Applied Sciences Honours Classes

The content of this series of Honours Classes supports the Company Project of the Master honours students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. In these Honours Classes, students reflect on the challenges they meet in working on their Company Project.

The content of these Honours Classes relate to both company and student team sides. On the company side important aspects like corporate identity and image, company vision, mission and strategy, new product and process design and development targets and methodologies, marketing approaches, advertising and promotion.

For communication within and outside the student teams aspects as team roles and personal en team profiles, project and time management, idea generation, creativity, analysis, evalation, reasoning, argumentation, reporting, presenting and negotiation, and credibility.

Depending on the needs of the students and their assignments, the theme order and priorities may vary. These Honours Classes depart from theoretical backgrounds on these themes, which are made practical during five consecutive interactive sessions.

1. Intro: course overview and The Company and Project

- The Company:

- Corporate identity and image, company vision, mission and strategy, new product and process design and development targets and methodologies, marketing approaches, advertising and promotion.

- Innovation and industry

- The Project - BOSCARD

- Background

- Why this project, how does this fit into company strategy / innovation portfolio

- What problem will be solved - what are alternatives to address

- What are the effects (SHEETS) when design solution is in place.

2. The Team

- Personal Quality Quadrant

- Belbin

- Team Roles - SWOT analysis

- Different project phases call for different team role to take the lead

- Personal feedback - receiving and giving.

3. Executing the Project

- Innovation through design - design methodologies

- Design methodologies linked to Innovation classes and types

- QFD, VDI2221, Total Design (Pugh), Product Design and Development (Ulrich, Eppinger), V-model (Prorail?), Sustainable Design (cradle to cradle, blue economy, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

- Design methods for (chemical) products

- Choice of design methodology, phases and activities

- Project and Time Planning approach, methodology, phases and activity and time planning

- Creativity for synthesizing various options (design, project execution, communication)

- Communication within the team, reporting design activities;

- Set report and presentation formats early on; organise communication and cooperation.

- Discussing/convincing/negotiating within the team (roles, tasks, planning, design approach, design solutions, communication)

- Develop and use presentation on the go

4. Communicating and Reporting (to stakeholders)

- Within the team - activity reports - tables/figures - text - ppt slides (see point 3.)

- Report: Key parts - Summary, - Main Report , Appendices;

- Presentation: Key parts: Title Page, Introduction en Project Objectives, Supporting evidence for Conclusions en Recommendations, Conclusions en Recommendation

- Quality control on communication (FOOFI's list)

5. Reflection and lessons learned - report and present to lecturer and peers

- Write personal reflection on Company Project - Personal lessons learned for each of the 4 lessons/themes (max. 1 A4 per theme)

- Present personal reflection on Company Project to peer group - personal lessons learned for each of the 4 lessons/themes in two formats: elevator pitch (1 minute - no slides); presentation max 10 slides.

- Topics to cover:

- What did you do differently for this project in comparison from previous projects?

- What will you (again) do differently in future projects?