Design Innovation at Maynooth University

Celebrating 10 years of MSc Design Innovation

// Department of Design Innovation

Awards 2016 Best New Postgraduate Course of the Year 2020 Finalist in Ireland Funds Business Plan Competition 2020 Winner RSA Student Design Awards

// MSc Design Innovation

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Dr Iain Macdonald Head of Department

The 10th anniversary of MSc Design Innovation represents a significant milestone

in a programme that has set the benchmark for postgraduate study in the evolving field of Design Innovation. The programme was started by Dr Frank Devitt and led

by Trevor Vaugh until 2018 when Dr Linzi Ryan took over as Programme Director.

She steered it through an evolving period that saw collaborations with Bord Bia and

the introduction of new modules including Psychology and Visualising Concepts.

The programme leadership now rests with Dr Threase Finnegan-Kessie who I have no doubt will take it to new heights and develop new territories of impact.

This document celebrates the success of over 120 graduates who have found the programme to have had a profound effect on their careers. These testimonials are a

small representation of the many services and industries that our graduates work in,

and they clearly describe the impact that the programme has had on their personal journey of life-long learning. We hope that this inspires you to consider how MSc Design Innovation at Maynooth University could change your life, and challenge your conceptualisation of what can be done to solve the complex problems that surround the way we live, work and are governed.

Dr Threase Finnegan-Kessie Programme Director

For the past 10 years, the MSc Design Innovation has seen innovators from all walks of life come together and learn how to further their passion for innovation through design thinking. The graduates from this programme and the impact they have gone on to have in their careers is a testament to the transformative potential innovation through design thinking can have on the lives and communities it touches.

As we look towards the future of the MSc Design Innovation, we see our students tackling challenges that demand innovative, sustainable, and humanity-centred solutions in a variety of fields. Undoubtedly, learning will continue to occur at the intersection of disciplinary boundaries, and through the bringing together of people with diverse mindsets, experiences and backgrounds. We are proud to be a facilitator of this collaborative and transformative learning experience, enabling our graduates to use design thinking to create a better, more equitable future for all.

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Dr Frank Devitt Associate Professor

Building on the experiences of development, delivery and constant updating of the MSc in Design Innovation over ten years, the programme’s founders gradually

assimilated a distinctive Maynooth interpretation of design thinking. The ARRIVE framework was born out of the many valuable, daily interactions and debates with

students and external programme contributors from very diverse backgrounds,

as well as independent consulting and training engagements with a wide range of external organisations.

In 2021, the framework was crystallised into a book, ARRIVE – A Design Innovation Framework to Deliver Breakthrough Services, Products and Experiences –

authored by Dr. Frank Devitt, Martin Ryan and Trevor Vaugh. Dealing with the ‘why’

as well as the ‘how’ of design innovation at its various stages, the book lays out the core philosophy, mindset, processes and techniques of our approach. To this

day, it still guides core content and pedagogic approach for our undergraduate

and postgraduate programmes, while for a wider audience it is an excellent bestpractice guide for senior managers and directors with innovation responsibilities.

ARRIVE describes how organisations of all sizes and sectors can apply design thinking principles, coupled with commercial awareness, to their innovation agenda.

It explains how to keep the customer experience at the centre of innovation efforts and it provides a clear rationale for all advice and techniques offered.

ARRIVE addresses a widely found lack of clarity about how organisations might embed design thinking as an innovation methodology. It describes the significant mindset and behavioural changes for which managers must have a coherent and integrated understanding in order to guide its adoption effectively.

ARRIVE = Audit – Research – Reframe – Ideate – Validate – Execute. The book contains a chapter for each of A-R-R-I-V-E, with explanatory background and stepby-step methods instruction in a clear and standard format.

The ARRIVE book provides high-level understanding, rationale and step-by-step guidance for CEOs, senior innovation leaders, innovation project managers and design practitioners in diverse public and private sectors. It applies equally well to innovation of products, services or systems.

