Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/customer-insights-orientation

Introduction

# Course Review: Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation If you’re interested in enhancing your ability to develop innovative products that truly resonate with customers, then the Coursera course **"Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation"** is an excellent choice. This course is part of the Customer Insights and New Product Development (CIPD) specialization and acts as a crucial starting point for anyone looking to master the art and science of product development through customer insights. ## Course Overview The course is structured into five well-defined modules, encompassing a comprehensive approach to understanding customer needs and translating them into successful product opportunities. Through a blend of theoretical knowledge and hands-on project experiences, learners will acquire practical skills that can be immediately applied in real-world scenarios. From discovering what makes a product great to the intricacies of customer journey mapping, the curriculum covers all essential aspects of customer insights and product development. ### Module Breakdown - **Module 0: Orientation and Introduction to the Case Study Method** The course begins with an orientation that introduces you to fellow learners and the learning platform. You will gain the necessary technical skills to navigate the course and learn how to analyze business situations using case studies. This section sets the stage for collaborative learning and thoughtful engagement. - **Module 1: What Makes a Great New Product** In this module, you'll delve into the crucial reasons behind new product success and failure. By understanding the high stakes involved in product development, you’ll appreciate the role creativity plays in innovative design. The module draws on best practices from successful firms and entrepreneurs, providing you with valuable insights into effective product development. - **Module 2: Product Development Customer Knowledge Requirement** This segment focuses on the necessity of customer knowledge throughout the product development cycle. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods will be introduced, helping you understand how these approaches can provide deeper insights into your customers' needs and preferences. - **Module 3: Identifying the Voice of Your Customer** At the heart of customer-centric product design is the need to hear and understand the voice of your customer. This module emphasizes methods for observing customer behavior—both actively and passively—allowing you to identify their needs and expectations. - **Module 4: Design Thinking and Customer Journey Maps** The final module teaches you about journey mapping, a powerful tool for visualizing the customer experience. You’ll learn to identify key touchpoints in customer engagement and translate those insights into actionable product development strategies. ## Why Take This Course? The **"Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation"** course is not just a theoretical exploration; it equips you with practical skills that are highly relevant in today's market. Here are some key reasons why you should consider enrolling: 1. **Hands-On Learning**: The integration of project experiences allows you to apply concepts in real-life product development scenarios. 2. **Diverse Perspectives**: Engage with a global community of learners and gain insights from different markets and customer bases. 3. **Expert Instruction**: The course is designed and taught by professionals with extensive industry experience, ensuring that the content is not only relevant but up-to-date with current trends and practices. 4. **Flexible Learning**: As an online course, it allows you to learn at your own pace while providing access to a wealth of resources. ## Conclusion In an era where understanding customer needs is critical to product success, the **"Customer Insights: New Product Development Orientation"** course on Coursera offers an invaluable foundation for aspiring product developers. Whether you're a marketer, entrepreneur, or anyone involved in product design and development, this course will empower you to harness customer insights effectively and drive innovative solutions. I highly recommend this course for anyone seeking to become proficient in customer-led product development. The skills and knowledge gained here will undoubtedly set you apart in the competitive landscape of new product development. Enroll now and embark on your journey to becoming a product development expert!

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.

Overview

This course is the first in the Customer Insights and New Product Development (CIPD) specialization. It will introduce learners to the tools and process of gathering customer insights for identifying and developing new product opportunities. Through an integrated set of five modules and hands-on project experiences, learners will acquire the knowledge and skills to turn their ideas gained from understanding customer needs into innovative new products.

Skills

Reviews

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

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

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

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

Good explanation of Concepts\n\nAdditional readings have practical examples