MEJO390, Spring 2017
WorkroomFashionMash: Product Design
Webster defines incubation this way: “to maintain under conditions favorable for hatching, development, or reaction.” The Workroom course creates those conditions, allowing creative advertising students to experience the full breadth of the creative industry. Partnering with a national client, the course will align the influences of advertising, culture, design and entrepreneurialism to bring a new product to life.
Course Objectives:
To show participants the scope of what’s possible as a creative industry professional by:
1)Learning to gain insight by talking to the consumer
2)Incorporating principles of design thinking to identify opportunities
3)Understanding the customer’s needs, decision making and path to purchase
4)Understanding the impact of design in developing a customer value proposition
5)Using rapid prototyping and engaging service design/experience design techniques to showcase those concepts in real, testable settings
6)Developing a showcase project that demonstrates next-level design for the client
Details:
Class Meetings: 2:00pm to 3:15pm Tuesday & Thursday, Workroom Space—Franklin Street
149 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill.
Instructors: Dana McMahan and Bernard Bell
Office: Carroll 238 (Dana)
Gardner 104 F (Bernard)
Phone: 919-434-1229 (Dana)
Phone: 240-535-5918 (Bernard)
We are happy to see any student outside of class by appointment. Please email us to schedule a mutually convenient time.
Email:
Required Reading:
Emotional Design, Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things, Donald A. Norman
Available on Amazon or iBooks for download.
Handouts and online resources. Everything needed for this class will be posted to the course’s website. There will be no handouts in the classroom. If you prefer printed copies of materials, please prepare for class by downloading what you need before you come to class.
Course Format:
This course is a hands-on class. You will work on the semester’s project in every session and will have interaction with industry professionals throughout the semester. Attendance is crucial for success in this course.
Evaluating Work:
This is a creative class focused on invention. It includes many elements from the world of design, but endeavors to reach beyond the traditional approaches. The top grades in this class will be awarded for work that stretches the imagination and shows a powerful commitment to passionate thinking.
GradeMinimum Percentage Required
A93
A-90
B+87
B83
B-80
C+77
C73
C-70
D+67
D63
F59 and below
Your grade will result from the following:
Participation, Attendance & In-class exercises20%
Exercise 115%
Exercise 215%
Exercise 315%
Exam15%
Final Exhibition Piece20%
Note: Any In-classparticipation assignments will not be repeated unless advance arrangements are made or extreme circumstances create an excused absence. Please be aware of this factor when formulating your schedule for the semester. Keep in touch with the instructors about any issues that could potentially disrupt your class performance. Our doors are always open.
(Class participation & Attendance: this grade is automatically lowered to a 70 when more than 3 classes are missed. Excused absences beyond 3 are only admissible with extreme emergencies. This effectively lowers your total grade regardless of other assignments. Attendance and participation are the core of this class.)
Honor Code
I expect that each student will conduct himself or herself within the guidelines of the University honor system ( All academic work should be done with the high levels of honesty and integrity that this University demands. You are expected to produce your own work in this class. If you have any questions about your responsibility or your instructor’s responsibility as a faculty member under the Honor Code, please see me or Senior Associate Dean Charlie Tuggle, or you may speak with a representative of the Student Attorney Office or the Office of the Dean of Students.
Seeking Help
If you need individual assistance, it’s your responsibility to meet with the instructor. If you are serious about wanting to improve your performance in the course, the time to seek help is as soon as you are aware of the problem – whether the problem is difficulty with course material, a disability, or an illness.
Diversity
The University’s policy on Prohibiting Harassment and Discrimination is outlined in the
Undergraduate Bulletin UNC is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community and does not
discriminate in offering access to its educational programs and activities on the basis of age,
gender, race, color, national origin, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Special Accommodations
If you require special accommodations to attend or participate in this course, please let the
instructor know as soon as possible. If you need information about disabilities visit the
Accessibility Services website at
Accreditation
The School of Media and Journalism’s accrediting body outlines a number of values you should be aware of and competencies you should be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate from our program. Learn more about them here:
No single course could possibly give you all of these values and competencies; but collectively, our classes are designed to build your abilities in each of these areas. In this class, we will
address a number of the values and competencies, with special emphasis on these:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the history and role of professionals and institutions in shaping creative advertising and product development;
•Understand concepts and apply theories in the use and presentation of images and information;
•Demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;
•Think critically, creatively and independently;
•Conduct research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to the creative advertising and product development industry;
•Write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for consumer audiences and purposes they serve;
•Critically evaluate your own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
•Apply basic numerical and statistical concepts used in creative product development;
•Apply tools and technologies appropriate for creative advertising and product development.
