Testimonial: Moon Lou (MIIPS '24)

Master of Integrated Innovation for Products & Services ‘24
Product Designer, Aurora

Time in the MIIPS Program

Moon Lou graduated from the Master's of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services (MIIPS) program in December 2024. Before joining the program, Moon received comprehensive design training and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts. With a desire to explore opportunities beyond the design industry, Moon believed that MIIPS would provide her with the essential background in business and engineering needed to successfully pivot her career.

One of the most important skills Moon gained from the MIIPS program was the ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. She learned a great deal about soft skills, particularly the importance of working with individuals from various disciplines. This skill has proven especially beneficial given her design background, as it allows her to approach problem-solving from new perspectives. These soft skills have empowered her to step beyond her traditional discipline and foster innovation in her career.

During her time in MIIPS, Moon not only enjoyed the content of her courses but also appreciated the supportive cohort she was part of. In her first week at CMU, they all went out to dinner, and she was struck by how welcoming everyone was. It was in that moment that she realized how supportive this group would be throughout the next year and a half of her degree program.

Working with Canon as a Capstone Sponsor

One of her favorite aspects of the MIIPS program was the capstone project. She particularly enjoyed the regular meetings with their sponsors, which provided her and her classmates with real-world experiences addressing problems that the company needed to solve. Her corporate sponsor was Canon, and she was extremely grateful for their support throughout the entire process.

This opportunity allowed her to utilize various resources provided by Canon and incorporate industry feedback into her project. During her final presentation, Canon was so impressed with her team's results that they invited the Vice President of Canon to attend. The capstone experience also helped her approach her design work from a business perspective, considering how it impacts and drives success, rather than focusing solely on functionality. Overall, it provided her with industry experience by encouraging her to step outside of her design thinking and innovate in a cross-disciplinary format with her peers.

Working as a Product Designer at Aurora

One of the key benefits Moon gained from the MIIPS program was the network of connections that ultimately led to her position at Aurora, an automated driving truck company where she currently serves as a Product Designer.

At Aurora, Moon collaborates closely with Francine Gemperle, a Staff User Experience Researcher and an Adjunct Professor in the MIIPS program. Francine teaches the User Experience Research course, which Moon took and found extremely valuable for her current role at Aurora. 

During the MIIPS program, Moon was surrounded by engineers and business-oriented individuals, and she finds herself in a similar environment at Aurora. These diverse settings challenge her to think beyond her training as a designer. Stepping outside her design comfort zone has been essential for Moon to unlock her full potential as an innovator.

“MIIPS made me more confident because I was working with people from engineering and business backgrounds. This was the exact work setting I wanted to be part of in the future.”