// MSc Design Innovation

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Amalia White

Research Consultant Stripe Partners

I’ve applied my learnings to both public sector and private sector projects, first working as a researcher at Mi:Lab (Maynooth’s Innovation Lab) with students and staff to innovate services that matter most to the higher education community, and later as a consultant at a research consultancy, Stripe Partners where I’ve helped clients from global technologies companies to better understand and meet the needs of their diverse customers.

It helped me get out of the library into the world of real people and communities that could be better served.

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It was a project I completed with Alexandra McDermont and Dervilla McNamara, two of my course mates, tackling an RSA Student Design Award brief that asked “How might we better enable people and communities to be financially secure?”

For this we interviewed mothers and discovered that high childcare costs and

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an unsympathetic job market makes it particularly difficult to return to work after children.

We proposed a service design solution that looked to provide job-sharing opportunities and builds a support network which makes it easier for mothers to stay in the workplace. We submitted our proposal to the RSA; the judges liked it and we were lucky enough to win the Award against international competition.

The strength of this MSc is that it brings together people from

all different types of backgrounds...one of my favourite aspects was learning from those around me.

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// MSc Design Innovation

10 Simon Hanratty

Head of Information Technology Irish Life

I saw design thinking as a methodology that would support me in my then-new

role as group head of information technology with Irish Life in 2019. I knew, coming

from the IT background I had, there was a danger that I was solution-led rather than customer need-led, so I wanted techniques to cope with that change and I wanted

the language to see how I could apply design thinking in my own role. It’s having the discipline and the tools and the techniques to spend some real time understanding the problem. I also like the way it links to the national strategy: we’re a knowledge economy, the country wants to innovate and that resonated with me as well.

How sure are we that it’s the right product?

It’s being able to ask the right questions at the right time.

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I took the two-year part-time option, spending two days a month on campus. I appreciated the “deep focus” of having two modules per day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, to spend more time on human-centred topics ranging from design ethnography, anthropology, and psychology to visualising

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concepts and prototyping. To me, it is one of the selling points of the course. I really liked the challenge and learning from each other. Most of the projects are group-based so you feed off that energy.

Design innovation starts with a deep understanding of the human, the user, the wants, the needs, and the contextual environment.

That was what drew me.

// MSc Design Innovation

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Praniti Gupta

Digital Engagement Officer National Ambulance Service

After completing graduation, I was determined to take forward my career on a creative path. With the application of the principles of design thinking and a commitment to draw solutions for complex problems, I was able to get into Health Service Executive (HSE) of Ireland as a Social Media Officer. After almost a year of successful tenure with HSE I was able to join National Ambulance Service. It’ s been more than a year now that I’m working with them as a Digital Engagement Officer Grade V. The MSc Design Innovation has helped me shape my design interests in

You never know, a small budding idea

in Design Innovation could turn into a million-dollar idea later!

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I still think of a lot of projects that I completed during my course. One of them was based on Reducing Carbon Footprints and I with another fellow researcher chose to talk about a garden that’s still existent in our university. This is a dedicated space nurtured by one of our professors where vegetables are grown. We named

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this project ‘The Edible Garden’ that would bring ‘seeds of change’. It was super fun and highly enlightening working on this project and exploring the aspects of growing food and eating what you grow. The modules are constructed in a way that makes learning fun and the incredible professors add to the experience with their exciting teaching techniques.

There were a number of modules that completely altered my professional outlook.

I still carry those experiences and learnings with me.

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// MSc Design Innovation

10 Alex Quigley

Data Engineering Lead Intel Ireland

My career has changed dramatically since completing the course. Moving from

operational based tasks and projects to more focus on innovation around ‘value chain design’ and ‘system design’ projects. Regardless of the scale or scope of

a project, local or global, I’ve learned to embed user-experience and a strong

research methodology in my approach to the given problem/solution space, leading to better outcomes and organizational impact.

I have the tools and techniques at my disposal to drive projects from conception to reality.

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Overall, it was an incredible experience - far more exciting and rewarding than I ever expected and completely different from what I had envisioned. I met some wonderful people, both students and faculty, who made a lasting impact on me.

The final day of module project presentations really validated what were doing and

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why we were all there.

So my advice would be to go for it!

