Coaching to Become a Better Designer
Kallie Mingay (EDI '24) strengthened her skill set while serving as a design coach to help first-year EDI students in the key Product Design studio course.
Kallie Mingay (EDI '24) vividly remembers her first studio course in Northwestern's Master of Science in Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program.
The class was Product Design, which taught Mingay how to think both critically and broadly, a skill set that proved pivotal for the rest of her time in the program.
"It was important to set a precedent early in the program to practice the design process in its entirety to understand the problem rather than jumping to solutions right away," Mingay said. "Then, when you get to the part of the process where you can start to focus on the solution, it is helpful to look to objects, industries, and areas that may not directly apply to your product space for inspiration and guidance."
The class also provided a crash course in time management, Mingay said. Because of how valuable the experience was to her, she was thrilled to be able to help other students develop the same knowledge as a design coach during her second year in the program.
Design coaches are EDI students paid to serve as advisers and teaching assistants.
For Product Design, Mingay met with students and the faculty twice per week for three-hour classes. In that venue, she contributed to informal discussions and provided feedback as part of design reviews.
Outside of the classroom, she was a resource available to first-year students from the class.
"Because the two EDI cohorts share the same studio space, students could ask questions, for feedback, or for general opinions at any point throughout the week, but especially as major milestone assignments were being finalized," Mingay said. "My hope is that I became a trusted resource for them, even beyond the Product Design course."
Mingay actually served as a design coach for three separate courses during her time in EDI. The combined experiences helped her to get to know the first-year EDI students on a deeper level than most of her classmates did, she said.
"It was great to be able to get to know each of their personalities and design styles," Mingay said. "I got to witness how they made decisions and how they faced challenges, which can definitely help me see new perspectives in my own work."
The opportunity also helped her continue to strengthen her own skill set in multiple ways.
Being a design coach helped Mingay practice her active listening skills. A major component of the course is focused on thoughtful communication, so it was important for her to work on her listening as well so she could better understand each student's approach and then answer their questions.
The most important lesson she learned was how to provide both positive and critical feedback without discouraging students.
"It's not always easy to find the balance, since each person's working and design styles are unique, but it's important to offer both sides for their own personal and professional growth and development," she said. "It's not the most comfortable skill for me, so it was nice to be able to practice in the learning environment and to see this modeled by experienced professors."
