Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

MODULE 0: Orientation and Introduction to the Case Study Method

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course. You will also become familiar with the tools and process of analyzing a business situation.

MODULE 1: What Makes a Great New Product

The high risk and cost of new product failure highlights the importance of understanding the reasons for new product successes and failures. In this module, we will identify and discuss the major reasons for new product development successes and failures. You will experience first-hand the value of creativity in developing a new product and examine the best practices of successful firms and entrepreneurs.

MODULE 2: Product Development Customer Knowledge Requirement

This module will begin by providing an overview of the customer knowledge requirements across stages of the product development cycle. It will then provide a brief overview of qualitative and quantitative research methods and its benefits in understanding customer needs in product development.

MODULE 3: Identifying the Voice of Your Customer

This module will provide a conceptual overview of the voice of the customer method for identifying customer needs and expectations for a product or service. This module emphasizes the use of active and passive methods of observing customer behaviors.

MODULE 4: Design Thinking and Customer Journey Maps

The purpose of the journey map is to identify the touch points of engagement with customers and to identify customer needs and expectations through the eye of the customer and their experiences.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides practical examples and case studies, which enhances learning experiences

Examines the key aspects of new product development, which is relevant in various industries

Introduces the concept of voice of the customer, which is essential for understanding customer needs

Emphasizes customer research and analysis, which are highly sought-after skills in the market

Provides an integrated approach to customer insights and new product development, which aligns with industry practices

Introduces design thinking and customer journey mapping techniques

Reviews summary

Product innovation orientation

Learners say that this product innovation course is well organized and engaging. New Product Development Orientation starts from the beginning and covers product concept development through mapping customer experience. Students also enjoy learnings from engaging and thought-provoking quizzes throughout the course.

Students learn from assignments graded by classmates

"Peer reviewing my assignment before I can receive a grade was nerve wrecking."

"I reviewed more peer assignment than was asked for and it took weeks for that to be reciprocated and my assignment graded!"

"Exercises and peer revision is just great! learned a lot from my colleagues' perspective!"

Learn through interactive quizzes and assignments

"Amazing experience with William sir."

"Great course , I really enjoy every session and was very interactive .Thank you coursera"

"The course is good and nicely explained the ways and means to capture Customers Insights and development new products."

Instructor explains material in a clear way

"I really liked the way Prof. William Qualls explained everything lucidly that was easy to grasp even to a novice like me."

"A very refreshing melange of quirky nuances of the market very neatly portraying the insight that is required for product development."

"Very enlightening!"

Some examples in the lectures are outdated

"Cons:-Old data. often we are talking about data from 90's or 2000's."

"The most recent set of data I remember from the course is >5 years"

"It is not clear why we didn't follow that path more often"

Grading fairness is questionable with peer review

"However, since it is graded by your peers, some may not necessarily honest in rating your grades."

"The quiz is somewhat bizarre in layout and format since it grades your responses word-by-word."

"I think it is far better than quizes to make you think on what you learned."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation with these activities:

Create a curated collection of relevant articles and resources

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Organize and review a collection of articles, research papers, and other resources related to customer insights and new product development.

Browse courses on Customer Insights

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Identify and gather relevant articles, research papers, and online resources.
Organize the materials into a logical structure, such as topics or categories.
Review the materials periodically to reinforce your understanding and stay updated on industry trends.

Read 'The Innovator's Solution'

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Examine the principles of disruptive innovation and their relevance to customer insights and new product development.

View The Disruptive Innovation Set (2 Books) on Amazon

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Read the book thoroughly, highlighting key passages and making notes.
Summarize the main concepts of disruptive innovation in your own words.
Identify examples of disruptive innovations in various industries.
Discuss the implications of disruptive innovation for customer insights and new product development.

Attend a workshop on design thinking

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Engage in a hands-on workshop to develop design thinking skills, promoting creative problem-solving and customer-centric product development.

Browse courses on Design Thinking

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Research and identify a relevant workshop on design thinking.
Attend the workshop, actively participating in exercises and discussions.
Reflect on the workshop experience and apply design thinking principles to your own product development projects.

Four other activities

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Conduct customer interviews

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Gain practical experience in gathering customer insights through interviews, developing an understanding of customer needs and behaviors.

Browse courses on Customer Needs

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Prepare a list of interview questions focusing on customer needs and product expectations.
Identify potential interviewees who represent your target customer base.
Conduct the interviews, actively listening to customer perspectives.
Analyze the interview data, identifying common themes and insights.

Develop a customer journey map

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Visualize the customer journey to identify touchpoints and areas for improvement, fostering a customer-centric approach to product development.

Browse courses on Customer Journey Maps

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Identify the key stages in the customer journey for your product or service.
Gather data on customer interactions at each stage.
Create a visual representation of the customer journey, highlighting touchpoints and pain points.
Analyze the customer journey map and identify areas for improvement.

Join a peer group for product development discussions

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Engage in discussions with peers in the field of product development to exchange ideas, share best practices, and learn from different perspectives.

Browse courses on Product Development

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Identify and join an online or offline peer group focused on product development.
Attend regular meetings or discussions, actively participating in knowledge exchange.
Share your own insights, experiences, and challenges with the group.

Start developing a prototype for a new product or feature

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Put your knowledge and skills into practice by developing a tangible prototype, solidifying your understanding of the product development process.

Browse courses on Product Development

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Identify a problem or opportunity that you want to address with a new product or feature.
Research and gather insights on the target market and their needs.
Develop a concept and design for the new product or feature.
Create a prototype of the product or feature using appropriate tools and resources.
Test the prototype with potential customers and gather feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Marketing Research Analyst

**Marketing Research Analysts** gather, analyze, and interpret market data to help companies understand their customers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Research Analyst

Product Manager

**Product Managers** are responsible for the development and launch of new products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Innovation Consultant

**Innovation Consultants** help companies develop new products and services.

See salaries and explore the career path for Innovation Consultant

User Experience Researcher