A design class that gives students free rein

'Fluenta', the lake bin. Alain Herzog 2022 EPFL - The class, which is part of the Master of Science in Microengineering program, lets students experience the design process from start to finish. The idea behind the Product Design & Systems Engineering class couldn-t be simpler: students have to design and build an object that serves a purpose. -That's the only instruction we give them,- says Prof. Yves Bellouard, who heads the Galatea Lab at EPFL's School of Engineering (STI). The class was launched in 2016 as a way to get students working as a team and experiencing the entire design process, from developing a concept to making a prototype. Over the course of three months, groups of six students carry out market research, build a prototype, deliver a presentation and write a technical report that includes a patent proposal. Each team has a maximum budget of just 500 Swiss francs.