DESIGN PROJECT

DESIGN PROJECT (TEAM)

Students will self-select into teams of no more than 4 to work towards developing some kind of innovative product, service or program using the KUMAR PRODUCT DESIGN MODEL. Due to the move to online, it is now RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PURCHASE A DIGITAL COPY OF KUMAR’s BOOK TO BE SHARED ACROSS YOUR GROUP. THE PURCHASE PRICE IS APPROXIMATELY $30, AND THUS SHOULD NOT BE A HARDSHIP FOR YOU TO ALL CHIP IN.

The exercise is highly structured. The objective is to come up with a completely original product or service of some kind that may be argued to have economic or social value, solves a problem/or identifies an opportunity in some novel way. It is imperative that the team attempt to develop something unique, distinct and that does not appear in social, institutional or market systems (as far as can be detected).

THE END RESULT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR CREATIVE: IT MAY LEAD TO MISERABLE FAILURE. THE PROJECT WILL BE GRADED ON THE WORK DONE, DILIGENCE USED AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROCESSES UNDERTAKEN WITH RESPECT TO INCORPORATING COURSE CONCEPTS /MODELS INTO THE PROCESS.

The development of a functioning prototype is not required, but you will have to render some kind of illustration/description of what the prototype service/product looks like, how it works and who it works for.

ONCE AGAIN. The report DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A WRITTEN REPORT, but MUST consist of:

a) A detailed process (use a logbook or journal, audio, video, emails, chat scripts, note taking or any other means to do so, as long as it may be effectively communicated to the instructor what you did and how you did it) that uses at least one element of each stage of Kumar’s model.

b) A full section report on who was doing what, personality type discovery, the roles that were adopted, and team guidelines. An evaluation of the process for how the team was structured for the task of innovating, and what worked and what didn’t.

c) Any means for relaying the solution to the problem you have identified to the class/instructor. It is up to the student team to generate the most effective way to clearly represent the problem and the product/service solution for others to evaluate. It should be digital and viewable, reviewable by everyone in the class.

PROJECT EVALUATION

The evaluation of this project will closely mirror the seven stage process with 3 mark allotted for each. If you skip over or do not use one of the stages, you will lose 3 marks. If you use only one or perhaps two elements of each design stage, then you will get a middling grade. Coordination and integration of several of the design elements/tasks within each stage in a manner that reflects your competencies within them will result in a full three marks. The final four marks will be awarded based on 1) a clear, well-structured project 2) overall creativity 3) overall viability and 4) project polish/effort.

1