An RMoC Initiative

product design portal

Think like a designer, build like an engineer and polish like a craftsman to successfully take your innovation to the market

Overview

ATL students build prototypes as part of their tinkering activities at the ATL. However, they rarely get to learn how to convert their prototype into a product. This workshop aims to take students further along the journey and equip them with product design skills, a crucial skill to have for budding entrepreneurs. In addition, the workshop aims to integrate "Arts" with STEM-based learning at ATLs, thereby providing a taste of STEAM-based education to school students at an early age.

In the process of designing products, students learn how to take into consideration end-user needs, requirements & expectations; constraints & limitations imposed by materials, technologies, usage patterns, operating conditions, regulatory environment and business factors. They also learn how to balance all these factors in a synergistic way to design and build a great product that succeeds in the market. The exposure opens up a world of opportunities for students in the area of "Design" - a much sought after field with many career possibilities.

Product design is an "art" as well as a "science" !

Product designers can inspire millions of people through their creative acts of brilliance and change the world for the better !

Watch the below videos to understand the importance of product design from experts:

outline

MODULE-1: intro to product design

In this module, we will learn what a prototype is, what a product is, what are the differences between the two, what does it take to design a good product, difference between product features &benefits, what is product design, principles of good product design, importance of quality in product design, product quality attributes, and case study.

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MODULE-2: designing a product for core attributes

In this module, we will learn the importance of designing products that are highly usable; have good utility & aesthetic appeal; have better user experience, high performance & durability; are safe to use and can be customized to suite the needs of its users.

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MODULE-3: designing a product for additional attributes

In this module, we will learn the importance of designing products that are reliable, portable, modular, configurable, manageable, extensible, maintainable and scalable.

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MODULE-4: designing a product for extended attributes

In this module, we will learn the importance of designing products that are smart, secure to operate, highly available, personalizable, compatible, interoperable, standards and regulatory compliant.

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MODULE-5: designing a product for sustainable living & More

In this module, we will learn the importance of designing products for sustainable living, learn about product quality attribute tradeoffs, how to identify product features from PQAs, how to classify product features, how to create a product roadmap, steps involved in engineering a product, and how to patent your product or product design.

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benefits to students

Attending the product design workshop offers you the following benefits:

Enhances your imagination and artistic skills
Enhances your creative thinking abilities
Enhances your critical thinking abilities
You acquire multi-disciplinary skills by integrating arts, technology, human needs, and business factors in creative & interesting ways to build things

pre-workshop challenges for registered participants

CHALLENGE #1:

To be a good product designer, you need to be good in drawing and sketching. Many of you have done plenty of drawings and sketches on paper. But, have you tried to represent physical objects with a three-dimensional perspective - like the one shown in the picture on the left?

If not, here's a challenge for you: Sketch an Apple or Banana, Flower Vase or Water Bottle, Smartphone or a TV with a three-dimensional perspective and share your creations.

CHALLENGE #2:

Explore, observe and make use of these products at home (any one or more): Ear Phone, Extension Cord, TV Remote Control, School Bag, Mixer-Grinder, Ceiling Fan, Washing Machine, Umbrella and any other product.
Make a note of key features of the product.
Identify a problem or limitation you experienced in using the product.
Identify an enhancement you would like to make in the product.
Sketch to show how the enhanced product looks like or works.
Share your responses to steps 1 to 5.

CHALLENGE #3:

Design any ONE of the followings two Apps for your ATL:

1. An App for students to submit ideas in the ATL and for ATL in-charge and Mentor to review the submitted ideas and provide inputs & suggestions.

2. An App for ATL in-charge to track tinkering items (LEDs, sensors, actuators, arduinos, wires, breadboard, battery, etc.) issued to students, and items returned by the students. The App can also show the items available in the ATL at any point in time.

Think well before sketching. Make suitable assumptions. Sketch the various screens of the App. In each screen, show the input you accept from the user, and the information you display to the user. Number each screen and show the flow from one screen to the next. The more thorough your thinking is, the better will be the design. Your sketch can be on Paper, Excel sheet, or using any Screen-design, Wireframing, or App builder tool. Finally, share your screen designs.

CHALLENGE #4:

Share your responses to one or more of the following questions:

Name 10 of the Top / famous / most influential product designers in the world. Mention their key designs.
What are the Top 10 Principles of Product Design?
What is the relationship between Design and Quality, Design & Craftsmanship, Design & Diligence, Design & Beauty, Design & Passion?

You may find some of the answers online, but don't copy-paste as is. Express it succinctly in your own words. For Q3 above, try to come up with your own ideas and share.

This online self-learning resource has been designed and developed by Mr. Kiran Kumar H. S., Regional Mentor of Change – Karnataka, to support ATL Students, Teachers, and Mentors of Change across the country associated with the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India.

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