New Product Definition

Instructor

Michael Winnick

Before implementation, organizations need to develop a clear, compelling description of the thing that they are going to make. This description is a critical keystone and guide for the many decisions and trade-offs that team’s will make in downstream work. New product definition is the process of completing this description, and it's one of the most important and challenging phases of product development.

This course introduces students to the professional and theoretical aspects of the product definition process. It covers the process of creating a new product definition in detail, the characteristics of new product definition documents and aspects of organizational structure and dynamics as they relate to developing new product definitions.

Format & Grading

Each week we will tackle a different aspect of product definition ranging from user insights to financial projections. Regardless of the topic area, the class will focus on developing clear, cogent and concise description for product definition.

Each class will use a very similar format. Student work will be shared and reviewed, followed by a brief lecture and an overview of the next assignment. Classes will conclude with a group exercise.

Students are graded on their involvement and their assignments. All assignments will not be graded until the final class and throughout students will have the chance to revise previous work.