Designing the Future: Inside Washington University’s MDes Program with Jonathan Hanahan

As a Senior at UIUC interested in a career in UI/UX, I attended the Design for Emerging Technology & Preferred Futures info session hosted at SCD by Jonathan Hanahan, Chair of the MDes for HCI and Emerging Technology at WashU. Since UIUC doesn’t have a HCI Master’s program, this was an insightful experience to learn about WashU’s MDes program curriculum, outcomes and admissions process. 

Jonathan’s presentation and interview with me after the event showcased the unique offerings of the MDes program at WashU. Here are some of my key takeaways from the presentation and highlights from our interview. 

The program prepares students for human-computer-interaction design beyond traditional interfaces. 

In his talk, Jonathan discussed the ever-changing landscape of technology we currently live in. He explained how the MDes program addresses “how we should interact with technology moving forward, critically and productively.” Something that stands out to me about this program is that students design for interactive contexts beyond traditional UI (websites and mobile apps). Some examples of these non-traditional contexts are technology used by emergency responders like firefighters and EMS personnel, or technology used by athletes during performance. 

I think the Emerging Technologies aspect of the program really prepares students to work with the mindset of innovation and adaptability as technology capabilities expand. It also pushes students to think about how technology can be implemented into spaces where it’s not typically used. Here’s Jonathan’s take:  

Kaitlyn Steffgen: Can you tell us more about the Emerging Technology aspect of the program?

Jonathan Hanahan: From a critical positioning, we’re trying to think about new methodologies to incorporate technology into design practice, but also, how can design leadership define the ways that we will interact with new technologies moving forward? So, we have studios in things like physical computing, spatial computing, design with AI, programming, and also studios that are focused on not just designing for those experiences, but actually incorporating them into their design process. 

The two-year, in-person curriculum is designed for students to work on a continuous studio throughout their entire program.

Kaitlyn Steffgen: What would you say is unique about the MDes program at WashU?

Jonathan Hanahan: We have this continuous, two-year long research project. So rather than chunking the curriculum up into semesters, we’re really trying to think about opportunities to do long-term, in-depth, real research at the intersection of design, technology and social innovation.

As a student who has taken Design Thinking courses, I’ve always wished I had more time to prototype, iterate and actually implement a product. You can learn a lot in a semester, but there isn’t always enough time to go through the design process to its fullest extent. The MDes program offers that time.

The program follows what they call the Ix3 Studio: Interaction, Innovation, Impact. The studio partners with real projects seeking digital solutions at WashU and in the St. Louis area in disciplines such as public health, medicine, engineering and urban design. A benefit of the program being in-person is that students can have in-depth interactions with the community they’re designing for, making the experience more impactful. 

As someone interested in pursuing a career in UI/UX, I think a prime benefit of the continuous studio is that it reflects real industry project timelines, which prepares students for long-term work.  

The program approaches design as an opportunity to create social change. 

Something I find unique about MDes at WashU is its orientation towards using technology ethically to solve social issues. I think this program does the important job of educating students on how to design responsibly and recognize unethical uses of technology. 

This is emphasized through the History, Ethics and Leadership portion of the curriculum, which challenges students to consider how a product can impact society. These courses prompt students to think about their commitment to responsible design by building values into products.    

This allows students to use research to put user experience into context, and helps students develop essential leadership skills to collaborate effectively and be adaptable to both technological and societal changes. 

So, what are the outcomes of MDes at WashU? 

Kaitlyn Steffgen: What fields or careers can graduates pursue with a WashU MDes degree?

Jonathan Hanahan: The three paths we think about are, one: Graduating in the industry at an elevated level. And that comes from not only the technical skills you’ll get in the program, but also the soft skills like collaboration, leadership and entrepreneurship. Two: Because of the nature of the Interaction, Innovation and Impact Studio (Ix3 Studio) that runs for both years, there’s also the opportunity to continue that process and lead in a start-up or entrepreneurial role to stay with that team. Three: With it being a terminal degree, it presents opportunities for people to get involved in academia, do their own research, or teach. 

Interested in applying? Apply early, there is no application fee before December 15th. Applications are due January 10th.