73481 - Product Development Processes (A-K)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will have developed advanced skills in the conceptualization, formalization, representation, and communication of design outcomes throughout all stages of the design process. They will be able to adopt a critical and informed approach to pre-design research and to plan, manage, and monitor the concept generation process through the application and experimentation of appropriate design methodologies and tools, both individually and in collaborative settings.

Course contents

The course focuses on the design development of contemporary products, following the principles of sustainability and circularity. The theoretical knowledge acquired in the previous modules of the Final Design Studio will be applied to the detailed development of a design solution.

Students will learn how to define the technological components of contemporary products by selecting and sizing materials to minimize environmental impact, while optimizing the integration of electronic components within the product.

By the end of the course, students will be able to comprehensively develop and communicate a product or service design, effectively illustrating its form, function, and manufacturing aspects, with particular attention to repairability, maintenance, and end-of-life disposal within a circular design perspective.

Readings/Bibliography

• Norman, Donald A. 2011.Vivere con la complessità. Translated by V. B. Sala. Milano: Pearson.
  
• Zannoni, M. (2018). Progetto e interazione. Il design degli ecosistemi interattivi. Quodlibet.
• Zannoni, M., Montanari, R. (2022) Human Body Interaction. Bologna University Press.
• Zannoni, M. (2024). Il design delle interfacce. Quodlibet.

Teaching methods

Throughout the course, students will attend lectures and seminars lasting approximately 1–2 hours each.

Students will work in teams on a series of design assignments, each contributing to the final assessment. Depending on the course schedule, project reviews may be conducted either in small groups or as collective critiques involving the entire class.

Attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be recorded during each class session, and students who are absent for more than 30% of the scheduled classes will not be admitted to the final assessment.

Assessment methods

Presentation and discussion of the final outputs foreseen for all the modules of the integrated course (final presentation of the works). Each of the results in the teaching modules will be evaluated. The criteria will be communicated by the Professors of the didactic modules. The various evaluations will form an overall final judgment of each student (in part, the result of collective work and, in part, of individual work).
When preparing the work required for the final examination, the use of GenAI is permitted. Such use is governed by the University’s specific policy and should be regarded as a tool designed to complement, rather than replace, critical thinking and personal creativity. It may be used for researching and explaining concepts and topics, as well as for generating ideas.

Teaching tools

Lectures (presentations/slideshows);
Individual reviews and feedback sessions on students’ project progress;
Group critiques and reviews of students’ progress throughout the different course modules (student presentations/slideshows);
Design studio exercises.

Office hours

See the website of Michele Zannoni