INNO1002 Agile Innovation for STEM: User Centred Design & Development

2018

4.5

1 x 3-hour workshop weekly

INNO1001 has been successfully completed

None

Core topic

Assignments, Project, Tests

Creating market value with a technological or scientific solution is hard. Many new products fail in the market as they do not solve a problem for users and/or customers. And if the new product does solve a problem, customers may not be willing to pay the price for the value created. This topic provides tools for creative problem solving. Innovation concepts like design thinking, agile development and lean startup help explain the foundations of the agile new product development process. Agile methodology in product development teams leads to more flexibility and better results, while the Lean Startup teaches students how to drive a startup with a steering wheel called the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop. Hands-on exercises help participants develop practical innovation skills and competencies. Students will not only create their own ideas but get a chance to develop prototypes of market applications for real technologies developed by Flinders or our partners.

This topic enables scientists, technologists, engineers and health professionals understand and apply creative problem solving techniques and user centred, iterative approaches to innovation, in order to achieve market impact with technological or scientific innovations. Students will practice tools in class and engage in active learning to apply theory in practice. The aim is to engage students in thinking critically and creatively, going outside the building, speaking with a user/customer. Exploring the influence of personal growth mindset on the success of innovation efforts, students participate in ideation sessions and rapid prototypting in order to learn from customer feedback and fail quickly.

On successful completion of this topic students should be able to:

• Breakdown creative problem solving techniques and apply user-centred design thinking to generate, evaluate and improve innovative ideas
• Demonstrate skills in creative, agile, customer centric and entrepreneurial thinking
• Understand and explain the concept of adding value and be able to develop new ideas that are feasible, viable and desirable
• Make use of the build-measure-learn cycle, including rapid prototyping
• Work in groups and develop a business report/pitch communicating innovative solutions for market application of existing technology/research following prototype development and using a range of tools and media.