Product Design

  • Credits: 4
  • Ending: Examination
  • Range: 2C
  • Semester: summer
  • Year: 3
  • Faculty of Commerce

Teachers

Included in study programs

Business and Marketing

Teaching results

By completing the course, students gain knowledge about the importance of design for innovation and competitive advantage and about approaches to design management to better link marketing with design. They will get acquainted with the principles of product design, participatory design, inclusive design and the use of an interdisciplinary approach to product design based on the use of the principles of Design Thinking and the principles of gamification. They will gain knowledge about new approaches to product design, such as a design for circularity, based on the practical application of the game aimed at creating new business opportunities. They will be able to evaluate the societal benefits of product design as well as the benefits for the company and the customer.
Graduates of the course will be able to use an interdisciplinary approach to designing new products, use design software for non-designers to create marketing materials.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will acquire competencies that will enable them to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams in creating consumer-friendly and environmentally oriented products and create clear arguments and useful recommendations in creating product and packaging design from a marketing, environmental and societal perspective.

Indicative content

Introduction to the course Product design. Product and competitiveness. Historical development of design and its use in product innovation. Definition of basic concepts in design theory. Creative industry. Design management. Designers approach to designing new products Design Thinking. Creating new business opportunities in the conditions of circular economy using business game - gamification. Working with Canva design software for non-designers. Emotional content of the design. The relationship between product design and sustainability. Social entrepreneurship using design. Business environment design. Packaging design. Perspectives of using design as competitive advantage in business.

Support literature

1. Designum: časopis o dizajne. Bratislava: Slovenské centrum dizajnu.
2. Ellen Mcarthur Foundation. Design and the circular economy.
3. Engholm, I. (2020). Quick Guide to Design Thinking. Strandberg Publishing.
4. Európska komisia. Ecodesign for sustainable products.
5. Knošková, Ľ., Garasová, P., Ševčíková, R. (2021). Dizajn produktu pri spotrebiteľskom rozhodovaní a jeho využitie vo firmách. Vydavateľstvo EKONÓM.
6. Klimczak, I. (2021). Current Trends in Quality Science – Design, Quality and Safety of Products. Łukasiewicz – Instytut Technologii Eksploatacji.
7. Nekolová, V., Veszprémi Sirotková, A., Boorová, B., Paholková, B., Prváková, M., Burns, K., & Stint, C. (2020). Design Thinking: A Practical Guide. Birmingham: DT.Uni.
8. Worren, N. (2018). Organization Design: Simplifying Complex Systems (2nd Edition). Routledge.
9. Zákon č. 444/2002 Z. z. o dizajnoch v znení neskorších predpisov

Syllabus

1. Introduction to the course Product design. Use of design in business. Product and competitiveness. Decisive factors for the success of products on the market. 2. Historical development of design and its use in product innovation. Industrial design and its development stages. The nature of design-influenced innovations. 3. Definition of basic concepts in design theory. Design goals and functions. Means of expression. Product design evaluation. 4. The relationship between product design and sustainability. Environmental aspects of design. Ecodesign. Sustainable production. Creative industry. The relationship between creativity, design and innovation. 5. Designer approach to new product creation. Design Thinking, an interdisciplinary approach to creating new business opportunities. 6. Product design in circular economy. Designing products in circular economy - understanding circular business models. Creating business opportunities. Circular design. Gamification. 7. Emotional content of design. Product semantics. Elements and principles in design. 8. Working with Canva design software for non-designers. Creating marketing materials for a new product introduction. 9. Design management. Levels of design management. Degrees of maturity, success factors and benefits. 10. Social entrepreneurship using design. Inclusive design. Participatory design. 11. Protection of industrial property rights with a focus on design. 12. Packaging design. Elements of packaging design as a means of communication. Packaging design and sustainability. 13. Perspectives of using design as a competitive advantage in business.

Requirements to complete the course

30% continuous semester assessment
Combined exam:
40% semester project team presentation
30% individual written test

Student workload

Workload: 104 hours
Attendance at seminars: 26 hours
Preparation for seminars and visiting design events: 26 hours
Semester project preparation: 26 hours
Preparation for the exam: 26 hours

Language whose command is required to complete the course

slovenský jazyk, anglický jazyk

Date of approval: 23.02.2023

Date of the latest change: 17.10.2023