Interdisciplinary Product Development

Designed for students with their background in engineering, art and design, or business, the Interdisciplinary Product Development course is ideal for students who are interested in the product development of investment or consumer goods. This course is recommended for students in their 3rd year of studies or beyond. The focus is on three main themes:

• Successful and effective product development processes, methods, and tools
• Industrial design, usability and user experience as the key success factors
• New perspectives in developing businesses and services

All course events (lectures, workshops, hands-on prototyping, and seminars) are organised at the Design Factory of Aalto University, located in Otaniemi, Espoo. Otaniemi is within easy reach by public transportation. The Design Factory is an experimental platform for the education and application of product design: it is particularly designed to support interdisciplinary cooperation and team work. The Factory facilitates the combination of theory and practice in an unparalleled way.

The first theme covers such topics as process models, idea generation, project management, prototyping, and participatory workshop methods. In the second theme, processes, techniques and research methods are introduced and applied in exercises. The third theme includes topical issues and new ideas for developing radically new business and service concepts and the means to realising them.

The teachers and course assistants come from the Aalto University Schools of Technology, Art and Design, and Economy.

Please direct any questions concerning the content of this course to the coordinator, Mr. Kalevi Ekman, kalevi.ekman(at)tkk.fi Any questions concerning the general arrangements (accommodation, scholarship, etc.) should be addressed to the Summer School's office at summer-school@helsinki.fi