Experiencing Human-Centered Design in Action
March 2023 Auston Ferrarer’s summer work with Johnson & Johnson led to a full-time job with the company, which he'll start after hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Inside Our Program
A Passion for Problems
January 2023 Sydney Bernstein talks about how the EDI program helped prepare her to work at IA Collaborative and how she approaches her work through human-centered design.
The Milwaukee Tool Five
January 2023 Five EDI graduates work together at Milwaukee Tool, helping create innovative tools and worksite solutions while implementing the human-centered design skills they honed at Northwestern.
Fifteen Years Forward
December 2022 EDI Director Amy O'Keefe looks back on the program's 15th anniversary and ahead to her hopes for the program's future.
Sharing a Passion for Design Research
October 2022 Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) alumni Alyssa Brown and Erica Isaacs are sharing their perspective on design research with students in EDI and the Segal Design Institute.
An Intermission for Mental Health
August 2022 Roni Greenberg’s Thesis project focused on an app designed to break the downward spiral of mental illness linked to and worsened by smartphone use.
From Moonshots to Better Health
August 2022 Georgios Skoufalos (EDI '16) turned his time in the EDI program into a pathway to help focus product designs to alleviate people’s struggles.
Tracking Success Through a Design Sprint
August 2022 Recent EDI graduates reflect on the opportunity to work directly with Jiobit to help discover a potentially new audience segment.
A First-Hand Look at Physical Therapy
June 2022 Former Northwestern running back Jesse Brown (EDI ‘22) talks about how his experiences as an athlete inspired him to design a product for patients to stick with their physical therapy programs.
Imagining a Better Dating App
June 2022 For her Thesis project, Kayli Fradin (EDI '22) developed a new, safer way for people to meet online.
Sustainable Play in a Box
June 2022 Paige Hendersen (EDI '22) created an environmentally friendly subscription arts-and-crafts service for children for her Thesis in Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program.
Class of 2022: EDI Thesis Projects
April 2022 Get an inside look at what each of the EDI students created for their final Thesis projects.
EDI Thesis Projects: Novel Takes on Hybrid Design
April 2022 Students in Northwestern’s Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program demonstrate breadth and depth of their design innovation craft through individual thesis projects that illuminate each student’s unique skills as a hybrid designer.
Helping iRobot Become a Tech Lifestyle Brand
April 2022 Students in Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program collaborated with the company known for its Roomba® vacuum cleaner to address new business opportunities.
Designing with Curiosity, Bravery, and Optimism
April 2022 EDI advisory board member Kevin Bethune’s new book, Reimagining Design, reflects the optimism he brings to design during times of exponential change.
A Front-Row Seat to Interaction Design
March 2022 The three co-instructors of one of the EDI program's foundational courses talk about the unique setup of their class and how it mirrors life in the design industry.
The Many Hats of a Product Designer
March 2022 Yao Shi (EDI '14) shares her experience as a senior product designer at Uber Freight and the skills she believes are necessary to be effective in her role.
Bringing Human-Centered Design to the Job Search
February 2022 The Design Communication and Methods course helps students in Northwestern’s Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program apply design thinking to career exploration activities and assets.
Putting the Consumer First, in EDI and at P&G
February 2022 Adjunct lecturer Helen von den Steinen explains how a relationship between Procter & Gamble and Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program gives students first-hand experience with human-centered design.
Human-Centered Design Takes Flight
February 2022 SueSan Chen (EDI ‘18) shares how they apply human-centered design principles learned in Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program to large-scale projects at United Airlines.
EDI Students Learn to Stand Out Thanks to Recent Alumni
December 2021 Alumni from Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program hosted an informal reunion to share their own experiences with current EDI students.
EDI Students Look 'Through the Looking Glass'
October 2021 First-year students in the EDI program were inspired by Alice in Wonderland as part of their Design Boot Camp orientation workshop.
Leading Through the Power of Design
October 2021 Steelcase VP of Global Design and Product Engineering James Ludwig talks about his innovative Brand and Design Leadership course for students in Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program.
Designing Their Own Design Studio
October 2021 Nicholas Daniel Phillips (EDI '17) and Sergio Marquina (EDI '17) launched Studio 2133 after spending two years as classmates in Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program.
