Innovations emerge from complex, dynamic, iterative processes. But how do designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, managers and users create opportunities and generate ideas for innovation? How are ideas developed into successful products, services and systems? This module uses contemporary case studies to explore such questions. It goes beyond innovation for commercial advantage – considering how innovation can contribute to developing a more sustainable future through responsible design. The module includes a design and innovation project where you’ll identify and research a problem and develop a solution.
What you will study
Central to the module is a project that will allow you to apply some of the concepts and methods you will learn.
The module is structured into two parts, each consisting of three blocks that explore different aspects of innovation.
In Part 1, you’ll focus on how opportunities and ideas for innovation are created.
Next, in Part 2, you’ll consider how ideas for innovation are implemented and may result in widespread adoption. In this second part of the module, you’ll begin working on your project.
The study material, delivered online, extensively uses a range of media and resources to support your learning.
Part 1 – Creating ideas and opportunities for innovation
Block 1: Exploring innovation sets the scene for the whole module. This block presents a number of case studies, including mobile phones and racing bikes, that introduce you to the design and innovation process, its outputs as product, service, or system innovations, and its impacts. At the end of this block, a model, which is used throughout the module to enable you to understand the design and innovation process, is presented.
Block 2: Sustainable innovation focuses on how design and innovation can address significant challenges such as waste and climate change, and how the relationships between products, people and context offer opportunities to design things differently. This block will help you critically evaluate design and innovation practices and to integrate social, technical and environmental knowledge in design thinking.
Block 3: Visions for change considers the role of visions of change in creating and promoting opportunities and ideas for design and innovation. It introduces approaches and tools for developing visions of change and ends with a discussion of the responsibilities and ethics of design and innovation.
Part 2 – Implementing ideas for widespread adoption
Block 4: Innovation projects: working for change focuses on designing product, system, and service innovations. You will learn how to undertake a design and innovation project and develop a design brief from your ideas. This block will help you select, use and evaluate various tools and methods to help with your design and innovation project.
Block 5: Creating concepts: places for people explores the processes and outcomes that contribute to making sustainable homes and built environments, to show how design specifications and concepts are developed as part of the innovation process. It will equip you with the design thinking skills and tools to help you further develop your project.
Block 6: Implementing innovation: transport futures draws on case studies of projects in the area of transport and mobility to show how the details of an innovative product, service, or system are developed. This block considers how the case for implementing these innovations is made and presents tools to assist in this process and help you plan how your project might be advanced beyond the module.
Entry requirements
This module builds on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from previous studies at OU levels 1 and 2.
It's an interdisciplinary module, suitable for students with a wide range of interests – arts, design, engineering, environment or business – whether you have a technical background or not.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment
What's included
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
assessment details and submission section
online tutorial access
access to student forums.
Additionally, the website includes:
a module guide
an accessibility guide
access to our OpenDesignStudio
software downloads, including Ansys Granta EduPack and CompendiumDS (an idea mapping tool)
alternative format module materials (e.g. EPUB,.mobi).
You will need
a device to take digital images of your work (e.g. a phone/digital camera or scanner)
access to a printer
a device to take digital videos of your work (desirable, but not essential).
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying T317 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Innovation: designing for change (T317) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2027.
It will be replaced with Design for transformation (T340) after October 2027.