THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014 -
- ARCHIVE as at 1 September 2013 for reference only
THIS PAGE IS OUT OF DATE

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : Edinburgh College of Art : Design

Postgraduate Course: Product Development (DESI11024)

Course Outline
SchoolEdinburgh College of Art CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) Credits20
Home subject areaDesign Other subject areaInformatics
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThe course is divided into three main sections. The first provides the student an understanding of the key dynamics related to bringing technical products to the markets (W1-4). The second provides students with a practical guide on how to start up a company, including invited talks given by entrepreneurs and representatives of funding bodies (W5-7). Finally, in the third section (W8-10), a number of case studies are discussed, concerning among others innovative product development in integrated software systems and aspects of entering emerging markets.

The course is practice based and project oriented. Students in small groups will be asked to develop their own product development plan based on a product idea of their own. The plan should address aspects such as: how to demonstrate your product? How to segment your user base? How to manage the transfer of your technology to the market? How to deal with business analysts and other market actors? How to start up a company around a product idea? What funding to look for? How to enter emerging markets with your product?

COURSE OBJECTIVE

The objective of the course is to provide students with a clear and comprehensive understanding of the key issues dynamics related to bringing technical products to the markets.

SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES

On completion of the module, students should be able to:

1. Understand the strategic importance of matching the marketing mix with consumer/customer needs through user relations.

2. Identify the key elements involved in selecting suitable market entries for a product/ technology, including market strategy and business model.

3. Investigate different sources of information relevant to a new business venture, including finance and sustainability; investigate relevant actors ¿ platform controllers, regulators, analysts.

4. Understand the role of marketing research and market(ing) strategies.

Assessment Plan

In this practice-based course students will be expected to develop an integrated business proposal as a response to a product, system or service developed as a group work within the course. This integrated business and product development proposal will be assessed by group presentation and individual essay. Assessment criteria will be based on the completeness of their business plan, with respect to the aspects covered during the course.


Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 13/01/2014
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 05, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 05, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 186 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Understand the strategic importance of matching the marketing mix with consumer/customer needs through user relations.
2. Identify the key elements involved in selecting suitable market entries for a product/ technology, including market strategy and business model.
3. Investigate different sources of information relevant to a new business venture, including finance and sustainability; investigate relevant actors, platform controllers, regulators, analysts.
4. Understand the role of marketing research and market(ing) strategies.
Assessment Information
Group Presentations 30%
Individual Essay Report 20%
Assessed assignment 50%

Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Week 1 Course Introduction: The course will be introduced, comprising an overview of course objectives, rationale, schedule, assessment and readings.
Week 2 Theories of innovation: critiques of the linear model of innovation will be introduced, together with discussion on Innovating infrastructures and incremental innovation.
Week 3 Mapping the market: how to find customers and understand their needs, identify relevant actors and places to promote your product during and after development.
Week 4 Technology transfer: including scale up and sustainability issues.
Section 2 ¿ Practical Guide
Week 5 Setting up a Start-up Company: how to start up a company around a product idea. Basics of Business Planning.
Week 6 Forms of support to start up a company: identifying funding bodies and venture capitalists.
Week 7 Success Stories: entrepreneurs will be invited to discuss their own experience.
Section 3 - Cases
Week 8 Innovation in Integrated Software Systems:
Week 9 Entering emerging Markets:
Week 10 New business models; making value from data
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Campagnolo, G.M., Fele, G., From Specifications to Specific Vagueness: How Enterprise Software Mediates Engineering Relations. Engineering Studies, 2(3), 221-243.

Coopmans, C. (2011), 'Face value': New medical imaging software in commercial view, Social Studies of Science, 41(2): 155-176.

Fleck, J. (1988). "Innofusion or diffusation? : the nature of technological development in robotics." Edinburgh PICT Working Paper No. 4, Research Centre for Social Sciences, The University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh.

Fleck, J,. J. Webster, and R. Williams 'The dynamics of I.T. implementation: a reassessment of paradigms and trajectories of development', Futures Vol. 22 pp. 618 - 640, 1990.

Gregson, G & Hendry, S 2009, Stimulating Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Scotland: Summary Report on University of Edinburgh Business School & MBM Commercial LLP Growth Series. University of Edinburgh Business School & MBM Commercial LLP Growth.

Hyysalo, S (2010). Health Technology Development and Use: From Practice Bound Imagination to Evolving Impacts. London: Routledge.

Pynch, T. The Hard Sell: The Language and Lessons of Street-Wise Marketing, (with Colin Clark), London: HarperCollins, 1995.

Pollock, N., Williams, R., & D¿Adderio, L. (2007). Global software and its provenance: generification work in the production of organizational software packages. Social Studies of Science, 37(2), 254¿280.

Pollock, N., Williams, R. (2010). The business of expectations: How promissory organizations shape technology and innovation. Social Studies of Science, 40: 525-548.

Rosiello, A. and Parris, S. (2009) 'The patterns of venture capital investment in the UK bio-healthcare sector: the role of proximity, cumulative learning and specialisation' Venture Capital, An International Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance Volume11, Issue 3, p185 ¿ 211

Spinardi, G. ¿Prospects for the Defence Diversification Agency: Technology Transfer and the UK Defence Research Establishments¿, Science and Public Policy, Vol. 27, No. 2 (April 2000), 123-135.
Spinardi, G. ¿Defence Technology Enterprises: A Case Study in Technology Transfer¿, Science and Public Policy (August 1992), 198-206.
Stewart J and Hyysalo, S (2008) Intermediaries, Users and Social Learning in Technological Innovation, Interntional Journal of Innovation Management, Vol 12, No 3. (Sept 2008) pp295-325
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Chris Speed
Tel: (0131 6)51 5747
Email: c.speed@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Shanika Gunasekera
Tel: (0131 6)51 5740
Email: Shanika.Gunasekera@ed.ac.uk
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information
 
© Copyright 2013 The University of Edinburgh - 10 October 2013 3:59 am