Sarah Ky

Conceptual and critical-thinking skills Sarah picked up in undergraduate and postgraduate Industrial Design have proven vital to her career in process design.

Growing up, I had a great curiosity for how things work, fit together, and are made. At school, I excelled in graphics, design, art, and photography so it seemed only natural to choose a creative career path. After seriously contemplating Architecture, I decided to major in Industrial Design because I felt that major would give me the skills to work on a wide range of projects.

I chose a Bachelor of Design Innovation (and subsequently Master of Design Innovation) because of the programme’s focus on conceptual and critical thinking, which really pushed me to grow and learn to design beyond the surface finish of a product. The most enjoyable part of my degree was the feeling of accomplishment from overcoming design challenges to complete my course work. Industrial Design is an intense course that tests your drive and determination and forces you outside of your comfort zone. It is a rare opportunity to explore strange, far-fetched, and curious ‘what if?’ and ‘why not?’ conceptual ideas.

Skills that I gained during my degree include computer aided design (CAD), digital manufacture (such as 3D printing, CNC tools, and laser cutting), critical thinking, project management, and learning how to learn. These skills led me to work as a production manager in digital manufacture for Ponoko and, more recently, as a process designer in a product development coordinator role at phil&teds in Wellington. My work there was very much cross-disciplinary and often my designed outputs were not only ‘physical’ products, but strategies and processes that aimed to increase efficiency and clarity with a focus of putting people first. I referenced the core skills and values that I learnt in my degree every single day.

My current role as a business process improvement analyst at ACC in Wellington uses transferable skills from my background in industrial design together with methodologies from Lean Six Sigma to define, measure, analyse, and optimise or redesign processes to ensure they are efficient, effective, and human centred.

The ability to approach problem solving creatively, critically analyse information or data, and communicate or present solutions visually have proven to be valuable skills that have been essential in each of my roles.

Our world is becoming increasingly connected and complex. Design is not just about physical styling and aesthetic, but also all about connection, interaction, experiences, communication, and more. While I was studying, I had no idea that my Design degree would give me the skills to work in areas outside of a traditional designer role. I really value the critical thinking skills that I have learnt, which have proven to be incredibly versatile—not only applying to the design of physical things but also the design of processes, strategy, and experience.