Course Detail (Course Description By Faculty)

The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with 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, problem space defining, innovation processes, inventive opportunity identification, customer journey mapping, qualitative and quantitative agile user research, customer insights, iterative idea generation and evaluation, idea screening model, new product concept prototyping/optimization/testing, forecasting methods (including innovation diffusion models), growth hacking for new channels, brand/promotion/customer acquisition of early adopters, and new product 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 (with an emphasis on tech and consumer products/services), including examples from web applications, mobile apps, e-commerce, fin tech, food and beverage, household consumer products, telecommunication services, software, services, healthcare, and financial services. I make every effort is made 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. It also is relevant for students with an interest to lead a startup someday as I leverage my background in tech startups to discuss how essential it is to create and launch a new product that produces product-market fit.

Spring 2026 Application Timeline:

Students do not bid on this course. Rather, interested students complete an online application for this Lab course. Key Dates:

1. Thursday, February 12 at 12-1 pm CST: Webinar to give details about the class and application process. An email is sent prior to the webinar to all Booth students that includes Zoom information. You do not need to attend webinar in order to apply. 
   •   Link to Zoom Webinar  ; Meeting ID: 931 8826 6138; Passcode: 407269
   • https://uchicago.zoom.us/j/93188266138?pwd=bERzU1hhbTdxVjdjakhvQm1iWmRkdz09
2. Sunday, February 15 at midnight: Applications are Due.
   • 2026 Application: Link to Application for 37201 New Products Lab
3. Tuesday, February 17: Acceptances are announced. Students have 2 days to drop. After that, no drops are allowed.

Business 37000 or 37100: recommended. Can be taken concurrently. Not strict. Application and acceptance into course required. Course cannot be dropped once enrolled. Cannot be taken if 37200 “New Products and Services” or 37810 "New Product Development" already has been completed.

Restrictions

• No non-Booth Students
• Application-based course

This course includes a recommended 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.

90% of a student’s grade is based on two group deliverables due at the end of each phase of the client group project. The quarter-long group project takes a new product from problem space through design research and concept prototyping and concludes with final new product recommendations. Group work is extensive in this course, and peer evaluations impact final grades. Students should expect to meet with their group, outside of class, multiple times each week and to speak with their client and faculty coach every week. Expect to spend ~10 hours/week outside of class. 10% of a student’s grade is based on individual class participation so weekly attendance is expected. It is mandatory to attend the group’s final, one-hour client presentation which usually occurs during finals week and held via Zoom. Accommodations will be made for internships that start before the quarter ends.

There are no exams including no final exam. This course cannot be taken pass/fail. No auditors. Provisional grades are given subject to timely completion of assignments.