Formerly coded as EG2201A, this is a project-based course which focuses on developing products to meet users’ latent needs. The course combines problem framing, problem solving, and product development which are important skills in current and future innovation-driven economy. Students will learn about the jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) framework, distinction between values and features, and product vision. Students can expect to develop tangible prototypes that work and to test them with users. Finally, students will learn about product presentation using analogy, metaphor, and product storytelling. They will work in teams in a studio environment and gain hands-on experience in product development.

After completing this course, students should be able to:

• Critique product values in the context of users’ needs in an innovation-driven economy.
• Envision and design products that meet users’ needs.
• Develop prototypes of selected product features to achieve desired values.
• Present ideas to highlight values in a proposed product.

Workload: 4 units

(NOTE: Students from the College of Design and Engineering and College of Humanities and Sciences in Cohort AY2021/2022 onward should complete DTK1234 Design Thinking prior to CDE2300.)

Course syllabus

1. Innovation-driven economy

Students will be introduced to the concept of experience and innovation-driven economy. Students will look into case studies of products that do well because they attend to users’ latent needs.

2. Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD), job story, and job statement

Students will be introduced to the concept of unit work that users’ hire to solve users’ problems. Students will use the unit work as the basis to design products.

3. Product values and product features

Students will be introduced to the distinction between product values (the benefits that users get from using a product) and product features (the attributes that a product has to deliver values to users).

4. Product vision

Students will learn how to identify and formulate opportunities based on users’ needs.

5. Ideation and concept selection

Students will be introduced to methodologies of rich ideation. Ideas will be selected methodically, leading to a concept that students will develop.

6. Prototyping and testing

Students will prototype the selected concept to a minimum-viable-product to be tested to users for feedback. Students will be introduced to methodologies of testing and obtaining feedback from users.

7. Product presentation

Students will learn to communicate a product through product storytelling through various mediums.