Product design and innovation: A new curriculum combining the humanities and engineering

Abstract

Successful competition in the global economy is increasingly dependent on a stream of new products and services that will open up new business possibilities. At the same time it is increasingly evident that new products and services must be regarded not only as commodities in a marketplace, but also as social actors which can constrain or enable the quality of our life. In recognition of these two perspectives, Product Design and Innovation (PDI) is a new undergraduate dual degree program at Rensselaer that seeks to educate students for careers in new product development. PDI is a dual major program satisfying the requirements for the Bachelor of Science programs in engineering and Science, Technology and Society (STS). PDI prepares students to become innovative designers who can integrate contemporary technologies with changing social contexts for a new generation of advanced product designs. This paper will describe the PDI program, its goals, how it was formulated, and review experiences we have had in offering the first three years of this innovative program. We will provide the curriculum templates and discuss how the design studio sequence fits together.