PRELIMINARY Timeline and Schedule of Topics
Please note that this schedule is subject to change based on project needs.
Class 1Jan 12In Class:Welcome to Workroom, Meet the Team, Learn about FashionMash
Out of Class:Read Emotional Design, Chapters 1-3
Read: How to Market a Brand New Product
Listen: (Podcast: December 26, 2016 Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal
Class 2Jan 17In Class: Design Thinking and Human Centered Design, Customer Journeys
Out of Class:Read Emotional Design, Chapter 4
Read Customer Decision Journey Map
Class 3Jan 19In Class: Semester Design Challenge Explained, Lectures on Research Techniques
Research Using Personal Interviews (30min Bernard—See attached Exhibit A).
Youtube: How to Pick Your Customer Segment
Research Using Observation (30min Dana)
Out of Class:Read Chapter 1, Lean Ideation (provided on Sakai Resources)
Class 4Jan 24In Class: Machine Training at BEAM,
Hanes (Bernard)
Murray (Dana)
Out of Class:Read Emotional Design, Chapter 5
Read ( See attached PDF
Class 5Jan 26In Class:Machine Training at BEAM
Hanes (Dana)
Murray (Bernard)
Out of Class:Prepare questions for Margaux CEOs.
Exercise 1 Due on Sakai, in Assignments Folder (use maker space)
Class 6Jan 31In Class:Meet the Client: Margaux Shoes, Client will describe business
and define customer
Out of Class:Read Emotional Design, Chapter 6
Class 7Feb 2In Class:Creative Exercise, Prepare Research Questions
What is a Shoe? (Dana, creative exercise)
Who cares about shoes—and what else do they
care about?
Out of Class:Finish RQ and submit in prep for Feb 7 and 9 research
Class 8Feb 7In Class:Conduct Research in Lab, Carroll Hall
Focus Groups or Interviews, TBD
Out of Class:Record and document session
Class 9Feb 9In Class:Conduct Research in Lab
Focus Groups or Interviews, TBD
Out of Class:Record and document session
Class 10Feb 14In Class:Learning and Analysis from groups, Creative Exercise
Out of Class:Read Emotional Design, Chapter 7
Read (
Exercise 2 Due on Sakai, in Assignments Folder
Class 11Feb 16In Class:Designing for Style (It’s emotional)
Why (Dana)
Who 7 Marketing Tips to Create a Brand for your New Product (
Class 12Feb 21In Class:Paper Prototypes
Out of Class:Read Lean Ideation, Chapter 6 “Key Tools for Product Success”
Class 13Feb 23In Class:Enhancing Prototypes (Maker Spaces as necessary)
Out of Class:Read Lean Ideation, Chapter 6 “Key Tools for Product Success”
Class 14Feb 28In Class:Guest Visitor, TBA
Class 15Mar 2 In Class:Planning for Build
Class 16Mar 7In Class:Planning for Build
Class 17Mar 9In Class:Planning for Build, getting ready for 2nd half of semester
SPRING BREAK
Class 18Mar 21In Class:Build
Class 19Mar 23In Class:Build
Exercise 3 Due on Sakai, look in Assignments Folder
Class 20Mar 28In Class:Build
Class 21Mar 30In Class:Build
Class 22Apr 4In Class:Test Built Product, Guest Visitor (Sarah Angold, designer)
Class 23Apr 6In Class:Guest Visitor, Sarah Angold, designer
Class 24Apr 11In Class:Rebuild
Class 25Apr 13In Class:Rebuild
Class 26Apr 18In Class:Test Again
Class 27Apr 20In Class:Finalize and Produce second product
Class 28Apr 25In Class:Finalize and Produce second product
Class 29Apr 27In Class:FINAL SHOW OF WORK TO PUBLIC
EXAMMay 812:00PMExam