3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

A number of courses are offered on product design yet safety is rarely considered as an essential element of design. Learning how to predict and prevent any potential harm should be an early step in product development. In this project-oriented class, multi-disciplinary teams will identify and propose remedies for potential hazards associated with the design of products such as: venetian blinds (strangulation), snow blowers (amputation), and a wide variety of homemade products now being sold through home business consortiums such as Etsy. Students will learn about product design from the perspectives of engineering, injury prevention, law and policy, and behavioral science through a combination of didactic and experiential approaches. This will be a three credit course with a fourth credit available to those students who wish to implement a design of their choice.