The Art of Problem-Solving: How Integrated Innovation Can Help in Creating Better Human-Centered Solutions

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In class Ideation session for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)

This time, Indonesia Mengglobal is interviewing Ananda Annisa Prasetyanto (Annisa), a Carnegie Mellon University – Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (MIIPS)’s student.

Annisa (second from the right) with her fellow MII-PS friends at Night at the Museum event (December 2016)
Annisa (second from the right) with her fellow MII-PS friends at Night at the Museum event (December 2016)

Hi, can you tell us a little bit of your background and why did you choose Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services?

Sure! My name is Annisa and currently I’m a product designer (this may change in a few months). I did my undergrad in Raffles Design Institute majoring in Product Design and did a little bit of design work before working in the airline industry. In this industry, I was exposed to the world of supply chain, accounting and finance. I may not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed design work but I love the idea that someone with a design background like me, can learn a new field that is completely unrelated in under 2 years. This is why I chose the MIIPS program. We are thought to embrace diversity and learn from each other no matter how hard it is.

Brainstorming session for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)
Brainstorming session for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)

What exactly are you studying in that program? Maybe a little bit of your cool projects…

Well, the short answer is: we learn how to be problem-solvers. We learn how to understand people’s needs and create solutions for them. The long answer is: what we learn in this program depends on where you’re from and where you’re going. This program is open for designers, engineers and business graduates. As a designer, I studied a lot about business and engineering. For example, this semester I’m taking a digital marketing class in which I learn how to use search engine optimizations and create better strategies to promote products. I’m also taking a Designing for the Internet of Things class in which I learn how to code and make cool stuffs. We also learn about User Research Methods and Integrated Product Development classes in which students from the three fields work together to understand existing problems and create a solution with design thinking methods. Basically, we’re here to help you solve your problems.

A quick Wireless Audio Sensor prototype for Designing for the Internet of Things class (Spring 2017)
A quick Wireless Audio Sensor prototype for Designing for the Internet of Things class (Spring 2017)
A quick Wireless Audio Sensor prototype for Designing for the Internet of Things class (Spring 2017)
A quick Wireless Audio Sensor prototype for Designing for the Internet of Things class (Spring 2017)

What do you like from the program? And what do you dislike?

I love the fact that I’m allowed to take classes in all of the schools. Currently I have classes in Tepper School of Business, Heinz school of public policy & management and in IDeATe. We are encouraged to branch out to fields that we’re not familiar in. It’s both very scary and rewarding at the same time. However, I wished we have longer programs so that I could take more classes that allows me to expand my horizons even more. I also hate the fact that our building and studio is so small! I wish we have bigger spaces to work in!

How will majoring in Integrated Innovation for Products and Services lead you to your dream or even change the world?

Studying in CMU exposed me to so many things. I’m able to say to other people that I now have a background in Design, Business and Engineering. Not only that, I now am exposed the world of User Experience Design and Human-Centered Design. I’m so intrigued by the fact that only less than 100 years ago, human form and their interaction towards a product had just started to be an integral part of design consideration. And to be honest, we got a very long way to go. We still face so many frustrating moments like trying to open certain types of plastic packaging or trying to untangle our earphones cable. Simple things like this can be solved if we put our time and effort.

I feel like Indonesia need more UX design experts. As you may know, government services that are available in Indonesia are not the most intuitively designed. User Experience designers can fix that easily, from the way they run their service stations to the website that they have online. It’s all about human instincts. So, at this moment I wish that I could help Indonesia in creating well designed products and services that are intuitive and human centered. But in the future, who knows? All I want is to be able to help solve your problems.

User research data analysis for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)
User research data analysis for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)

How is the job prospect for this program? Be it inside or outside of the US. And what do you consider as dream companies for MIIPS students?

As I previously mentioned, everyone in this program has a unique background and has their own vision of their future. So, answering your question regarding MIIPS students’ job prospect is quite difficult. I know someone that wants to be the Chief Technology Officer of their own company and I also know someone else that wants to be the Product/Design Strategist for K-12 Tech Enhanced Learning Company. Another MIIPSter wants to be the Principal at an Impact Investment fund and I also know someone else who’s interested in working for a Human-Computer Interaction company. So, the possibility is endless. Having said that, for a foreign student it is still a challenge to find a job in the U.S., even if we fall under the STEM (or STEAM) program. But with so much brain power and talent in this program, I feel like anything is possible if everyone puts his/her time and effort in.

Annisa Prasetyanto, Jamie Curran, Brandon Zepeda, Ian Lee and Peter Kuo – Final presentation for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)
Annisa Prasetyanto, Jamie Curran, Brandon Zepeda, Ian Lee and Peter Kuo – Final presentation for Integrated Product Development Methods class (Fall 2016)

 

Photo Courtesy: Ananda Annisa Prasetyanto, Peter Kuo, Brandon Zepeda, Yubing Zhang, Mike Henderson

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