take place by means of state-of-the-art systems and methods

Lecturers: Yuri Borgianni, Aurora Berni

Teaching Hours: 16
Lab Hours: 12

Request info