PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (MEC-E3001) is aimed at students interested in developing new products, solutions or consumer goods. The problems are given and sponsored by both domestic and foreign industrial companies, who are searching for innovative cooperation with the next generation of product developers. Over the recent years students have also pursued their own projects and startup ideas in PDP. 

PROTOTYPING TOOLS AT THE DESIGN FACTORY (MEC-E3900) This course introduces the prototyping equipment at the Design Factory, including both safety procedures as well as familiarisation how to use the electronics, machining, 3D printing workshops as well as the range of other tools available (painting, woodwork, sewing, vinyl cutting etc.). The course starts with an online self-study introduction and safety preparation that can be completed at any time, after which you can enrol in different face-to-face workshop at the DF Labs prototyping facilities. This course also provides access to the DF Labs spaces outside of regular working hours.

PROTOTYPING FOR INNOVATION (MEC-E3005) is a six-week-long course diving into different purposes and techniques of prototyping. Open to all Aalto students, The course offers a combination of theory, company cases and hands-on practice in purpose driven prototyping for innovation. Groupwork is utilized during class time, but all outside-class assignments are individual assignments.

PRODUCT SUSTAINABILITY (MEC-E3007) takes interdisciplinary teams of students through a range of steps to reimagine an everyday product in more sustainable way. Each team selects a product from a range of products. The product is deconstructed and then analysed from a life-cycle perspective. The outcome of the course is presented in a final product showcase during which students discuss their products with visitors.

FOUNDATIONS IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (MEC-E3200) covers product development process and theories shaping contemporary thinking on product development and innovation. The course explores the dynamics and nuances of product development, its intersections with other organizational functions and managing such efforts.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN STARTUPS (AAN-C2060) explores key practices and organization of product development in new ventures. Through real startup cases and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn to understand user and customer needs, identify and test key assumptions in product ideas, and use feedback to guide development. Lectures and workshops introduce practical tools for ideation, prototyping, assumption testing, and MVP development.

DEVICE DESIGN (AAN-C2014) focusses on design processes and production technologies. Teams of students are given design constraints related to series size and branding, and work in teams to develop a product to solve an open-ended problem. They take a small electronic device from the initial idea stage to a production-ready plan and produce a rapid prototype.

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (AAN-C2015) is a course that introduces students to additive manufacturing (commonly known as 3D printing), and how is it used in product design. Students explore the capabilities and limitations of additive manufacturing as well as the business models associated with additive manufacturing. In practice the course shows students how to ideate and evaluate product concepts for additive manufacturing.

USER RESEARCH in PRODUCT DESIGN (AAN-C2013) explores how we can learn from people in the innovation process. Students work individually and in interdisciplinary teams on a relevant real world concept or challenge. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of user-centred design principles and the role of user research in the product design process. Students collect, record, and analyse user research data, including qualitative and quantitative techniques. Ethical concerns in user research, along with practical exercises are included.

GREEN PRODUCT DESIGN PRINCIPLES (AAN-C2016) explores essential principles and practices for designing environmentally friendly products. Students learn to integrate ecological considerations—such as material selection, energy efficiency and waste reduction into every phase of the product development process, working in multidisciplinary teams to create a set of products that represent the core principles explored in the course.

DESIGN THINKING FOR INNOVATION (JOIN-E3911) is a self-study online course covering the basics of design thinking and what it looks like in product development efforts in companies.

DESIGNING FOR FUTURES (JOIN-E3940) is a self-study online course covering the basics of speculative design in an innovation context.

EFFECTIVE IDEATION (JOIN-E3921) is a self-study online course introducing idea generation methods, facilitating ideation, as well as different tools and methods that enhance creativity when developing new solutions.

DESIGNING IMPACT (JOIN-L3000) In this course, doctoral students will examine the interconnections between their fields of research and radically creative thinking, entrepreneurial mindsets and opportunities to create sustainable solutions. The course introduces some of the scientific bases of these concepts, combining reflection with exercises to apply core principles and methods in planning the doctoral students’ own research to design for impact.

INTRODUCTION TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT (EKO-C2100), Tuotekehityksen perusteet introduces the key stages of product development and deepens understanding of the role of product development as part of company operations. Various product development processes and methods are covered in the course, with a focus on the objectives of engineering work at different stages of development through practical examples.

ENGINEERING IMPACT (MEC-E1000) is a compulsory course for master’s level mechanical engineers, exploring how mechanical engineering links to sustainability, creative solutions and the society at large. Students work on individual assignments to identify how products, technologies and careers link to sustainability goals and what we can do to advance the positive impact the field can have.

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ENGINEERING (JOIN-C2200), Tuotekehitys ja teollinen muotoilu is open to ENG and ARTS students. The course explores product development from both engineering and design perspectives. The course integrates theoretical foundations with user-centered, visual, and process-oriented methods with knowledge in manufacturing, materials, and mechanical engineering.

FOUNDER STORYTELLING (MNGT-C3010) students will analyze real-world examples of effective founder storytelling from entrepreneurs and apply these insights to their own ideas or ventures. Students will learn how founders use storytelling to attract investors, customers, and early team members by communicating credibility, purpose, and a shared sense of direction. These learnings are applied through hands-on storytelling exercises and iterative feedback.

DESIGN AND INNOVATION IN CONTEXT (TU-E4060) develops a design-driven entrepreneurial mindset, teaching students to frame challenges empathetically, apply design thinking, craft persuasive messages, and drive innovation. Students will explore how expert entrepreneurs navigate uncertainty by spotting patterns, understanding customer needs, prototyping solutions, and leveraging intuition.

