The document describes two prototypes tested with an employer to get feedback on incorporating activities at school according to real employer needs to facilitate the school to work transition. Prototype 1 was a poster outlining design specialties, which received feedback to create specialties taught together with employer resources. Prototype 2 was a 3 hour class with students and employer, where students proposed new product ideas. The employer's feedback was to start working together, showing interest in the second prototype approach.

1. Prototype and Test
Gerardo Muniz
Design Thinking Workshop
1

2. 2
Problem Statement:
Employers need the policies to participate in
education process with Universities to get a
successful School to Work transition.
Selected Idea
Incorporate activities at school according real
needs of external organizations (employers).
Two prototypes were defined, built and tested. The same
employer interacted with both to receive more feedback about
solution. The employer was from product development industry
at Monterrey, Mexico, interested in the skills of Industrial Design
students.

3. 3
Prototype 1
Description: A simple poster with significant design fields that impact the design of products
and services, according global trends, was used to talk about selected solution with employer.
1. Design
Management
Northern Mexican Industry
2. User-centered
Design
3. Sustainable Design of
Products and Services
4. Diseño Virtual
(Virtual Design)
3
Master Program in
design and
innovation
Industrial
Designer
5. Object /
Accessory Design
Reinforcement of Skills for Industrial Design Students
Required by Northern Mexican Industry

4. 4
Test of Prototype 1 & Feedback from Employer
Test and feedback: The test was taken at employer´s office. The prototype was an excellent
media to receive feedback from employer. The main feedback was to create specialties for
industrial design students with support of the company with resources and employees
working together with teaches in the classroom.
Working together with the employer for a couple of hours more, the required specialties were
defined and are shown below. No important interest in Master programs was shown from
employer.
2. User-Centered Design: Specialty to develop a user-centered perspective to provide
through design a user’s total experience. The creative environment goes from the
spatial, object to emotional communication with a deep understanding of human factors.
3. Sustainable Product & Service Design: Specialty to provide the right skills to
develop new innovative and sustainable products and services with technical feasibility
(through knowledge of materials and manufacture process), with good design,
combining functionality, relevance and visual appeal.
1. Design Management: Specialty to bridge the disciplines of design and business
management. Provide an executive education focused on the special needs of
design teams in creative/ innovative industries.

5. 5
4. Virtual Design: Specialty to provide the computer-aided design skills needed to
manage all required virtual designs of new products, services and experiences in the
early stages of the development process.
5. Transportation: Specialty to provide creative and technical skills to design solutions
of mobility or not-mobility of people in any environment in the large cities of Mexico.

6. 6
Prototype 2 & Test
Description of prototype and test: A 3 hours class was proposed to the employer with a group
of 30 industrial design students led by a industrial design teacher and a employee. The topic
was the impact of technology and design in the development of new products. Ten low cost
products were purchased and used in class, so students in teams performed a design and
technology benchmark and then they could propose innovative ideas of new products and
services according agreed specifications of teacher and employee. Employer attended the last
hour of class.

7. 7
Students working in teams on class

8. 8
Feedback from Employer about prototype 2
I just want to mention one of the most
interesting comments from employer after class:
When can we start working together?