Meet Elizabeth Gerber, Segal's newest faculty member
Elizabeth Gerber comes to Segal from the Hasso Plattner Institute for Design at Stanford (the d.school). An assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering with courtesy appointments in Industrial Engineering and Kellogg’s Management & Organizations program, Professor Gerber’s research and teaching centers on human-centered design work practices. Trained as a product designer and behavioral researcher, she uses behavioral science to understand and inform the design of innovative experiences delivered through products and services. Specifically, she is interested in confidence and action in the face of uncertainty.
How did you get into this field?
My background was in design, but the projects I worked on emphasized technical function rather than human needs. For example, when I worked on an aircraft fuel gauge at B.F. Goodrich Aerospace Engineering, all of the specifications were about the aircraft and the gauge’s functions. But at the very end of a long discussion on functionality, very casually, someone introduced the fact that a mechanic refueling the plane is going to need to READ the gauge—while standing on a ladder leaning against the side of the plane. I think that was a moment when I realized that design isn’t just about the product, but about the experience of using the product.
That’s my favorite part—talking to people about how they actually experience and remember products and services. After working in the aerospace industry, I worked in industries that increasingly emphasized the user experience such as the toy and medical device industries — where it’s all about how people interact with each other and the product or service.
What are you working on now?
Most of my work focuses on how people innovate individually and in team. Or how they don’t—when I worked at a toy company, there was a curious split between the “creatives” and “non-creatives.” But when I brought everybody together into a brainstorming session and disregarded this split, people came up with fantastic ideas. It really surprised everybody. Each group appreciated the fresh perspective offered by the other.
We tend to rely on tools and processes that are safe. I am interested in tools and processes that nudge us to take risks and take action that lead to frame breaking. I’m inspired by my training in improv. Back stage, new improvisors are terrified, concerned they will make a “mistake” on stage. On stage, they embrace acceptance over judgment, action over deliberate, analytical thinking, shared goals over differences, and collaboration over self-focus. Nothing is more gratifying to me than observing the attitudinal flip. Design work is like performance. I want to help people perform with such confidence in the studio.
What brought you to Northwestern?
I was fortunate to help to build the d.school at Stanford under David Kelley’s, founder of IDEO, guidance. I wanted an experience that was equally exciting and Don Norman was building the Design Institute at Northwestern. I had read his book, The Design of Everyday Things, early on in my career, and it inspired me, and influenced the way I think about design, specifically how I apply behavioral science to the study and practice of design. Currently, I am teaching a service design class with him and I am delighted by the opportunity to collaborate and build the Segal Design Institute with him.
Most of my recent work has involved observing and analyzing. Now, I’m interested in returning to my design roots – using the empirical to build useful tools and processes. Segal is a very alive place in which innovation is regularly taking place. There’s a lot going on, and I’m glad to be part of it.
What do you do when you are not at the Segal Design Institute?
I tell stories and race down slides with my one and half year old daughter and thirty something husband. They are true designers. They create without fear, take bold action, and imagine infinite possibilities. They personally inspire me to have confidence in the face of uncertainty.
