OPIM/MEAM 415/515: Product Design (Spring 2009)
Time and Location: Tuesdays 3:00 - 5:50 pm | Huntsman Hall 260
Instructor: Karl Ulrich, JMHH 547, office hours at 4:20pm class break or by appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Alessandro Arlotto alear@wharton.upenn.edu
Textbook: Ulrich, Karl T. and Steven D. Eppinger, Product Design and Development, Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008.
(I have a few of these available for purchase on the first day of class at my cost. $80 cash or check. First come, first served.)
Webcafe Page (You will need a Wharton account. If you don't have one, go to http://accounts.wharton.upenn.edu.)
Course Policies and Grading - 415-2009
Due Dates: All assignments are due to your assignment folder on webcafe by 3pm on the day of the session in which they are listed unless an earlier date/time is given.
News and Announcements
tba
Session Outline
Tu January 20
Introduction
Opportunity Identification
Required Reading:
All of the information on this course wiki.
Pay particular attention to Course Policies and Grading as I won't review any of the administrative material on the wiki in class.
T&U-ChIto3-Preprint-Oct09.pdf (you should focus on pages 2-1 to 3-10, although you may find the rest interesting.)
Reference Reading (not required before class):
P&G-spinbrush.pdf
U&E Chapters 1-2
Slides from class: 
01-OPIM415.pdf
Tu January 27
Customer Needs
Entrepreneurial Product Development
Required Reading:
T&U-ChIto3-Preprint-Oct09.pdf (if you didn't read it last week; you should focus on pages 2-1 to 3-10, although you may find the rest interesting.)
U&E Chapter 4
Fun stuff (optional):
Video: Malcolm Gladwell's talk about needs and segmentation
Customer needs for shower heads: naked truth.pdf
Preparation for class:
-
-
For the purposes of this session just pick one of the opportunities and using the guidelines in Chapter 4, conduct an interview with someone about their "customer needs" as related to the opportunity.
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Translate some of the subject's comments into statements of need using the process and rules in Chapter 4.
5-minute Quiz in class:
You will watch a very short video segment (example from 2008) and translate the information into needs according to the process and rules in Chapter 4.
(Example solution for quiz: needs-quiz-sample-response.pdf )
Assignment Due (completed individually):
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Go to
www.darwinator.com and register for an account using registration code 4152009. Please begin your username with your last name to allow us to identify you for the purpose of credit/grading.
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Enter in the Darwinator the titles and descriptions of the 5 market opportunities that (1) you are most passionate about, (2) best align with the mission statement of the class, (3) you believe are most likely to result in profitable products at the design fair in April.
Slides from class: 02-Needs-415-2009.pdf
Consumer Needs quiz: needs-quiz-form-27Jan09.pdf - needs-quiz-sample-response-27Jan09.pdf
Tu February 3
Concept Generation (Lecture/Discussion + Workshop)
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 6
Reference material (optional):
ch2 from Why Not.pdf
Fun stuff (optional):
"Taste for Makers," Paul Graham's essay on "taste" in design.
Preparation for class:
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Create a function diagram for a product that addresses an opportunity you are exploring.
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Generate 10-20 alternative product concepts for addressing the opportunity.
5-minute Quiz in class:
You will be asked to create a function diagram for a concept generation problem.
Here's the sample response (i.e., "solution") for the quiz: fndiag-quiz-sampleresponse.pdf
Assignment Due (completed individually):
- Return to the Darwinator and rate at least 50 opportunities submitted by your peers. This will probably take about an hour. The Darwinator has been set up to allow you to rate all of the opportunities submitted by the class (~300), but you are required to rate only 50. (Note that the Darwinator can get slow when used by many people simultaneously. Please plan ahead and avoid trying to do this Tuesday afternoon.)
Slides from class: 03-ConceptGeneration-2009.pdf
Book holder project: book-holder.pdf
Function Diagram Quiz: fndiag-quiz-form-2009.pdf - fndiag-quiz-sampleresponse-2009.pdf
Tu February 10
Opportunity Pitches and Formation of Teams of Two
Needs "Speed Dating" in Newly Formed Teams
Required Reading:
none
Reference Reading:
ScreeningOpportunities-28Dec07.pdf
Fun stuff (optional):
PoBronson-Hotmail.pdf
Assignment Due (completed individually):
- Consider the feedback you have received on your opportunities via the Darwinator. In most cases, you will pick the one of the your five submitted opportunities that you most wish to pursue as a course project, that has garnered the best market response, and that satisfies the project mission statement. However, you are free to pitch any opportunity you wish, including some opportunity that you did not submit to the Darwinator. (It is not, however, acceptable to pitch a classmate's opportunity without their permission.) Recall that the mission requires:
- Price less than $50.