FOUNDATIONS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP (MNGT-E3005) is an intensive course exploring entrepreneurship as a multifaceted phenomenon from individual, team, and institutional perspectives. Through hands-on activities, students analyze entrepreneurial behaviors, apply startup-driven tools in real-life contexts, and reflect on both the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship within the Aalto ecosystem.

OPPORTUNITY PROTOTYPING (TU-E4040) explores how expert entrepreneurs transform ideas into opportunities in uncertain environments. Students will learn to distinguish ideas from opportunities, explore creative possibilities, spot patterns, communicate effectively, and understand the entrepreneurial mindset. Through hands-on exercises and a group challenge, they will apply design-driven processes, prototype ideas, and engage co-creators to shape viable opportunities.

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (CS-C4020) Upon completing this course, students will be able to define and explain key terms and concepts in cognitive psychology, including core processes such as attention, memory, and problem solving; describe and compare major theories and models of cognition related to these processes; summarize key empirical findings in cognitive psychology; and apply cognitive psychology concepts and research evidence to real-world behaviors and experiences, including examples from human–computer interaction. Content includes attention, memory, problem solving, and decision-making, with an emphasis on how these cognitive processes shape human interaction with technology.

NEPPI – Networked Partnering and Product Innovation equips students with the knowledge and skills to create functional IoT prototypes, covering hardware, embedded software, and network-based services. Students will gain hands-on experience in IoT concept design, from contextual research to final handover, while working in multidisciplinary teams. They will learn to plan and execute user-centered design processes, define technical requirements, and develop interactive prototypes to demonstrate IoT concepts.

CAPSTONE: ENTREPRENURIAL FUTURES: FROM VISION TO ACTION (MNGT-E3011) This course is about applying entrepreneurial processes and design-oriented frameworks to tackle complex socio-economic challenges. Students identify and describe the key characteristics of such challenges, conduct and analyze primary and secondary research on real-life contexts, and reflect, both individually and collectively, on their design and learning process throughout the course. Working in multicultural, multidisciplinary teams, students lead and collaborate with others while communicating concepts verbally and visually, within and outside the team, on operative and strategic levels.

NEGOTIATION FOR SHARE SUCCESS (ABL-E2618 ) introduces contemporary negotiation theory and practice through real-world cases and hands-on exercises drawn from everyday, startup, corporate, and multicultural contexts. The course treats negotiation as a core career skill, relevant across disciplines and professions, from science and law to leadership, partnerships, customer work, and internal collaboration. Suitable both for beginners and for those refining their expertise, the course emphasizes practical preparation, clear communication, and adaptable strategies for achieving fair and sustainable outcomes in modern negotiation settings. 

KRIITTINEN LUKUPIIRI (AXM-C2011) Kurssi on pohja teoreettiselle työskentelylle ja kriittiselle ajattelulle visuaalisen viestinnän muotoilun parissa, ja sillä luetaan, keskustellaan ja kirjoitetaan, kriittisen ajattelun ilmetessä määrittelynä, pohdintana, kyseenalaistamisena ja arvottamisena. Opiskelu tapahtuu opiskelijoiden pienryhmissä, joissa luetaan visuaalisen viestinnän alojen sisällä keskeisiksi muodostuneita tekstejä, joiden avulla hahmotetaan graafisen suunnittelun eri määrittelyitä, alan kehitystä ja siihen vaikuttaneita keskusteluita, ja arvioidaan näiden vaikutusta nykykenttään ja sen tulevaisuuteen.

SOLUTION SALES AND CUSTOMER WORK FOR ENGINEERS (TU-C3090) This course equips engineers with the capabilities to engage customers in a solution-oriented and consultative manner, from diagnosing needs to articulating compelling value propositions. Focus is on what happens after a great product is built. Who takes it to market — and how do you ensure customers choose it, love it, and stay with it?

ARTPRENEURSHIP (ARTS-A0649) Built around a real-world collaboration with an external company partner, the course guides students across seven sessions through business strategy, company functions, brief-to-proposal thinking, creative value creation, offer-making, and persuasive communication, culminating in a client simulation where student teams present collaboration proposals to the partner company’s management.

INTRODUCTION TO DOCTORAL STUDIES (ENG-L1001) Meaningful learning, research management, research impact, research ethics, career design, scientific communication and publishing, scientific practices of reading and writing, flow of work and sustainable self-management practices

IDBM CHALLENGE (JOIN-E7011) Students identify and analyze the dynamics between individual, team, and community in the context of interdisciplinary, creative problem solving, as well as the theory and practice of design-driven ways to address wicked and ill-defined problems. As a team, they apply these problem-solving methods to real-life societal and business challenges and create a solution to the challenge, while individually and collectively reflecting on the design outcomes and their learning progress.

BECOMING AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL (ELEC-D0110) is a course supporting students in articulating their competences and strengths, and in clarifying their professional direction and future career possibilities in a changing working life. The course addresses perspectives on managing uncertainty, stress, and resilience in professional life, and highlights approaches that support intentional and self-directed career development

ARTPRENEURSHIP: From Creative Potential to Entrepreneurial Ideas (ARTS-A0650) Inspired by Tina Seelig’s Innovation Circle framework, the course follows a structured yet flexible journey from idea to business, covering self-reflection, creativity and value creation, experimentation, business basics, storytelling, and the broader impact of creative entrepreneurship, culminating in the Artpreneurs’ Gala, where students present their concepts to an experienced steering group and receive professional feedback.