Building Community In-Person and Virtually
October 2021 EDI Co-Director Amy O'Keefe explains why collaboration is critical to the success of any service designer, whether they are working alongside their teammates or through a computer screen.
Taking Advantage of Learning Experiences During COVID-19
September 2021 Lucy Hu (EDI '20) discusses the pandemic, its impact on her EDI Thesis Project, and her professional work as a product designer for a company that created a COVID-19 PCR test.
Helping ICU Doctors and Families Communicate
September 2021 Mengxue Bi (EDI '21) discusses her EDI thesis project and how she hopes to improve knowledge and understanding between clinicians in a hospital's ICU and the families of patients being cared for.
What the Pandemic is Teaching Us About Design
July 2021 EDI Program Director Jim Wicks reflects on how COVID-19 has introduced new industries and countless leaders to the value of design thinking.
Redesigning the Theater-Going Experience
May 2021 Arijit Nerurkar (EDI '20) reflects on reimagining the classic Playbill® product as his thesis project for Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program.
Designing A Tool to Combat Math Anxiety
May 2021 Diana Jeong Ro (EDI '20) talks about her Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) thesis project and her attempt to help overcome anxiousness about math.
Encouraging Inclusivity in Competitive Gaming
May 2021 Jean Jiang (EDI '20) explored why users felt discouraged from playing online games for her EDI thesis project and designed a solution that promotes fair play and inclusivity.
Helping Libraries Connect with Teenagers
May 2021 For her Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) thesis, Kelly McComas (EDI '20) explored how libraries can become better outlets for people who do not take advantage of their vast amount of resources.
Designing a New Lair for Pet Reptiles
April 2021 Yifan Wu (EDI '20) brought together a passion for reptiles and knowledge learned in Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program to create a state-of-the-art smart home habitat for pets.
Deliberative Design Brings Biases to the Forefront
April 2021 Kristen Smith (EDI '20) reflects on their thesis project for Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program and how they are looking to reinvent the problem-solving process.
Designing a Better ICU Experience
April 2021 Chris Baggott (EDI '20) looks back on his EDI thesis project and the impact he hopes it can have on intensive care units.
Understanding Ethics and Identity in Design
March 2021 Greater Good Studio Co-Founder George Aye shares the motivation behind this new course.
Kintsugi: First-Year EDI Students Explore Art of Repair in 2020
February 2021 EDI Boot Camp invites new students to build skills and community virtually through distributed design practice.
EDI Application Questions Answered
January 2021 The MS in Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program discusses some of the most common questions they hear from prospective students about the application process.
Anthony Jakubiak Gives Back to EDI Community
July 2020 The EDI alum, who currently works as Executive Design Director at Chase, recently participated in a New York City panel discussion for EDI students.
EDI Program Welcomes New Advisory Board
May 2020 Design leaders from across industries offer guidance and input on preparing students for emerging roles in design and innovation.
EDI Team Collaborates to Move Design Studio Courses Online
April 2020 Segal Design Institute faculty and staff adopt distributed design tools to deliver coursework in the wake of COVID-19.
from Northwestern Engineering
City of Chicago Launches Design System
April 2020 Discover how a Northwestern EDI class helped validate the need for Chicago's new visual identity.
Class of 2020: EDI Thesis Projects
April 2020 Learn more about the Thesis projects created by each graduating student from Northwestern's Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program.
Winter 2020 Design Innovation Trek to San Francisco
March 2020 Northwestern EDI ‘20 students recently visited Bay Area design studios and EDI alumni.
Design Innovation in New York City
March 2020 Northwestern EDI student Kelly McComas reflects on her experience touring startups and design studios with design innovation graduate students in NY.
Demonstrating the value of human-centered design
January 2020 Joanne Ting-Yu Hsu’s summer internship with Feeding America taught her to experiment and reflect more, thanks to alumnus mentor Dan Butt.
Creating Solutions for Complex Healthcare Challenges
January 2020 Working with alumna mentor Aubrey Kraft at Kaiser Permanente Design Consultancy made Alyssa Brown’s summer internship an experience to remember.
EDI '19 Cohort Celebrates Graduation
December 2019 Northwestern University’s Master of Science in Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program celebrated the graduation of its accomplished master’s students on December 14.
Human-Centered Designs on Display at Thesis Fair
December 2019 On December 13, graduating EDI students presented their thesis projects before faculty, mentors, family, friends, and classmates at the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center.
EDI Alumni Network Helps Students Find Internships and Jobs
November 2019 Chris Spaulding (EDI '19) interned at Milwaukee Tool over the summer where he was mentored by two EDI alumni.
Design by EDI Alumnus Chosen for Nike By You x Cultivator
November 2019 Morgan Lewis (MS EDI '18) designed a sneaker for her Industrial Design class and now it is available as a limited edition shoe on the Nike website.
EDI Students Win dmi:Design Value Award
October 2019 A team of EDI students were honored as third place winners for an innovative menstrual cup system.
EDI '20 Students Design 'Wildest Dreams'
September 2019 The newest cohort of EDI students completed Design Boot Camp with presentations and a gallery walk in the Ford Design Studio on September 23.
Integrating Design Thinking and Business Strategy
July 2019 During the spring term, EDI students collaborated with 3M as part of the course DSGN 455: Design Strategy.
Segal Design Institute Hosts San Francisco Design Week Panel Discussion
July 2019 Jim Wicks, Director of the MS EDI program, moderated a panel with representatives from Uber Health, HopeLab, and the City of Chicago before an audience of nearly one hundred people.
Innovating through Design Sprints
June 2019 Fourteen EDI students enrolled in a course called Design Sprints developed projects for industry partners, including Kraft Heinz, Lurie Children's, and Actualize Therapy.
EDI Students Compete in VentureCat
May 2019 Christy Zhang, Hanna Lauterbach, and Chris Spaulding (EDI '19) will represent their startup called Maya in VentureCat, an event celebrating Northwestern's most promising student-founded startups.
Accenture’s Baiju Shah Visits Campus to Discuss the Future of Design and Strategy
April 2019 Baiju Shah, chief strategy officer for Accenture Interactive and global lead at Fjord, gave the talk “Design and Strategy: What’s Next?” as part of the Segal Design Leadership Series on April 17.
from Northwestern Engineering
Class of 2019: EDI Thesis Projects
April 2019 Each graduating student from the Engineering Design Innovation program completed a thesis project with support from faculty and industry mentors.
Northwestern Students Apply Design Thinking to Legal Service Delivery
March 2019 Students from Northwestern Law and Segal Design Institute’s EDI program teamed up recently for Design + Law, an event that focused on design thinking as a problem-solving approach for legal service delivery.
City of Chicago Partners with Northwestern Engineering to Explore Civic Service Design
March 2019 Master of Science in Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) students worked with the City of Chicago to explore new ways for residents to engage with city services.
from Northwestern Engineering
Procter & Gamble Takes Tide Cleaners Nationwide
February 2019 In 2015, EDI students collaborated with the consumer products company to design a direct-to-consumer service called Tide Spin. Procter & Gamble announced it will roll out a version of the service to 2,000 locations by next year.
Students at 5th Annual IDI Challenge Address Campus Food Insecurity
February 2019 Twelve EDI students traveled to Boston for the annual Integrated Design Innovation (IDI) Challenge to connect with master's students from peer programs and present work to Feeding America.
Northwestern, SAIC Students Partner through ‘Data as Art’ Class
January 2019 Multimedia art projects created in the fall 2018 ‘Data as Art’ class will be on display in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center until late February.
from Northwestern Engineering
Class of 2017: EDI Thesis Projects
December 2018 Each graduating student from the EDI program completed a thesis project with support from faculty and industry mentors. The projects spanned multiple fields of design including product, interaction, service, strategy, and user experience.
EDI Graduates Celebrate Commencement
December 2018 Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science celebrated the graduation of its accomplished master’s students from the Engineering Design Innovation program on Saturday, December 15.
Hybrid Designers Show Projects at EDI Thesis Fair
December 2018 On December 14, eighteen EDI students presented their thesis projects before faculty, mentors, family, friends, and classmates at the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center.
Student Projects Showcased at Fall Design Expo
December 2018 The two-day event featured student work from Segal Design Institute courses and programs, including the MS in Engineering Design Innovation program, Segal Design Certificate, and first-year course Design Thinking and Communication.
from Northwestern Engineering
Class of 2018: EDI Thesis Projects
December 2018 Each graduating student from the EDI program completed a thesis project with support from faculty and industry mentors. The projects spanned multiple fields of design including product, interaction, service, strategy, and user experience.
EDI Students Prepare for Human-Centered Design Careers
November 2018 Students in the EDI program benefit from intimate conversations with alumni about how design integrates in different fields. That's important in an industry where integrated design innovation skills don’t fall easily into one job category.
Service Design Course Partners with Feeding America to Address Food Insecurity
October 2018 Twenty students in the winter 2018 Service Design course worked with Feeding America to create solutions to distribute rescued foods from retail stores to food insecure community members.
from Northwestern Engineering
EDI Students Begin Their Journey
October 2018 The EDI program welcomed 19 new students from 5 countries and 15 different schools to campus for Design Boot Camp, a pre-term session.
EDI Students Reflect on Internships
September 2018 This past summer, EDI students interned at Feeding America, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble Ventures among others. Four students share their experiences.
Design Strategy for iRobot
August 2018 EDI students developed conceptual ecosystems for the consumer robot company iRobot as part of their course DSGN 455: Design Strategy.
Exploring the Future of Freight and Logistics
June 2018 During a pilot course, 11 EDI students gained a hands-on experience with Uber Freight's efforts to transform one of the nation’s most critical industries.
Wheels Up
June 2018 Julia Savich, EDI '17, and Northwestern students with Design For America Summer Studio work to take the stress out of air travel for wheelchair users.
from Northwestern Engineering
PedalCell Competes in VentureCat
May 2018 Gar Waterman, EDI ‘18, balances his courses in human-centered design with work on a student-led startup called PedalCell.
Alumnus Takes Idea from Thesis Project to Manufacturing
May 2018 Phoebe Evans, EDI '17, is a Breakthrough Technology Process Engineer for Mars Wrigley Confectionery. In her spare time, Evans has developed her EDI thesis project, Gumdrop, into a market-ready product.
Taking on Food Insecurity
March 2018 In a Service Design course, 20 EDI students developed new ways for Feeding America to get food into the hands of those who need it most.
EDI Class Brings Together Designers and Entrepreneurs
February 2018 EDI students help solve human-centered design issues for undergraduate entrepreneurs working on startup companies.
from Northwestern Engineering
White Space Design Challenge
February 2018 On January 27, seventy-seven students from Northwestern, Illinois Institute of Technology, Purdue University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago gathered on Northwestern’s Evanston campus to kick off the White Space Design Challenge.
Class of 2017: EDI Thesis Projects
January 2018 Each graduating student from the EDI program completed a thesis project with support from faculty and industry mentors. The projects spanned multiple fields of design including product, interaction, service, strategy, and user experience.
Growth on Display
December 2017 On December 8 at the Ford Engineering Design Center, graduate students displayed their projects at the 2017 EDI Thesis Show, the culmination of the students' 18-month academic journey.
Design Expo Showcases Innovative Projects
December 2017 The two-day event featured student work from several Segal Design Institute courses and programs, including the MS EDI program, student group Design for America, and first-year course Design Thinking and Communication.
from Northwestern Engineering
Designing for Inclusion in 24 Hours
November 2017 Graduate students from Northwestern, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and Carnegie Mellon presented prototypes intended to help those with disabilities navigate urban areas.
Creating a Category for Graduate Design Degrees
October 2017 EDI's Studio Director, Amy O’Keefe, works toward making design degrees more consistent among peer institutions.
from Northwestern Engineering
EDI Announces New Director
October 2017 The EDI program has announced Jim Wicks as the new Director of the EDI program. Before joining the faculty at Segal Design Institute in 2016, Wicks was the Senior Vice President of Consumer Experience Design at Motorola.
EDI '18 Students Go 'Into The Wild'
September 2017 The newest students in the MS EDI program completed a ten-day bootcamp in design, mechatronics, fabrication before the official start of their program.
EDI Students Head Out for Summer Internships
June 2017 Students enrolled in the MS EDI program participate in summer internships at a variety companies, including Autodesk, IDEO, Medtronic, and Procter & Gamble.
Helping Students with Food Allergies Transition to College
April 2017 Students in the EDI program collaborated with Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a Northwestern-based food allergy researcher, to address the vulnerability of students with life-threatening food allergies on college campuses.
