Learning a New Way to Solve Problems

Michael Boyas (MMM '22) wants a career that allows him to innovate while solving customer and business challenges. The lessons he's learning in MMM are preparing him to do just that.

Research-Design-Build (RDB) is a foundational course for students in MMM, a dual-degree program between Northwestern Engineering and the Kellogg School of Management. The first five weeks of class are spent teaching students key methods and principles of design to help them approach problem solving in different ways, while the final five weeks focus on applying those new techniques to help a local business or organization.

For many students, RDB can be a transformative experience. 

That was the case for Michael Boyas (MMM '22). It was in RDB that Boyas learned the value of zooming out from a problem and reframing it with a design-thinking mindset. Boyas minored in human-centered design in college, but learning to re-examine an issue from multiple points of view allowed him and his teammates to create stronger solutions to the problems they were given.

“We were initially given challenge prompts, but instead of brainstorming solutions right away, we took a few steps back and performed a wide array of research,” Boyas said. “After really learning the context of the problem, we created insights that fed into innovative solutions. Ultimately, I learned that meticulous user research pays off.” 

Innovation is what first drew Boyas to MMM. He started the program in July 2020 after spending nearly three years as a business analyst and associate for a specialty food importer, where he worked on pricing analysis. He enjoyed the job but wanted more opportunities to creatively solve business problems. While researching MBA programs, he discovered MMM.

“I found the MMM program, and I knew right away that I had to apply,” Boyas said. “There aren’t many other programs out there like MMM. For anyone interested in mixing design and business, left-brain thinking and right-brain thinking, MMM is a fit.”

Boyas has relished the chance to build core MBA skills like finance, business analytics, and operations. He's also embraced key concepts around patents, copyrights, and unique challenges that come with intellectual property, all valuable information for anyone trying to disrupt industries. 

This past summer, Boyas applied the lessons he learned in MMM at Dick’s Sporting Goods, where he interned with the company’s strategy team. He's confident the lessons learned in MMM put him on a path toward success.

“I’ve learned that innovation starts with understanding the customer," Boyas said. "You must do extensive user research to uncover insights. I’ve also learned the importance of creating and managing strong business operations. If a firm takes the time to build operational flows, new ideas can be executed more efficiently.”