Think. Make. Start.

What it is about

You work in interdisciplinary teams on a two-week, practice-oriented development project to find innovative product ideas, validate them early prototypically, and lay the groundwork for a potential founding. In the end you will be able to apply user-centered design principles, test market-relevant hypotheses, and present a functional prototype along with a founding idea.

What you will be able to do

• Understand principles of user-centered design
• Apply product development methods (e.g. Design Thinking)
• Develop market and user hypotheses with purposeful prototyping
• Investigate the relevance of a problem and solve it interdisciplinary
• Design and iteratively evaluate prototypes
• Lay the foundation for startup creation by identifying an idea or a team

What the module consists of

• Praxisprojekt (interdisziplinäres Team)Central element: development of a real or seminar business idea and creation of prototype solutions
• Coaching und WorkshopsConveying expertise (Prototyping, Business Validation, Agile, Design Thinking, Systems Engineering, Lean Startup, User-centered Design)
• Zugang Makerspace und BudgetImplementation of real prototypes (mechatronic products)
• DemoDay / AbschlusspräsentationPresentation of results before a jury and guests from industry, startup scene and research

Teaching method

• Interdisziplinäre TeamarbeitFosters collaboration across disciplines and practical learning
• Meilensteine, Rollenmodell und KursstrukturProvide roadmap, responsibilities and orientation in the project
• Hands-on PrototypingBridges the gap between idea and physical product for hypothesis testing
• CoachingSupports technical development in technology, business and user research
• Nutzer- und Marktinteraktion (Interviews, Beobachtung, Tests)Used to validate customer needs and product assumptions
• Reflexion und IterationHelps in decisions and improvement of the product concept