Course Title: Originate and develop concepts

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2012

Course Code: BUSM6246C

Course Title: Originate and develop concepts

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6091 - Advanced Diploma of Advertising

Course Contact : Graham Airey

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5473

Course Contact Email:graham.airey@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Elaine Holstein (course teacher)

9925 5155

Nominal Hours: 30

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

Nil

Course Description

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to originate and develop concepts for products, programs, processes or services to an operational level. More specifically, you will be required to evaluate and explore needs and opportunities, develop a range of creative approaches, refine concepts and develop concepts to an operational level.

If you are undertaking this course in Melbourne from semester 2, 2012 onward your class will be held in a device-equipped teaching space. Each student group will have access to a laptop. It is however recommended that you have access to a mobile computing device to allow greater flexibility in terms of where you can work on campus both in and outside class times.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	BSBCRT501A Originate and develop concepts
Element:	1. Evaluate and explore needs and opportunities
Performance Criteria:	1.1. Research and evaluate existing information that informs new concept development 1.2. Where appropriate, identify and use gaps in current range of products, programs, processes or services as the catalyst for generating new ideas or concepts 1.3. Expand the potential of new ideas through exploration of opportunities beyond the obvious 1.4. Identify factors that could have an impact on ideas or concepts to be developed, including potential for commercialisation 1.5. Determine whether other players are filling identified gaps or investigating similar opportunities 1.6. Develop preliminary ideas on innovative and different ways to address needs and opportunities 1.7. In consultation with relevant stakeholders, agree on broad parameters for developing ideas and concepts to meet market
Element:	2. Develop a range of creative approaches
Performance Criteria:	2.1. Use a range of creative thinking techniques to generate innovative and creative concepts to address identified needs 2.2. Challenge, test and experiment with different concepts and ideas as part of a collaborative process 2.3. Evaluate concepts in terms of their suitability for the target audience or purpose, their feasibility and their commercial potential 2.4. Take account of social, ethical and environmental issues as concepts and ideas are generated and discussed 2.5. Identify resources required to achieve desired creative and innovative outcomes 2.6. Evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for achieving desired outcomes 2.7. Select concepts or approaches that achieve required outcomes in an innovative and feasible way 2.8.Present proposed concepts or approaches in an appropriate format
Element:	3. Refine concepts
Performance Criteria:	3.1. Ensure concept development process is open to ongoing refinement and testing 3.2. Seek input and feedback on concepts from relevant stakeholders 3.3. Seek specialist advice on creative and technical aspects of proposals as required 3.4. Compare concepts with best practice examples of similar products, programs, processes or services 3.5. Use a range of creative and practical criteria to determine the advantages and disadvantages of different concepts 3.6. Evaluate constraints on the realisation of concepts or ideas 3.7.Refine proposals based on analysis and feedback
Element:	4. Develop concepts to an operational level
Performance Criteria:	4.1. Use refined concepts as the basis for developing detailed implementation specifications 4.2. Present specifications to relevant parties for approval, funding or endorsement 4.3. Reflect on methodology used to generate concepts and ideas and note ways of improving this in the future

Learning Outcomes

Details of Learning Activities

This course is structured to provide students with the optimum learning experience. Students will participate in a combination of group and individual assessment activities. These assessable activities will be provided through a combination of face to face teacher/student deliveries, tutorials and laboratory exercises. Additional assessable activities will also be provided to students to complete outside of timetabled time. The concepts learned will be explored through the investigation of real world and simulated environments.

Students will be assessed in this competency area by several means as outlined below.
The self-paced activities will be delivered thought various technology platforms and include your contribution to wikis and discussion threads, reflective journals, quizzes and interactive sessions.
The collaborative classroom based activities will include group discussion, group problem solving activities and opportunities to practice your skills in a simulated/real workplace environment. We expect you to participate and contribute in all scheduled learning activities

