Product Design

This course encourages students to identify potential areas where new technologies can offer solutions to user needs. It seeks to develop in the student an understanding of how by identifying user needs and applying the principles of human-centric design, new products can be developed. In order to ascertain how people actually use products the students will do hands-on research by observing potential users, conducting user surveys and analyzing the results. From this data the students will develop and refine their product design ideas. The students are encouraged to look at emerging technologies that could be incorporated into their design solutions. The course culminates in a project where students learn to ideate, design, develop using 3D CAD techniques and create working/non-working prototypes (dummy models) that meets the needs and fits the ergonomic requirements of the user. In doing so the incorporation of emerging technologies in an appropriate and innovative manner is also addressed.