Postgraduate Course: Product Development (SSPS11002)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The development of innovative new services and products based on new technologies has become a fundamental of activity in the private, public and non-profit sectors. It is an interdisciplinary process that integrates design, business planning and marketing from the outset. Product developers need to understand how to use their human and technical assets to create long term value for potential customers supporters (senior management, financiers, business partners etc) and intermediaries.
This requires not only design of a product, but development of services, a business model, future development paths, and the assembly of a network of complementary elements and supporters. This course uses insight from studies of science, technology and innovation to give students conceptual insights and practical tools to work on these problems. The course will critically examine tools and concepts used in practice and analysis, and students will develop practical skills through a group product development project. |
| Course description |
Introduction and Basic concepts- Understand basic concepts in Markets and innovation; Products and services
Understanding users and concepts of Customer need and value; Building evidence and relationships;
Product Differentiation: practice and approaches
Market positioning and power of analysts and intermediaries : Understanding the use of and development of ratings, and use of 2x2 matrix in market positioning and communication
Product demonstrations: Gain insights in to practice of communicating your product
Evidence: Learn about assembling evidence of value for multiple stakeholders, focusing on evidence of outcomes and impact.
ILW
Making a business investable: Developing a business plan for your product: what potential investors (business angels, crowdfunding etc) need to hear, including
Powerpoint Communicating your product in a Powerpoint presentation
Discovering the User Understand techniques and practice of engaging with user base
Future product trajectoriesL Moving to a different sector (gentrification), Explore issues relevant to creating generic products from specialised products
Presentation of business proposal classwork
Presentation of group project, focusing on presentation style and building a strong pitch using evidence and engagement techniques.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed in two parts
1) Prepare and present a 20min business and product demonstration for an innovative product, system or service developed as group work within the course. (20%). This mark will be determined by peer marking and the course instructor.
2) A Long individual essay (3500 words) after the course (80%) synthesising work done to prepare the presentation. This should include analysis based on the literature covered in the course, original research, and visual devices developed for the presentation.
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| Feedback |
Students will be given group feedback during the seminars.
Students will be invited to submit a short voluntary written exercise in the first half of the term in order to receive support in writing a critical essay.
Peer assessment will be used as part of the final presentation.
Support will be offered individuals in development essay topics.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- On completion of the module, students should be able to: 1. Understand the strategic importance of matching the design of products and marketing strategy with potential customer/user needs through communication and research.
- Identify and develop key elements involved in developing and taking a product or service to market, including understanding the potential users, creating the value proposition, and creating a business model.
- Find, commission or collect and prepare different types of evidence to support the development and marketing of a product or service.
- Shape this evidence to address and build relationships with different relevant actors including corporate and governmental customers, platform controllers, regulators, analysts and financiers.
- Be able to use a variety of techniques to present a product and business proposition to different audiences.
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Reading List
Users, Consumers and Innovation Continuation of Class 1, focusing on user behaviour and diffusion of innovation
Ratings, Positioning in market and the
2*2 matrix Understand the use of and development of ratings, and in particular the use 2*2 matrix in market positioning and communication
Evidence Learn about assembling evidence of value for multiple stakeholders, focusing on evidence of outcomes and impact.
ILW
Financing technical products Raising Finance and constructing a business plan: what potential investors (business angels, crowdfunding etc) need to hear.
Powerpoint Communicating your product in a Powerpoint presentation
Discovering the User Understand techniques and practice of engaging with corporate user base
Moving to a different sector (generification) Explore issues relevant to creating generic products from specialised products
Presentation of business proposal classwork Presentation of group project, focusing on presentation style
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Additional Information
| Course URL |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzMqoTCe_pmS5wshXCiSvw/ |
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will gain key transferable skills to be able to:
- Generate and develop innovative ideas in unfamiliar fields.
- Work in a team to develop a successful project concept.
- Critically deploy a variety of techniques to present a product and business proposition to different audiences (including corporate and governmental customers, platform controllers, regulators, analysts and financiers), and understand how and when each is appropriate.
- Identify and strategically develop key elements involved in developing and taking a product or service to market, including engaging the potential users, creating the value proposition, and creating a business model.
- Commission or collect and prepare different types of evidence to support the development and marketing of a product or service in business or public sector.
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course will be delivered in 10x2 hour sessions over 11 weeks (including Innovative Learning Week). Students will be able to join a 50min tutorial/project session each week after the main class. The in-class activity will be complemented by online discussion, project work, personal blogs and exercises, and video feedback.
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| Keywords | Design,Marketing,Products,Service,Innovation,Users,Business,Social Innovation,Technology |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr James Stewart
Tel: (0131 6)50 6392
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Kate Ferguson
Tel: (0131 6)51 5122
Email: |
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