The MSc has given me a solid grounding in design innovation and a level of confidence, which has opened the door to skills and learnings I wouldn’t have thought possible.

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Mark McGuigan Service Designer eBay

From the moment I started the programme the information provided was of instant value to my role designing Customer Success offerings. While had an idea ‘how’ to design a customer workshop or piece of collateral, I lacked the formal structure and design vocabulary needed to convey ‘why’ I was doing it that way. I started leveraging the ARRIVE framework and using the templates and tools used in class in real-world environments.

I started to use ethnographic tools such as surveys, interviews and focus groups to step-back and have a more rounded look at problems presented to me. I explored the idea of identifying themes within the data, information that I could use to build a case for a particular solution or methodology. It worked wonders. Suddenly teams could see the wood from the trees and the answer to question such as “but why should we do it that way?” could be answered by “because the answers you gave to the questions I asked point to that way forward.”

Don’t mistake design thinking as something only designers can use – everyone should be taught design and critical thinking.

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My best memory is of Aine, our Occupational Therapist, who arrived on the first day and said she felt like a fish-out-of-water. She even questioned if she was in the right place or not. With no background in design, she constantly asked the most interesting and insightful questions and applied her own professional background

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and insights to problems in ways no one else in the class could envision. Her project work won awards. She highlights that design is for everyone if you’re willing to embrace the challenge and trust the process.

People in the IT industry typically push back against research or the notion of a ‘design process’. The usual rational is “we know what the problem is so let’s start solving it”.

Rarely is that the case.

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// MSc Design Innovation

10 Garrett Sheridan

Design & Innovation Director Marino Software

I was fortunate to be part of the first cohort of the MSc in Design Innovation at

Maynooth University, which I completed ten years ago. The program provided me with a strong foundation in design thinking, innovation strategy, and problem-

solving, all of which have been critical in my role as Director of Design and Innovation.

I highly recommend the MSc Design Innovation to anyone seeking to advance their career in this area.

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The faculty’s expertise and guidance, combined with the program’s practical and interdisciplinary approach, helped me develop the skills necessary to lead design and innovation initiatives. Working with a diverse group of peers also enriched my learning experience, broadening my perspective on design’s role in business and

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technology.

The methodologies and strategies I gained have been directly applicable to my career, enabling me to drive meaningful change and innovation in my organisation.

// MSc Design Innovation

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Sean Casey Service Designer Context Studio

I was really grateful for the connections I was able to make during the course. I was able to build a small network which was what ultimately resulted in me securing my first job in design very soon after graduating. As a small start-up studio I had to hit the ground running and was immediately applying most of the techniques and methods I had learned. As a Service Designer, I use the knowledge and skills I gained from this course pretty much every day - pretty much the whole design mindset!

After six months as an intern I was promoted to a full time Service Designer.

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Mostly will remember all the brilliant people I got to work with and learn from – classmates and staff. Got to know some great people who I am lucky to still be in touch with and can continue to learn from!

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My passion is in human-centred service design – empathizing

with and understanding people’s needs and advocating for them through good design.

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// MSc Design Innovation

10 Alex McDermott Service Designer Glanbia

Completing my MSc Design Innovation has allowed me to shift my career. Previously

an R&D and Innovation Manager in the food industry, I now apply that experience and use human-centred design skills as a Service Designer at Glanbia, a global

nutritional company, to create intuitive user experiences. As part of the Digital +

Incubation Hub team, we streamline digital innovation by understanding consumer needs and finding strategic solutions.

Combining your past experiences with new skills from the MSc

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makes you an asset to employers.

Understanding the why, how, what…

Focus on the problem by talking to people to empathise with their needs and behaviours.

Embrace ambiguity and let insights drive decisions.

Using the design thinking process to solve complex problems.

Interviewing users to empathise and demonstrate the value of consumer feedback to the business.

Creating insights Brainstorming Using prototypes for concept discussions, feedback, and design iteration.

Customer journey mapping Working collaboratively to gain a competitive advantage.

The MSc has expanded my view of potential work opportunities, including roles in the health industry where I can make a positive impact.

