Course Detail (Course Description By Faculty)

This course provides an in-depth understanding of state-of-the-art practices in new product/service innovation using Design Thinking methods. It offers extensive, hands-on, practical innovation experience.

Topics covered include: Design Thinking, agile innovation processes, opportunity identification, qualitative and quantitative agile user research, customer insights, idea generation and evaluation, new product prototyping/testing/optimization, forecasting, new product branding, and business cases.

A series of group projects enables students to apply these tools on an actual client “Lab” project. Group projects are real-world innovation projects from leading company sponsors across a range of industries. Student teams work closely with their clients, guided by a faculty coach, to uncover unmet customer needs, generate ideas, develop new product/service concept prototypes, test those new product concepts quantitatively, and present recommendations to their clients.

This course covers tech, consumer, and B2B products and services. Class examples and cases include mobile apps, e-commerce, software, fintech, food and beverage, household products, healthcare, and more. I make every effort to invite one or more practicing innovation experts to guest lecture.

This course is particularly relevant for students interested in the following careers: Product Management (Tech), Management Consulting, Brand Management, Innovation, Product Marketing Management (Tech), and Corporate Strategy.

Winter 2026 Application Timeline:

• Tuesday, November 4 at noon-1pm:  Webinar to give details about the class and application process.
• Wednesday, November 5 at midnight:  Applications are due.
• Tuesday, November 11:  Acceptances are announced. Students have 24 hours to drop. After that, no drops are allowed.

Business 37000: recommended. Application and acceptance into course is required. Cannot be dropped once enrolled. Cannot take 37201 if 37200 “New Products and Services” or 37810 "New Product Development" has already been taken.

Restrictions

This course includes a text, case studies, and readings from practitioners and academics.

Group projects use an online agile user research platform called UserTesting (no cost).

Each project team needs a subscription to Open AI's ChatGPT Plus service for 3 months (currently $20/month). Within ChatGPT Plus, teams also use several custom GPTs created specifically for this course.

100% of grades are based on the three group projects. Group work is extensive in this course, and peer evaluations impact grades for each group assignment. Students meet with their groups multiple times each week, and speak with their client and faculty coach every week. Expect to spend ~10 hours/week outside of class.

Class attendance is mandatory. In order to get the most out of the class, to participate actively during in-class activities with your project team, and to be evaluated appropriately, students need to attend class.

• You must attend the Week 1 class, or you will be dropped from the course.
• You can miss no more than one (1) class session. Otherwise, your final grade will be lowered by one (1) full letter grade.
•  If you miss more than two (2) class sessions, you may be withdrawn from the course.

Cannot be taken Pass/Fail. Provisional grades are given subject to timely completion of assignments.

Grades

Restrictions