COURSE DESCRIPTION This course sharpens your awareness of tasks and processes involved in developing any type of products. Developing any type of product always begins with a concept which may come from an individual person or a group. There are always decisions to be made in developing the concept, and those choices can either make it a better product that is easier to sell, or a more problematic product that is harder to sell. This course teaches you how to make better decisions about product development, and helps you to avoid overlooking aspects of product development that might make or break the success of that product.   LESSONS LESSON 1 NATURE AND SCOPE OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT What type of product is it? Who is your customer? The development process Research and development Product planning Prototypes and testing  Pre-production phase  Commercial release  Product lifecycle  Lesson 1 additional reading Review what you have been learning LESSON 2 VIABILITY ASSESSMENT Product concept analysis  Supply and demand  Product validation  Competitor analysis Product differentiation  Lesson 2 additional reading  Review what you have been learning LESSON 3 DEFINING THE PRODUCT AND THE PRODUCTION PROCESS Generating ideas  Brainstorming  Product planning  Production and plant equipment  Sourcing raw materials and components  Staffing requirements  Getting others involved in product planning  Product planning for lone wolves  Product roadmap  Outsourcing  Lesson 3 additional reading  Review what you have been learning LESSON 4 PRODUCT LEARNABILITY Learnability factors  Important considerations  Learnability for the right audience  Children and learnability  Evaluating learnability  Testing learnability  Review what you have been learning  LESSON 5 COSTING  Cost of development  Cost of packaging design  Cost of certifications  Cost of manufacture  Marketing costs  Product delivery  Product pricing  Pricing strategies  Review what you have been learning   LESSON 6 PRESENTATION AND PACKAGING  Packaging design  Packaging supply  Lesson 6 additional reading  Review what you have been learning LESSON 7 TESTING THE PRODUCT Useability Reliability Process of testing Rapid prototyping  Ongoing market research  Lesson 7 additional reading  Review what you have been learning  LESSON 8 PRODUCT LIFECYCLE  Development and introduction  Growth phase  Maturity phase  Decline phase  Rebirth  Review what you have been learning LESSON 9 FUTURE PLANNING AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS  Success metrics  Product evolution  Predictive product development  Considerations on product marketing  Online marketing  Social media  Search engine optimisation  Direct marketing via email  Advantages and disadvantages of being first to market  Protecting your product  Lesson 9 additional reading  Review what you have been learning  Final assessment  COURSE FEATURES

• 20-hour, self-paced course
• Fully online, flexibly paced
• Optional practical tasks throughout
• Automated self-assessment tests
• “Certificate of Completion” on achieving a 60% pass rate on a final assessment

WHO SHOULD STUDY THIS COURSE?

• Product Developers
• Innovators and Inventors
• Managers and Business Owners
• Production Supervisors
• Marketing Professionals
• Anyone involved with product or service conception, design, development or marketing (in any industry)