// MSc Design Innovation

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Mike Murray

Designer, Writer, Lecturer Freelance

It was the Ethnography module that most ‘spoke’ to me and changed my perspective on working with others of different or limited skill levels. While teaching took me out of my comfort zone, it opened new doors too, leading to workshop facilitator roles with the ESB and other education initiatives, like working with Not So Different, a mentoring/support network for artists with autism. I find my ability to dig deep and absorb information has much improved, now that my interview skills have been honed. My scratch sheet brain-storming sessions are also wilder and more ‘colourful’ than before, leading to better frameworks to build off. Ultimately, the outcomes are more holistic and fit for purpose. As a freelancer, the delicacies of team dynamics was also enlightening.

If you feel jaded in your career or think you need a jolt of sorts, this programme can be just the antidote.

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One time I pulled an all-nighter to prep a vital presentation to Irish Water. I was experimenting with an odd visual approach and a soundtrack and was shattered when I raced last minute into the room that morning to gasps of relief from my teammates (and Frank). My exhaustion fell away quickly when our knife-edge

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6-minute epic ended in an eruption of applause and our team won the challenge.

Prior to this, I had made many vital presentations in my career as a designer (some with large, lucrative accounts on the line) but this just seemed more important somehow.

To me university was an alien land, so when I finally landed

on campus, the MSc was both exhilerating and intimidating in equal measure - but the experience was immensely positive.

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// MSc Design Innovation

10 Róisín Devoy Executive Officer Revenue Office

Colleagues are interested when I explain it’s about identifying a problem and using

a design thinking framework to move through the problem space into the solution space and finding a new way/approach. It has enhanced my visual presentation/

visualizing concept skills, which were pretty much nil in the beginning. It has given me more confidence in my creativity and how to apply it to work. Gave me insight

into service design – what it entails and the tools for customer centric services.

Ethnography as always is a very useful way to observe and unpack the world

and interactions around me, so it helps me in all aspects of my life. Innovation strategy gave me insights into the unchartered territory of business and ultimately gave me an understanding of the strategic and bottom line mindset required to be successful in business.

It’s developed my “have a go” muscle, to try and test and iterate and know that progress not perfection is the goal.

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Working collaboratively on the assignment projects was really interesting, and I picked up skills and tips from all my fellow students. I enjoyed the engagement with the stakeholders on the projects, listening to their initial problem or design challenge, working through the design process and hearing their feedback, again

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great insight what is expected of design and how it is applied in the real world.

My fellow students were standouts for me, interesting and

talented people, willing to take a chance and put themselves

through the rigors of an MSc later in life is a brave move and each of them inspired me in their own way.

// MSc Design Innovation

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Deaglán Campbell Design Lecturer TUS Athlone

Transitioning from industry to academia, I found that the knowledge and skills acquired through the programme had a direct and transformative impact on my practice. It provided me with a structured framework to critically analyse and enhance design processes, fostering a deeper understanding of user-centric approaches. Whether working on live design briefs or teaching in the classroom, I was able to apply these insights effectively. My future goals in design and innovation are centred on advancing the field through research, education, and practice. Having transitioned from industry to academia, I am deeply passionate about bridging these two worlds to inspire the next generation of designers while contributing to the evolving discourse on design practice and education.

My focus is on fostering humanity-centred, sustainable, and

inclusive solutions that make a meaningful impact on society.

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One of the most transformative aspects was the focus on ethnography, which became integral to my work. This approach deepened my understanding of users, clients, and students, allowing me to uncover nuanced insights that drive meaningful and impactful design solutions. By embedding research into the design process,

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I now prioritize understanding the context and behaviours of those I design for, which ensures that the outcomes are not only functional but also resonate on a deeper level. The programme also taught me the value of iterative experimentation and collaboration in innovation. Whether working on live briefs or guiding students, I have learned to embrace ambiguity, prototype fearlessly, and view feedback as a critical tool for growth.

It pushed me out of my comfort zone, encouraging me to critically evaluate my processes, embrace ethnography as a central methodology, and adopt a more reflective user-focused approach.

