Behind the Scenes at EDI

A new video highlights students, alumni, and Advisory Board members discussing the benefits of the EDI program.

When Monica Garcia (EDI '25) thinks about Northwestern's Master of Science in Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program, the word “disruptors” comes to mind. 

"We are the disruptors of the world," Garcia said in a new EDI promotional video. "We see big challenges and we set out to solve them."  

Audey Shen (EDI '25) agreed. 

"When I think of making a huge impact, I (used to think of) policy makers," Shen said in the video. "This program opened up my mindset that you can use design to make the world a better place." 

Garcia and Shen are two of a number of students, alumni, and Advisory Board members featured in the video, which highlights the program's emphasis on making a difference through human-centered design.  

The program is structured to help students understand how complex problems can be addressed using design process, tools, and methods.  

"Our ideal students share an optimism for what design can do and how design can make things better," EDI director Amy O'Keefe said in the video. "How it makes physical products better, how it makes businesses better, and how it makes people's lives better." 

San Chen (EDI '18) has seen the power of human-centered design through their work as a senior brand manager at United Airlines. Chen, who's worked at United since 2016 and is a member of the EDI Advisory Board, credited the program with helping them focus on identifying user problems, not just solutions. 

"The most important lessons I learned from EDI is approaching every situation with naivete to make sure you answer the right question," Chen previously said. "When first starting a project, I always try to not take the opportunity at face value and truly identify the need we are trying to solve."   

Taking that extra time creates more compelling solutions and interventions, as well as a deeper understanding of the user. 

"This is such a special program because it's all about user-centered design," Chen said in the video. "Everyone cares so much about what they're doing because they care about the user."