- Likely to have solution that is likely to require fewer than 10 custom parts.
- Could be sold via a campus retailer to students.
- Physical good, not software or service.
- Opportunity described in terms of the "WHAT" and not in terms of the "HOW."
- Prepare a 60-second presentation articulating the opportunity you have identified.
- You will have exactly 60 seconds, not a second more, so please be sure your pitch fits well within that time. You should practice this talk a few times, which should only take you a few minutes.
- An opportunity is usually the "WHAT" but not the "HOW." You should focus on the need you hope to address. You might also identify existing solutions and their shortcomings. You may show a representative product concept, but you should not have finalized a product concept at this point.
- NO LATER THAN 8am on Tuesday, February 10, hand in EXACTLY ONE ppt slide (in ppt format) to your assignment folder on webcafe.
- We can not accommodate late work, so if you have a hard time with deadlines, hand this in on Monday.
- This slide must contain YOUR NAME and a DESCRIPTIVE TITLE for your opportunity.
- Make sure your slide prints well in black and white. Please do not include any animation or video, as these do not work reliably when integrated into a single deck.
- These directions are intended to make it possible for us to create a single integrated slide deck for all the pitches for the class. If you do not follow these directions, we will not be able to include your slide in the deck.
Tu February 17
Prototyping and 3D Sketching
(Today will mostly be a hands-on workshop focused on prototypes for the course mini project.)
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 12
Reference Reading (not required before class):
Preparation for class:
For the mini-project, develop one of the opportunities you identified in class on February 3 into a concept that:
- can be assembled from 2D (e.g., laser cut) parts.
- highly likely to cost less than a dollar or two to produce in high volume.
It's also ok if you choose to pursue some new concept (other than one identified on February 3) for the mini project. Here are a few more interesting product categories you might consider: hooks/hangars, trivets, coasters, key chains, money clips, bottle openers, toothbrush holders, cup holders, pencil holders, coin trays, coin purses, mouse pads, portable spoon/fork, napkin rings, message clips, mail organizers, letter openers, stamp dispensers, tape dispensers, desk organizers.
This phase of the mini project is completed INDIVIDUALLY.
Please come to class with a nice sketch of your design concept for the mini project, preferably just one part...it has to be really simple. We'll work today to build prototypes of these concepts.
Take a minute and complete this Prototyping Skills Self-Assessment in preparation for class.
Fun stuff (optional):
Video: Boeing 777 Wing Test
Assignment Due (completed as a team of two, submitted to the assignment folder of one of you):
- Prepare a document of three or fewer pages containing:
- A refined version of your opportunity pitch slide reflecting the consensus of your team of two.
- Your customer needs, including (a) statements of need arranged hierarchically, (b) identification of the latent needs, and (c) the names and characteristics of the potential customers you interviewed.
- (This assignment will be evaluated based on (a) adherence to the guidelines in Chapter 4 and (b) on the completeness, clarity, specificity, and insightfulness of the needs identified.)
Example needs list from 2007:
Example-CustomerNeeds.pdf
Feedback on needs assignment 2009
Slides from class: 04-415-2009-proto.pdf
Tu February 24
Concept Selection
Process Selection Workshop
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 7
Reference Reading (not required before class):
ScreeningOpportunities-28Dec07.pdf (also listed in a previous session)
Optional:
You may find this design and production software useful. eMachineshop is a free download that lets you design parts using a simple computer-aided design tool and then immediately get a cost estimate for their manufacture. The video tutorial for a simple bracket is quite helpful.
eMachineShop software
Fun stuff (optional):
TheBakeoff-Gladwell-TNY.pdf
Preparation for class:
Today you are all going to learn about the few most important production processes for physical goods. By the end of the day you should be able to walk the aisles in a Home Depot or Target and pretty much know how almost anything in there was made. It would be nice if you would look around your desk, room, or apartment and find a single artifact for which you do not know the production process. Bring it to class (suggesting you might want to find a fairly compact artifact). Of course many artifacts are assemblies of multiple parts, but that's ok...we'll look at the most obvious parts. One of our goals for the day will be for you to learn how that object was made.
