Designed for Impact

I + E Fund paves the way for human-centered innovation

Story by Andrea Love | Photo by Dan McClanahan

Aleka Hickman says her major in industrial design is more than creating a product, device, or service.

“The most important part is that we’re designing for human beings,” she explains. “Whatever it is — a product, app, or display at a museum — it is necessary, and it’s to improve people’s experiences.”

In her senior year at Iowa State, Aleka led a student design team to develop a tracheal swab used to test swine for illness-causing bacteria. The goal was to reduce stress for farmers by streamlining an antiquated, time- consuming, and cost-prohibitive process.

“It wasn’t convenient for the farmer and not great for the swine,” says Aleka, who graduated in May. Helping to develop a practical solution affirmed for her that she has the real-world skills to back up her degree.

Nurturing future problem-solvers

Aleka’s work was partially funded by the College of Design Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I+E) Fund, which provides Iowa State students with complex, hands-on opportunities beyond standard academic work, says Dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez. The broader goal is for students to experience collaborative and multidisciplinary design work, giving them an advantage in the marketplace when they graduate.

“We’re living in a world that is changing faster than ever,” Rico-Gutierrez explains, adding that how people currently think and work may not apply to future complexities. “This fund is creating the right mindset for students so when they need to think beyond ‘how things have always been done,’ they’re ready for it.”

Tim Tobin is putting that mindset to work. A graduate student majoring in community and regional planning, he explored how to improve current processes in urban agriculture to better the livelihoods of refugees in Iowa. The I + E Fund enabled him to incentivize refugee farmers to participate in his study, which was the focus of his master’s thesis.

Tim connected with the farmers through a nonprofit that helps refugees start their own farming businesses. He asked them in-depth questions about their experiences, and he met with Iowa farmers and city leaders. Through those meetings, he uncovered opportunities for expanding integrative agricultural programs in Iowa and identified areas requiring further work to eliminate current barriers to progress.

“You’re doing the right thing in research if you come up with more questions in the end or things that can improve, and I definitely have,” he says.

Inspiring creative solutions

Tim hopes his work continues to advance integrative farming programs, which could also benefit Iowans with additional, locally produced food choices for a more robust local food system.

“The financial support allowed me to apply skills to better understand these systems, write and present about them, and make recommendations on how they can be improved,” he says. Rico-Gutierrez shares Tim’s enthusiasm for how current and future Iowa State students can help improve lives through I+E Fund opportunities.

“The goal of any designer should be how to make the quality of life better for as many living things as possible,” Rico-Gutierrez says. “The I+E Fund allows us to maximize the potential we have to do that.”

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