Ann Arbor, MI - Struggling to adjust to major life disruptions caused by the pandemic, many people are longing to gain an increased sense of self-sufficiency and life control. University of Michigan students in this semester's Integrated Product Development (IPD) created brand new products that help fill this need.

The student-generated products include:

evertree - a handcrafted study tool that helps you reimagine your productivity as it lights up over time according to your focus duration

Fit4U - an adaptable fitness system that provides game-styled organization and instruction, and allows you to connect with friends

Micro Motives - movement-sensing tiles that connect to your mobile device to help you turn goals into long-term habits

Standalone - a fall prevention exercise board that gives live feedback to promote senior independence

The popular IPD course - hosted by the Tauber Institute - brings together students from Michigan Engineering, Ross School of Business, School of Information, and STAMPS School of Art & Design to form multidisciplinary teams that apply their combined academic skillsets to real-world product design challenges. Co-instructors Eric Svaan of the Ross School of Business and Stephanie Tharp of the STAMPS School provide students with opportunities for external feedback during their design and production process, including candid assessments from a panel of experienced industry reviewers.

In addition to conceptualizing, designing, and building completely new products, the student teams also devise a full range of business and marketing materials for their product launch. Their process culminated in the IPD Online Trade Show April 14-20, when volunteers from across the University of Michigan community reviewed the student-designed product websites and videos, then could "vote" for the best new products by filling their virtual shopping carts with favorite items that fit within a $150 virtual budget.



Learn more about enrolling in the IPD course.

See IPD product videos from past semesters.

Contact: Theresa Ceccarelli, Marketing Manager / [email protected] / 734-647-0308

The Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan is a joint venture between the Michigan Ross School of Business and Michigan Engineering, working together with industry partners to facilitate cross-disciplinary education in global operations management. The Tauber Institute is an inaugural recipient of the UPS George D. Smith Prize for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research, management science, or analytics. For more information visit www.tauber.umich.edu.