Assignment Due (completed as a team of two, submitted to the assignment folder of one of you):
- Prepare a document of three or fewer pages containing:
- 10 clearly illustrated and distinctive product concepts.
- A concept selection matrix (screening or scoring) identifying the three most promising concepts.
- (Your concepts will be evaluated based on (a) how distinct the 10 concepts are from one another, (b) the wow factor of the concepts, (c) the feasibility and practicality of the concepts, (d) the extent to which the concepts deliver on your key customer needs, and (e) the quality and clarity of the concept illustrations.)
Slides from class: 05-production-processes.pdf
The excellent manufacturing processes book I mentioned in class.
Feedback on concept generation assignment.
Example of Concept Selection by Salvatore di Paolo and Harris Romanoff: DiPaolo-Romanoff-Concept Selection.pdf
Tu March 3
Specifications and Conjoint Analysis
Mini-Project Bake Off I
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 5
Fun stuff (optional):
Komar and Melamid's paintings based on attribute surveys
Video: Jeff Hawkins talks about the initial specs for the Palm Pilot
5-minute Quiz in class:
You will be asked to write specifications for a few customer needs.
Quiz solutions from 2008: specs-sample-response.pdf
In-class quiz: specs-quiz-form-cellphone.pdf
In-class quiz solutions: specs-quiz-sample-response-cellphone.pdf
Assignment Due (completed individually):
- Design a very simple mechanical device that you believe will be attractive to Penn students. THIS IS YOUR MINI-PROJECT. This device must be something you can have made by laser cutting by the vendor Ponoko.com. (You may make a prototype using Penn laser cutters, of course.) The Ponoko site has many, many such devices on it in the "Showroom." You may not directly copy one of the existing devices on Ponoko, but may certainly derive inspiration from what others have done. A good free vector drawing package is Inkscape, if you do not have Adobe Illustrator or another proprietary package. Today we will vote on the appeal of these devices and eliminate half of them from consideration. In a few weeks, we will pick one winning device of which we will produce 500 units for use as door prizes at the Design Fair on the last day of class.
- Obtain a price quote for making your device using the most economical means on Ponoko. (For example, you may wish to nest many instances of the device onto the largest sheet of material offered by Ponoko.) Please calculate the cost of a single unit of your device by dividing the total material and processing costs charged by Ponoko by the number of units you can fit on a sheet of material. Do not include the shipping cost. Note that we hope to pay $1-2 per unit for the mini project, and the absolute maximum cost per unit we will pay is $3.00/unit, so designs that cost much more than that are likely to be eliminated.
- Create a prototype of the device using hand tools or a laser cutter. Cardboard is ok.
- Be prepared to make a 60-second pitch for your device, explaining what it is and how it works. Bring your prototype to class for demonstration in your pitch.
- Create a one-slide description of your device that includes: your name, a name for the device, the estimated price, and an illustration of the device itself. Submit this slide to webcafe no later than Tuesday, March 3 at 8am.
Assignment Due (completed as a team of two):
- Construct a proof-of-concept prototype of the concept you believe is most likely to result in profits at the Design Fair in April. THIS IS YOUR MAIN PROJECT. A proof-of-concept prototype usually answers the question of how well the concept is likely to address customer needs (i.e., does it work? and do potential customers like it?).
- Hand in to your project folder exactly one photograph (of 1000 pixels on its longest side) showing your prototype. Please review the guidelines for student project photography.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will need to order your parts from Ponoko no later than Friday of this week for non-metals and by Wednesday for metals. (The metals take a bit longer.) You really must hit these deadlines in order to get your parts in time. Please order using coupon code Q5UKT4. Orders using that code will not be charged shipping. You must specify the shipping address to be Alessandro Arlotto, Wharton School, 500 Huntsman Hall, 3740 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104. This is because Ponoko will ship all of our orders together to economize on freight.
Slides from class: 06-specs and conjoint.pdf
SPRING BREAK
Tu March 17
New Category Products/Concept Testing
Concept Pitch – Formation of Teams of Four.
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 8
Segway-Case.pdf
Fun stuff (optional):
segway-vanityfair.pdf
Preparation questions for class:
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What did the Segway team do well in creating the Segway Human Transporter?
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What concerns do you have about the Segway approach to innovation?