Teaching Schedule

Week beginning	Assessments
Week 1 – 6th Feb	Introduction to course
Week 2 – 13th Feb	Overview of the new product/concept development process
Week 3 – 20th Feb	Identifying and working with a range of stakeholders
Week 4 – 27th Feb	Essential skills of project management
Week 5 – 5th March	Budget Management for new concepts
Week 6 – 12th March Mon: Labour day PH	Opportunity ID Idea generation Opportunity ID Idea screening
Week 7 – 19th March	Opportunity ID Idea generation Opportunity ID Idea screening Continued.
Week 8 – 26th March	Opportunity ID Feasibility
Week 9 – 2nd Apr	Research and Development Technology
Week 10 – 16th Apr,	Design theory and thinking
Week 11 – 23rd April	Use of strategic alliances
Week 12 – 30th April	Strategic development
Week 13 – 7th May	Packaging • Types and roles of packaging • Packaging as part of the brand • A look at packaging as part of the new product concept Services Innovation • Overview of innovation in services • A look at the services innovation process
Week 14 – 14th May	Overview of Launch and Lifecycle Management strategy
Week 15 – 21st May	Formal group consultation with teacher
Week 16 – 28th May	Assessment 3 Concept to commercialisation due COB Monday 28th May

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

Students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.
Assessment will incorporate a variety of methods including homework and in class exercises, practical problem solving exercises, presentations and research briefs. Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.

Assessment Tasks

Task 1 - Broaden our Horizons workshops (Due Date: Outlined according to the weekly presentation schedule to be completed the first week of classes)

The objective of this activity is to encourage students to explore the concepts and theories presented from a different angle and to learn to learn from each other. In groups of 3 students will research, prepare and present to the whole group, an in depth and focussed examination of a topic that emanates from the course content. This will need to include a whole of group, or small group activity designed to provide a practical angle to a theoretical concepts. Each workshop will last for 20 mins with 10 mins questions and wrap up.

To be deemed competent in this task students must:

• Content that enriches the knowledge of class
• Interesting and engaging presentation style
• Include an activity that practically applies the new learning
• Opportunity for participants to ask questions re the workshop content and activity.

Submission Requirements: Students are required to conduct the workshop during class time. Formal written documents are not required for this task.


Task 2 Opportunity Identification: (This assessment piece is due COB Friday week 8)

The focus for assessment piece 2 is research and the exploration of concepts and creative exploration techniques. Students are required to work in designated groups 3 (maximum) and prepare an evaluation and exploration of the need for a new concept/product/service. The evaluation needs to explicitly include:

Market and Competitor analysis:
• Research, analysis and summary of a particular market (i.e. golf, fashion, tennis, mobile phones etc. identification of any gaps in existing product, program, process or services market and whether any competitors are filling the identified gaps (industry and segment SWOT, Gap analysis)

Background, idea generation and screening:
• Research into and Identification of:
o market need from the industry of their choosing
o summary of potential ideas that meet that need
• Description of preliminary concept and description of how the concept/idea was generated and screened
• Information such as existing market research, technology development, social, legal development etc. that has given rise to the need and must be addressed in new concept development
• Legal, social and ethical issues that impact the new concept.

Planning and Budgeting:
• Project plan to take the concept to initial approval to proceed to a detailed R&D – this needs to include stakeholder management plans and preliminary revenue and cost estimates

Appropriate formats and templates will be discussed with students during the course. Much of this work will be undertaken both outside of class time and some during “Practical Sessions”.

Submission Requirements: Students are required to provide a written document.

Task 3 Concept to commercialisation (This assessment piece is due COB Monday week 16)

This assessment piece is designed to provide a solid work output focus for the course content. Working in their groups students are required to prepare an evaluation and exploration of a new product need. This assessment task includes elements that could take the concept to commercialisation. Development of “product prototypes – sample designs” etc. are also included as part of this project.

The evaluation needs to explicitly include:

An Introduction to the industry and the concept

A description of the research and technology integration of the company/industry for whom the concept is being developed

A detailed description of the concept including competitive positioning (using perceptual mapping)

Design and production:
• Design specifications (2 iterations) that are capable of being briefed into production
• Prototypes or design sketches for production purposes
• A description of the design testing process that assisted in the evolution of the concept

Budgeting:
• Budget estimates for taking the product to launch, this will need to include manufacturing estimates (case study figures from industry will be provided as a benchmark)

A Stakeholder action plan for design and production.

Recommendations/risks and issues for commercialisation:
• This could include issues such as:
• Product and market testing
• Launch timing
• Any risks/issues identified in planning phase that might impact launch

Appropriate formats and templates will be discussed with students during the course. Much of this work will be undertaken both outside of class time and some during “Practical Sessions”.

Submission Requirements: Students are required to provide a written document.

Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview