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Congratulations EDI Class of 2013

EDI class of 2013Please join us in congratulating the EDI Class of 2013 on delivery of their final thesis presentations.  

Over the last 9 months, the students have been paired with industry mentors to frame and explore individually selected thesis topics.

It has been a pleasure working with every member of the EDI Class of 2013.  We wish them the best as they continue their careers in design innovation.

2013 EDI Masters Candidates and Thesis Topics include:

Allison Bedell 
Shuntoscope
Mentor: Amy Schwartz, IDEO
 
VP shunts are life-saving implantable devices used to relieve pressure in the brain. These systems fail frequently, and the diagnosis of these failures requires an extensive workup of tests. The shunto-scope ultrasound probe provides more information to the neurosurgeon noninvasively for more efficient and effective diagnoses.

Watch Allison's presentation video
 
Dan Butt
Neighbor Share Spot
Mentor: Martha Cotton, gravitytank
 
Neighbor Share Spot is a tool that can be used to facilitate communication in a disaster situation when traditional means are not available. In an environment where we must rely on those around us. Neighbor Share Spot is platform that allows survivors to send essential information to people outside the affected area and collaborate with those around them.

Watch Dan's presentation video

Eitan Cher
Improving eSchool
 Mentor:Martha Cotton, gravitytank
 
High school teachers work hard to establish connections with their students. Teachers use these connections to develop informal tactics, adaptations, and engagements to help students succeed. At a large school, these tactics are usually only shared within each department or through chance encounters. How might we help teachers celebrate and share the tactics that led to breakthroughs?

Watch Eitan's presentation video

Anthony Duran
Lighten
Mentor: Antonio Garcia, gravitytank
 
Lighten is short for Living Itinerary. Through a series of partnerships and smart data, it can help you plan activities when visiting a new city based on what you like and create alternative suggestions when plans go awry. Unlike conventional planners, Lighten will build you an itinerary and can be used in a pinch to find fun things to do.

Watch Anthony's presentation video

Lindsey Engelbert
CoLaboratory
Mentor: Craig Sampson, TBD Innovation
 
CoLaboratory elimnates the need for traditional project status meetings. It allows management consultants and their clients to communicate project updates quickly and easily through a mobile platform to provide real-time updates, reach decisions faster, and build trusting relationships.

Watch Lindsey's presentation video
 
Andrea Fraga
Locktop
Mentor: Walter Herbst, Northwestern University and Herbst Produkt
 
Locktop, a small USB plug in, is a theft deterrent for when you step away from your computer in a public space. If the computer is moved or the USB unplugged, the computer will siren, drawing attention to the thief. The computer displays it is armed through a light
and the screen. Locktop provides protection while eliminating the hassles of transportation and setup that you have with a cable lock.

Watch Andrea's presentation video
 
Matthew Glibbery
PaceBelt
Mentor: Antonio Garcia, gravitytank
 
The PaceBelt is a chest-worn peripheral device that helps runners achieve their goals by providing real-time, tactile interaction with their target pace. Vibration motors in the belt allow runners to feel
their performance relative to a target finish time, a previous run, or race.

Watch Matthew's presentation video

Javier Fernandez Barerra
Quick Draw
Mentor: Martin Rathgeber, Radius Product Development
 
The Quick Draw secures your phone to your fore-arm, where it will be ready for action when you need it. This device allows you to use your phone confidently on a boat, on a ski lift, or hiking in rough terrain and launch your phone into your hand instantly.

Watch Javier's presentation video

Stacy Klingbeil
Glimpse 
Mentor: Katherine Darnstadt, Latent Design
 
Glimpse is a crowdsourced website helping to prepare travelers for a trip abroad. The content is generated by locals to give travelers an authentic glimpse into their culture. This allows travelers to explore the nuances that make the culture unique creating realistic expectations, increased cross-cultural education and heightened excitement!

Watch Stacy's presentation video

Ji hun Lee
Icebreaker
Mentor: Martha Cotton, gravitytank
 
Icebreaker is an App that helps two persons to get to know each other better on dates while strengthening relationship with their close friends. Through conversation prompts and an App summary, Icebreaker will help you break the ice with your partner and give tons of topic to talk about, helping you to understand your partner better.

Watch Ji's presentation video
 
Liu Liu
Networking Coach
Mentor: Antonio Garcia, gravitytank
 
Networking Coach is a conversation-based simulation game that helps people practice networking skills. By interacting with a virtual character, people will get more comfortable with networking.

Watch Liu's presentation video

Ruizhi Liu
LandMine
Mentor: Katherine Darnstadt, Latent Design
 
LandMine is a location-based messaging and gifting mobile application that allows you to set up a message for a friend that will be triggered and pop up on his/her phone when he/she arrives at a specific location. It also offers gift card options. The idea is to provide users with a new way to interact and connect with their friends by creating moments of delight and building up shared memories.

Watch Ruizhi's presentation video

Esther Luk
Pensive
Mentor: Craig Sampson, TBD Innovation
 
Pensive is a digital-analogue journal that leverages mobile technology for a richer reflective experience. Journal keepers have many types and fragmented copies of journals, appreciate prompting, and maintain common categories of self-reflection. Pensive provides
gentle prompting and smarter organization to make journal or diary-keeping a more integrated, alive, and engaging experience.

Watch Esther's presentation video

Galen MacLusky
I want to know
Mentor: Travis Lee, IDEO
 
I Want to Know provides testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in public washrooms. Students submit urine samples in washrooms to detect the presence of chlamydia and gonorrhea, some of the most common STIs among college students. Other methods require planning and effort. I Want to Know allows students to act now.

Watch Galen's presentation video

Anant Raut
WalkTrac
Mentor: Amy Schwartz, IDEO
 
Physical therapists use certain standard outcome measures to track patient progress. However, these are recorded manually and additional help is often required. WalkTrac is an accessory for assistive devices that takes over the data acquisition aspect of these tests, providing accurate data while allowing the physical therapist to focus solely on the patient.

Watch Anant's presentation video
 
Priya Raval
CommuniCare
Mentor: Travis Lee, IDEO
 
CommuniCare is a communication tool to facilitate the transfer of daily information among multiple caregivers who are caring for a loved one diagnosed with dementia. Besides allowing the caregiver to build an online support system, CommuniCare provides caregivers the tools to monitor the health of the patient and to take action.

Watch Priya's presentation video

Sam Schwartz
Unwinding Productively
Mentor: Amy Schwartz, IDEO
 
Some business travelers spend so much time in hotels it would be more accurate to describe them as residents rather than guests, and this is doubly true for management consultants. What services can hotels offer to better meet these user’s unique needs, and in doing
so improve the experience for many of their other guests?

Watch Sam's presentation video
 
Ariel Sundel
Scrubby Buddy
Mentor: Walter Herbst, Northwestern University and Herbst Produkt
 
Washing dishes is a chore, and dishwashers can’t solve all of your needs. But the electric dish scrubber, Srubby Buddy, can! The motorized brush easily removes the toughest caked-on food from dishes. Scrubby Buddy will be your best friend in the kitchen, bringing ease
and fun to the dishwashing process!

Watch Ariel's presentation video
 
Matt Swanson
Index
Mentor: Craig Sampson, TBD Innovation
 
Index, a non-invasive device capable of measuring of a person’s hydration. Dr. Vassilios Bezzerides of the Boston Children’s Hospital has developed a method of assessing hydration by digitally measuring the capillary refill time. Index embodies what is necessary from a
device to deliver this useful and potentially life-saving information.

Watch Matt's presentation video

Mengyuan Tu
Do Something NU
Mentor: Travis Lee, IDEO
 
Do Something NU is a meet-up website for offline cultural learning activities, which is aimed to help Chinese students to communicate with American students at Northwestern. People can offer their invitation to make a foreign friend by throwing a bottle with messages
or pick up a bottle to learn a different culture.

Watch Mengyuan's presentation video

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