Kim Moon Will Instruct New Marketing Course

The Marketing Department recently introduced a new course and students are enthusiastic about its unique approach to the Design Thinking process. Instructed by Kim Moon, Senior Lecturer of Marketing, MKTG 482 Innovation Management shifts the focus away from exams and places it on creating a highly-collaborative environment. “Students who are interested in New Product Development as a career should consider taking MKTG 482. This dynamic course is similar to a learning lab, which is unlike any other marketing course at UIC Business.”

MKTG 482 Innovation Management debuted in the spring. What inspired the department to offer this learning experience?

During the past year, the Marketing Department has reviewed and revised the course offerings in the undergraduate marketing program and the faculty are excited about the new changes.

We have also restructured the concentrations that we offer. The purpose is to provide course pathways that are clearly aligned with career opportunities in the Chicagoland area and to offer more options and depth of content within each concentration that equips students with relevant skills.

As the instructor, what are you most looking forward to? 

I am looking forward to the corporate partnerships which provide a unique learning experience.

MKTG 482 is targeted to students who can’t make the two-semester IXD commitment but have a strong interest in the Design Thinking approach to Innovation. Unlike IXD, it is focused on the innovation framework from a pure marketing perspective. This course is unique in that it offers students an experience to explore Design Thinking methodologies from three different perspectives: products, services, and systems. Similar to IXD, it is focused on human-centered research and outcomes.

Shifting the focus away from exams, this course will emphasize the use of 3M Post-It Notes, sharpies, project boards, and small teams. What skillsets can students hope to build while learning the course material and completing projects in such a unique way? 

Students work in small cohorts or teams to explore problem statements for their firm. There are three course outcomes for the Innovation Management: At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to solve complex problems using Design Thinking methods, develop innovative solutions, and deliver recommendations for market growth.

Describe the lifetime value of understanding Innovation Management principles. How can this information enhance a student’s career journey?

Partnering with actual firms allows students to build their resume before they graduate. I often tell my students that is very important for them to develop their strategic marketing skillsets, as they will not get multiple-choice exams when they start their new job.  With courses like Innovation Management, students are able to make this transition earlier and gain invaluable experience solving marketing problems.

How did these principles influence the way you approached your work as a senior brand marketer and currently as a Senior Lecturer of Marketing for UIC Business? 

My work with the IXD course and now Innovation Management has prompted me to rethink my teaching philosophy. What I heard from students is that they appreciated the collaborative and creative nature of the class. As the instructor, I found Innovation Management to be more fluid than my other courses. I am now looking at opportunities to leverage the principles from this course. I am curious about exploring how the learning outcomes for my Brand Management and Advertising & Promotions courses can be improved by incorporating the Design Thinking core principles.