Assignment Due (completed as a team of two):
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Prepare exactly two slides pitching your product concept. The first slide should describe the opportunity you are addressing and the critical few needs of customers in your target market. The second slide should clearly describe your product concept.
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You will have exactly 120 seconds, not a second more, and so please be sure your pitch fits well within that time allotment. Please practice your pitch several times, which should only take a few minutes.
Your pitch could certainly include a demonstration of your proof-of-concept prototype.
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By 8am Tuesday, March 17, hand in EXACTLY TWO SLIDES (in ppt format) to your project folder. Both slides must be labeled with a descriptive title and include the names of both members of your team. If you are not good with deadlines, then hand this in sometime on Monday.
Tu March 24
Cost Models and Target Costing
Spinbrush Workshop
Mini-Project Bake Off II
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 5 Appendix on Target Costing
IKEA-cost-article.pdf
References (not required before class):
National Association of Manufacturers videos of dozens of different products being made:
http://blog.nam.org/csbmindex.php
(You'll notice that this website is essentially a political lobbying group for US manufacturers, but the videos are pretty interesting.)
iSuppli.com
5-minute Quiz in class:
You will be asked to calculate the Target Cost for a product.
Fun stuff (optional):
Fifty_Nine_story_crisis.pdf
(Has nothing to do with this session, but fascinating story about crisis management.)
Assignment Due (completed as a team of four):
- Bring to class a production-intent prototype (made by Ponoko.com or on a Penn laser cutter) of your mini-project device. Obtain a quote for the lowest possible price from Ponoko for making this device.
- NO LATER THAN 8am on Tuesday, March 24: Hand in reate a single .ppt slide to your assignment folder. The slide should include the names of your team (2 people), the name of your device, the lowest cost from Ponoko (not including shipping), and an illustration of the device (to remind people what it is).
- Prepare a 60-second pitch for why your device is such a great product for Penn students. We will vote to select one of these devices for production as door prizes for the Design Fair.
The cost and profit rules spreadsheet is here: CostRules-2009-v3.xls
Slides from class: uploaded after class
Tu March 31
Design for Manufacturing + Peer Consulting on Detail Design
Industrial Design + Product Aesthetics
Required Reading:
U&E Chapters 10 and 11
Reference Reading (optional for those who want more):
Draft chapter on aesthetics from my book on design: ulrich-aesthetics.pdf
Fun stuff (optional):
JobsTalk-Stanford-2005.pdf
Assignment Due (completed as a team of four; hand in to your project folder):
- Prepare an assembly drawing of your product, including views of the outside of the assembled product and an exploded view showing how the pieces go together.
- Indicate with annotations how each part will be made in production (and in parentheses how you will make your prototype).
- This document may be prepared using a computer-aided design tool, other graphics software, or may be done carefully by hand and then scanned.
- Make sure the version of the document you hand in is standard sized (8.5 x 11 or A4) and no more than two pages.
- (This assignment will be evaluated based on (a) the extent to which the design details are worked out, (b) the clarity of your illustration, and (c) the quality and feasibility of the design and process selection.)
Examples of assembly drawings:
http://images.google.com/images?q=assembly+drawing
Pick up an XPULT catapult kit from the TA in class today.
Slides from class: 10-Aesthetics-2009.pdf
Tu April 7
Patents
Robust Design and Engineering Models
Required Reading:
U&E Chapter 14
U&E Chapter 13
Reference Reading (not required before class):
Pressman, D. Patent it Yourself. Nolo Press.
Fun stuff (optional):
Flash-of-Genius.pdf
5-minute Quiz in class:
You will be asked to determine if a product infringes a claim of a patent.
Assignment Due (completed as a team of four):
- As a team, follow the instructions for the XPULT catapult exercise and come to class with your recommendation for the values of (a) ball type, (b) number of rubber bands, (c) launch angle, and (d) pull-back angle in order to reliably achieve a launch distance of 96 inches. (Please write these recommendations on the board when you arrive to class.)
- Xpult-Instructions-V2.pdf
- To complete this assignment you do not need to follow the "robust design" methods in Chapter 13, and please do not spend more than an hour on this task. We will apply the robust design methods in class.
Return your XPULT kit at the end of class today.
