TOUCHSTONE 1: Design a New Product

OVERVIEW: You will conceive of a new product and complete a FAD (features, attributes, and design) template to describe the idea, the requirements for production, ideas for marketing, and the differentiating features that will make your product competitive.

Review the tutorial on marketing and product development for an explanation of the FAD template and an example completed template. Please only submit work entered directly into the template provided.

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Download the FAD Template

Helpful Links:

A. Assignment

STEP 1: Come up with an idea.

The first step is to either conceive of an idea for a product that is distinct from any other on the market or pick an example from the list below. For the assignment to be successful, we recommend a low-price consumer product like a new kind of packaged food, a utility app, or a home improvement product. You are not graded on the idea itself, so don’t worry if yours isn’t a world-changing breakthrough! It could be something as simple as a new flavor of chewing gum or a single-function kitchen tool. It may also be a strategic repackaging of an existing product for a blue ocean market. If you are really stuck, we have a few suggestions below; feel free to use any one of them, and feel free to alter one if it inspires an even better idea.

Remember that new products almost always cater to a real or imagined need, so your own idea might come about at a moment of frustration or disappointment. In the tutorials, Gordon’s idea for an electric bike came when he struggled uphill on a bicycle. Your idea should come at a similar moment, whether it is wishing a task were easier or wishing there was something new and different to liven up your day.

While we hope you come up with an idea of your own, if you are stuck, you may use one of these ideas:

Instant Smoothie Packs: Pre-portioned packs of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables that you just blend with water or milk for a quick, healthy smoothie.
Toothpaste Tablets: Solid toothpaste tablets that you chew to create a paste, reducing plastic waste.
Emergency Phone Charger: A compact power generator that can charge your phone with solar power, a wind-operated turbine, or a hand crank in case of an emergency.
Meal Planner: An app that learns your tastes, schedule, and habits to recommend meal plans and generate shopping lists.
USB Projector: A small device that can connect to the USB port in any computer or phone and project the device’s screen on a screen or wall, for quick, on-the-fly presentations.

STEP 2: Complete the FAD template.

Download the FAD template if you have not already done so. Open the document and answer each question regarding your product idea. The questions will help you develop and explain your concept. Remember to complete the table of considerations for item #6.

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Download the FAD Template

STEP 3: Submit your Touchstone.

Once you have completed the template and reviewed your work to make sure it is clear, complete, and correct, it is time to submit your document.

Please submit work entered directly into the template provided to ensure all questions are answered and the touchstone is complete.

B. Requirements

All content must be original, created for this assignment, and appropriate for an academic audience.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited, including the use of AI-generated content.
Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your paper.
Use a conventional 12-point font like Times New Roman.
Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

C. Rubric

	Advanced (100%)	Proficient (85%)	Acceptable (75%)	Needs Improvement (50%)	Non-Performance (0%)
Coherence Student answers all questions clearly, completely, and with internal consistency. (40%)	Touchstone is complete, answering all questions and meeting the length requirement, is internally consistent, and is clearly presented.	Touchstone is mostly complete but may not quite meet the length requirement and/or may be missing complete answers on one question.	Touchstone is not complete and does not meet the length requirement and/or may be missing complete answers on two to three questions.	Touchstone is missing significant information and/or does not meet the length requirement and/or may be missing complete answers on more than three questions.	So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.
Concepts Student demonstrates thorough understanding of product design and development concepts covered in the tutorials. (40%)	Touchstone applies at least three concepts from the tutorials in Unit 1, and answers are realistic and consistent with the tutorial information.	Touchstone applies at least three concepts from the tutorials in Unit 1, but answers may be slightly unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information.	Touchstone applies at least two concepts from the tutorials, and/or some answers are unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information.	Touchstone only applies one or more concepts from the tutorials, and answers are unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information.	So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.
Conventions Student meets conventions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. (20%)	Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.	Includes fewer than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.	Includes five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.	Includes more than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.	Includes consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage.