Engineering Design Thinking Toolkit for Innovation

Equip your organisation with the latest evidence-based design thinking and engineering tools to support innovation. This program is suited to individuals looking to shift their organisation's focus towards design innovation.

Overview

Equip your organisation with the latest evidence-based design thinking and engineering tools to support innovation.

This program covers design thinking in the product design and engineering context and links to engineering tools, helping you integrate innovation into your current processes.

In this program, you are guided through your own innovation challenge by topic experts. The program can be customised to best suit the needs of your organisation through flexible module delivery.

We recommend taking this program as a team to support the concurrent application of learning within your organisation.

Who is it for?

This program is suited to professionals managing or involved in product development who are looking to shift their organisation's focus towards design and innovation. This may include engineers, designers, project managers, business development managers, product owners or improvement and quality management professionals.

In this program we will walk through your own projects thus enabling you to integrate learning into your teams. The program is best suited to be completed by teams.

Skills and learning outcomes

This program is designed as part consulting and part capability building to ensure you not only learn relevant skills but are also equipped to integrate those in your own workplace and teams.

All modules have been designed to enable you to understand and apply evidence-based methods in the workplace and will ensure that you and your team will:

  • be aware of design-led innovation and be able to identify gaps in your organisation.
  • be able to apply engineering design thinking methods in your work.

Upon conclusion, you will receive a participation certificate as evidence of your completion.

Delivery

The program consists of five, half-day modules distributed over three delivery blocks. The program concludes in a final innovation showcase. Expert consultation is provided throughout the program’s delivery.

  • Day 1: two half-day sessions
  • Day 2: two half-day sessions
  • Day 3: one half-day session and the final innovation showcase and reflection

Each block is built around self-led project work, so learnings can be applied directly to the workplace. See program structure for further information.

Both online and in-person delivery are available. Please speak our team regarding our customisable options.

Program Structure

Modules are designed to be conducted in three blocks, with learnings immediately applied to the workplace after each block.

The program can be delivered leveraging our curated sample programs or can be customised to include modules based on your requirements.

Day 1Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 2Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 3
Kick OffDesign ReviewModule 5
Module 1
Module 3
Innovation showcase & reflection
Module 2
Module 4

Modules

Customise your program by selecting from our 12 modules.

Engineering design thinking and innovation process
Agile experimentation and prototyping
Product quality improvement
Human centred design
Principals for circular design
Supplier quality assurance
Customer empathy across organisation and cultures
Modular design
Design for reliability
Tools and methods for radical creativity
Design for manufacturing and assembly
Design verification and validation

Sample Programs

Select from one of our curated programs.

Innovation Focus

Day 1Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 2Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 3
Kick OffDesign ReviewPrincipals for circular design
Engineering design thinking and innovation process
Tools and methods for radical creativity
Innovation showcase & reflection
Human centred design
Agile experimentation and prototyping

Quality Focus

Day 1Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 2Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 3
Kick OffDesign ReviewSupplier quality assurance
Engineering design thinking and innovation process
Product quality improvement
Innovation showcase & reflection
Design for manufacturing and assembly
Design verification and validation

General Program

Day 1Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 2Self-led project work
3-6 months
Weekly conference calls
Day 3
Kick OffDesign ReviewDesign verification and validation
Engineering design thinking and innovation process
Principals for circular design
Innovation showcase & reflection
Agile experimentation and prototyping
Product quality improvement

Instructors

Prof. Katja Hölttä-Otto
Prof. Katja Hölttä-Otto

Prof. Katja Hölttä-Otto, Professor of Engineering Design, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne

Dr. Hölttä-Otto works in design theory and methodology with specific emphasis on interdisciplinary topics linked to engineering design and has over 15 years’ experience coaching interdisciplinary industry innovation projects all over the world. She conducts corporate innovation and design thinking training and has worked with several engineering and service firms globally.

As an interdisciplinary design education expert, Dr. Hölttä-Otto is known for her active, hands-on approach to innovative product development. Her expertise includes empathy and user centred design, design for circular economy, creativity in engineering, and design thinking and design methods. She is also active in complex system design, including design of product families and
repurposing of decommissioned systems.

Prof. Kevin Otto
Prof. Kevin Otto

Prof. Kevin Otto, Professor of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of Melbourne

Professor Otto has over 30 years of experience in industry projects with research in modularity and manufacturability. He is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt and has trained hundreds of engineers.

His research expertise is in uncertainty quantification and optimisation to reduce production variability using both online and offline modelling and experimentation. This includes robust design optimisation to ensure confidence levels against probabilistic risk of performance compliance.

He has a particular interest in model calibration, uncertainty quantification from multiple sources, including test and fabrication, and the study of variability reduction across modular product families.

Fees

Fees include all materials and comprehensive feedback.

To develop and customise a program suitable to your needs, please contact a member of our team.

Contact

Please contact a member of our team regarding your enquiries:

James McFadries
Senior Business Development Manager
E: james.mcfadries@unimelb.edu.au 
T: +61 (03) 8344 2869