Class of 2016 EDI Thesis Projects
December 2016 Each graduating student from the Engineering Design Innovation program completed a thesis project with support from faculty and industry mentors. The thesis projects spanned multiple fields of design including product, interaction, service, strategy, and user experience. Browse each student’s final thesis project below.
Class of 2016 EDI Thesis Projects
December 2016 The thesis projects spanned multiple fields of design including product, interaction, service, strategy, and user experience.
Class of 2016 graduates
December 2016 Segal Design Institute celebrated the newest graduates from the MS EDI program.
Twenty-Four Hours to Address a Twenty-Year-Old Problem
November 2016 Nearly 80 graduate students from four Integrated Design Innovation programs – Northwestern, University of Pennsylvania, MIT and Carnegie Mellon – were tasked to inject innovative design into medicine.
Taking Aim at Food Allergies
November 2016 Engineering Design Innovation students targeted food allergy risks on college campuses with Dr. Ruchi Gupta from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Connecting Chicago to the Classroom
October 2016 Chicago Ideas Week inspired city residents to think, dream and connect. EDI students were among the crowd, thanks to support provided by the Norman Fund.
EDI Students Explore Hakuna Matata in Design Boot Camp
September 2016 Incoming students to the EDI program participated in Design Boot Camp before the start of the fall term.
EDI Alumnus Designs Super Bowl City
March 2016 EDI alumnus and SAP Experience Designer Matt Glibbery helped design Super Bowl 50's Super Bowl City. Read this Q&A to learn more about his experience working on the project.
Meet Segal's James Dyson Foundation Scholars
March 2016 JDF awards yearly scholarships to students who demonstrate a commitment to engineering and the development of new ideas. Meet this year's three scholars from Segal.
from Segal Design Institute
Class of 2015 Takes EDI Alumni Count Past 100
December 2015 EDI class of 2015 graduated this week, moving the program's alumni count into the hundreds. Family, friends, and faculty celebrated the students and all of their accomplishments in Ford prior to the ceremony.
from Segal Design Institute
Dimensions: EDI Thesis Presentations 2015
December 2015 EDI class of 2015 culminates their 15-month program with final thesis project presentations with projects ranging from products to services to strategies.
Dimensions: EDI Thesis Presentations 2015
December 2015 EDI class of 2015 culminates their 15-month program with final thesis project presentations with projects ranging from products to services to strategies.
from Segal Design Institute
Connoisseurs of Touch
December 2015 Northwestern Engineering researchers break through the touchscreen technology, putting tactile information at users' fingertips. Literally.
from Northwestern Engineering
EDI + P&G: Six Years in the Making
November 2015 Segal Advisory Board member Robb Olsen talks about his role at P&G, the company's six-yearlong partnership with EDI, what it's like working with his wife and more in this Q+A.
from Segal Design Institute
Design Challenge: Emergency Epinephrine Access
November 2015 Students from Northwestern and the University of Pennsylvania participated in the third annual 24-hour Design Challenge. This year's focus was emergency epinephrine access.
New EDIs Take on Wabi Sabi-Themed Boot Camp
September 2015 A new class of EDIs started orientation this month, learning new skills and creating projects that embodied this year's theme of Wabi Sabi.
from Segal Design Institute
EDI Alumni Finalists in Global Design Award
August 2015 EDI alumni are finalists for INDEX: Award 2015, a global design award focused on "Designing to Improve Life." The winners will be revealed on August 27 in Denmark.
from Segal Design Institute
#LooksLikeAnEngineer
August 2015 EDI student Torey Kocsik was recently interviewed by James Dyson Foundation about how she came to be an engineer as well as some of the challenges of being a female in a male-dominated industry.
Perspective: EDI Thesis Show 2014
December 2014 The MS-EDI class of 2014 recently presented their final thesis projects.
Perspective: EDI Thesis Show 2014
December 2014 The MS-EDI class of 2014 recently presented their final thesis projects.
from Segal Design Institute
Congratulations EDI Class of 2013
December 2013 The EDI class of 2013 has completed their thesis work.
Congratulations EDI Class of 2013
December 2013 The MS-EDI class of 2013 recently presented their final thesis projects.
from Segal Design Institute