Slides from class: IP-Patents-2009.pdf ; RobustDesign.pdf
Patent Quiz: patent-quiz-form-2009.pdf patent-quiz-sampleresponse.pdf
Tu April 14
Lifecycle Analysis
Elon Musk Lecture - Tesla Motors and SpaceX
NOTE: We will meet at the regular time, but will break at 4:10 to walk down to the Elon Musk lecture in CHEM 102 (231 South 34th Street)
Don’t Panic:
Adventures in High-Tech Startups
Presented by CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors Elon Musk, C’97 W’97, this informal lecture will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Elon Musk is an alumnus of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School. He is the co-founder and current CEO and CTO of SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies), which develops and manufactures low-cost space launch vehicles; CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors, which builds the all-electric Tesla Roadster; and primary investor and Chairman of the Board of SolarCity, a photovoltaics products and services startup company. Mr. Musk was also formerly the largest shareholder of PayPal.
Required Reading:
LCA Manual for Designers EcoIndicator99.pdf
(The LCA methodology was developed by Pre consultants. They offer software and consulting services related to environmental performance of products.)
Fun stuff (totally optional):
Yvon Chouinard's article in Outside (excerpt from his book Let My People Go Surfing):
http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200510/yvon-chouinard-1.html
Assignment Due (completed individually):
- Perform a lifecycle analysis for your product using the methodology in the reading. (If you wish, you may instead perform this analysis for a product that interests you other than your course-project product.)
- Hand in your LCA (one page max) to your asssignment folder.
Slides from class: uploaded after class
Tu April 21
Prototype Demos
Product Marketing 101
Required Reading:
none
References and Resources (not required before class):
-
Igor Naming Guide.pdf
- dot-com availability
- Visual Thesaurus
Preparation (completed as individuals or as a team):
- Generate 50 dot-com available names for your product. You may find the Igor naming guide interesting. You can check dot-com availability with this tool.
- Think about the critical few needs your product addresses and the key benefits your product delivers. These are likely to form the basis of the marketing message you will wish to deliver next week.
Assignment Due (completed as a team of four):
- Prepare a presentation of less than 120 seconds that demonstrates the prototype you will display at the Design Fair next week. No slides...just the prototype. You should also state the retail price you are currently contemplating.
- We will conduct a preliminary purchase-intent survey among the class members. This gives you some preliminary feedback and a chance to refine your product before the real deal next week.
Slides from class: 13-marketing101-2009.pdf
Tu April 28
Design Fair
Meet in the Huntsman Forum by 4pm. Design Fair hours 4:30 - 5:30.
Assignment Due (completed as a team of four):
- Prepare for the Design Fair, which will be held from 4:15 - 5:30pm (4:30 official start time) in the Baker Forum (as pictured below). Please arrive no later than 4:00pm to set up for business.
- You will be provided with a 36 inch table, a white table cloth, and an easel. The easel does not have a back to it, so whatever you place on the easel will need to be self-supporting. Most spaces in the forum will not have electric outlets. If you must have power, please bring an extension cord and we will work to find you a space with access to power.
- Your display must clearly state your product name and the retail price. You may offer exactly one version of your product at only one price.
- Most teams in the past have provided a small brochure for interested consumers.
- Play fair. For example, it would not be fair to recruit friends to vote for your product, to bribe consumers (with anything more valuable than, say, a piece of candy), or to otherwise influence the purchase intent process by means other than the compelling quality of your product and your enthusiastic explanation of its benefits. (Over the years we have developed sensitive means of detecting cheating. Such behavior has unfortunate consequences for everyone. This is another reason to play fair.)
- Hand in, to your project folder, no later than 3pm today:
- Your completed cost-rules spreadsheet. DO THIS VERY CAREFULLY AS IT WILL BE AUDITED.
- Here is an example of a spreadsheet filled out correctly for the XPULT product. CostRules-2009-v3.xls
- Model should be of your product as designed for production.
- Only parts used exactly as purchased should be shown as catalog components. If you use a purchased component and modify it to make a custom part, then you should simply model this part as a custom part (e.g., weigh it, figure out the material, etc.)
- Exactly one photograph of your prototype in .jpg format and 1000 pixels on its longest side. Guidelines for student project photography.
- A one-page "sell sheet" (often this is the same as the brochure you use at the fair). The sell sheet must contain at least:
- The product name, the names of your team members, the suggested retail price, a photo of the product, and an articulation of the key benefits.
DESIGN FAIR RESULTS (unaudited): DesignFairResults-2009.xlsx
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