Resumen de Learning to identify unmet needs and new product opportunities
Design is a non-linear process that typically begins with the identification of a problem or unmet need. Once the problem is properlydefined, customer needs can be determined, target specifications can be established, and potential design concepts can be generated.Needs finding is essential for established companies and start-up ventures and is an important skill for engineers to possess.In many senior capstone design courses students choose from a list of project ideas presented to them at the beginning of thecourse. This provides more time to complete remaining phases of the design process, including building and testing prototypes.However, this practice bypasses the first phase of design and prevents students from gaining experience in defining problems andidentifying unmet needs. Engineers working in industry will be involved in finding opportunities where technology can be used tosolve problems, and will work closely with marketing, sales, and other personnel to identify new product developmentopportunities. They will also need to work with users of various products and technologies to identify problems and unmet needs.Students would be better prepared for careers involving new product development if, as part of their undergraduate education, theygained experience with the problem identification phase.A new course for junior biomedical engineering students at Marquette University was developed in 2008 to expand theirknowledge of and experience with the problem identification phase. The course includes several active and collaborative learningcomponents and requires students to observe medical and surgical procedures in various clinical environments to learn howtechnology is used to solve medical problems. This experience develops the student’s clinical literacy and their listening andethnographic observation skills. They learn how to work with medical personnel to identify problems and unmet needs. This courseallows students to experience the first phase of design and helps them develop design and entrepreneurial skills. It prepares studentsfor careers involving the development of innovative new products for established or start-up companies.
