Presented By: Penny W Stamps School of Art & Design
Integrated Product Development: Online Product Launch
The Fall 2025 IPD Online Product Launch runs from December 2 at 12 p.m. through December 5 at 12 p.m. During this time, members of the public are invited to explore a virtual marketplace by visiting the IPD Voting Website. Each participant is given a hypothetical budget to allocate across products based on personal preferences.
The challenge concludes with an in-person Product Launch on December 8, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., in the Ross School of Business Winter Garden. Guests will have the opportunity to interact directly with student teams, experience the products in person, and vote for their favorites. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the winning team.
THE CHALLENGE
This year’s theme, “Material Matters,” asks students to design products that weave sustainability into outdoor products and experiences. Student teams employ sustainably-oriented textiles in physical, digital, or hybrid “phygital” products that support engagement with the outdoors – from balconies to backyards to ballparks to beaches to bayous and beyond.
THE COURSE
The University of Michigan’s Integrated Product Design (IPD) program brings together interdisciplinary teams of students from business, engineering, information, and design. Students collaborate in cross-functional teams to operate as independent companies competing in a specific product market.
Each semester, IPD focuses on a unique design challenge, and asks teams to operate as independent firms competing in that market. The curriculum combines lectures with hands-on work, guiding teams through critical stages such as customer discovery, concept generation, technical development, production planning, pricing, and marketing.
The IPD Challenge is more than a classroom project. It’s a hands-on experience that pushes students to create solutions that could shape industries. By integrating business strategy with technical feasibility and user-centered design, the competition mirrors the real-world product development process. Students don’t just build prototypes—they develop go-to-market strategies and refine their concepts based on real feedback.
The challenge concludes with an in-person Product Launch on December 8, from 5:30–7:30 p.m., in the Ross School of Business Winter Garden. Guests will have the opportunity to interact directly with student teams, experience the products in person, and vote for their favorites. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the winning team.
THE CHALLENGE
This year’s theme, “Material Matters,” asks students to design products that weave sustainability into outdoor products and experiences. Student teams employ sustainably-oriented textiles in physical, digital, or hybrid “phygital” products that support engagement with the outdoors – from balconies to backyards to ballparks to beaches to bayous and beyond.
THE COURSE
The University of Michigan’s Integrated Product Design (IPD) program brings together interdisciplinary teams of students from business, engineering, information, and design. Students collaborate in cross-functional teams to operate as independent companies competing in a specific product market.
Each semester, IPD focuses on a unique design challenge, and asks teams to operate as independent firms competing in that market. The curriculum combines lectures with hands-on work, guiding teams through critical stages such as customer discovery, concept generation, technical development, production planning, pricing, and marketing.
The IPD Challenge is more than a classroom project. It’s a hands-on experience that pushes students to create solutions that could shape industries. By integrating business strategy with technical feasibility and user-centered design, the competition mirrors the real-world product development process. Students don’t just build prototypes—they develop go-to-market strategies and refine their concepts based on real feedback.
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