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// MSc Design Innovation

10 Lydia Ward

Design Research Lead Accenture Song

Becoming the first UX researcher at Genesys was a significant step in my career.

Fortunately, the transition felt easy thanks to the solid foundation in Design

Ethnography I gained during the master‘s degree. The master‘s program gave me a blend of academic rigor and practical industry applications. It also played a huge

role in expanding my professional network. The course honed my leadership skills.

Presenting research findings to senior management, developing strategies based on insights, and managing expectations all helped me build the confidence and skill set needed to lead design initiatives in professional environments. Six years

after completing the master‘s program, I still use many of the tools and methods I learned during the course. These methods are integral to most of the projects I’m involved in.

The master’s degree really changed the trajectory of my career, and I highly recommend it.

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A standout moment for me was working with Novum, a company that manufactures fridges and freezers for retail stores. I was so nervous because I didn’t know if what I had discovered was already common knowledge to them. To my relief, they were blown away by the research and the depth of insight I was able to gain. It was a

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real turning point for me. It was a great reminder of the impact that good design research can have. One of the most important things I took from the master’s program was the emphasis on having a growth mindset. It really shifted the way I approach challenges, making me more open, curious, and eager to discover new insights. This mindset also helped me apply rigour to how I approach problemsolving.

I credit much of my success to the training and experiences I

received. It provided me with the tools and confidence I needed to excel in UX research.

// MSc Design Innovation

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2024

2020

2017

Róisín Devoy

Shenzhe Duan

Conor Cogan

Emilija Grigaliunaite

John Foley

Kieran Flynn

Indudhara Havaldar

Dara Gallagher

Niamh Gleeson

James Leppla

Barry Gleeson

Caoimhe Kilbride

Mark Mc Guigan

Peter Habimana

Olwyn Lee

Michael Mc Guinness

Michalina Jaszowska

Sam Lyons

Neil O‘Donoghue

Daniel Kelly

James Maxwell

Eoin O‘Loideain

Pooja Menon

Finian Mc Carthy

áine O‘Reilly

Padraig O‘Dowd

Muriel Molloy

Keith Obajuluwa

Amalia White

Laura Nugent

Ravi Tank

Pui Yeung

Robert O‘Connor

Radhika Borah

Brian Twomey

2023

Deaglán Campbell

2019

Suzanne Brennan

Samson Babajide-akande

Leran Qin Michael Torrans Joris Vreeke Gerard Wylie

Valeriia Danylenko

Brian Collins

Jennifer Hawkins

Paul Conway

Gajal Jain

Enda Dixon

David Kelly

Rebecca Fagan

Sarah Kennelly

Ayla Hanlon

Martin Cahill

Aoife Kenny

Martina Horan

Emanuela Cepoiu

Jaya Ledwani

Peter Lumley

Mark Coyne

Prateek Prabhat

Niamh Lynch

Elijah Fatiroti

Jennifer Mcbride

Mahendran Kandasamy

Kenneth Nevin

Shauna Kelly

2022

2016

Olufemi Adegbola

Harriet Treacy

John Mc Gloughlin

Sean Casey

Eva Verhulst

Susan Moylett

Praniti Gupta

Clara Villa

Dermot O‘Beirne

Juliette Harvey

Damian Wilczkowski

David Rice

Jennifer Hawkins Helen Mc Guire Anushka Rana Sangeeta Yadav

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2018

Michala Davey-Borresen Diane Hassett Claire Lillis Ben Mc Cabe

Frances Roche Gemma Seery Marie Carmel Sheahan Garrett Brian Sheridan Henrich Vegh

2015

Kathleen Davis

Edel Murphy

Sarah Dennis

Amit Nayak

Jack Donnelly

Ritika Negi

Stephen Cullen

Simon Hanratty

Jane Nolan

John Doran

Alexandra Mc Dermott

Pranjal Pranjal

Joseph Duggan

Damian Mc Elroy

Barry Sheehan

Gary Mullen

Dervilla Mc Namara

Lesley Quinn

Claire Murphy

Raymond Mullooly

Lydia Ward

Michael Murray

Aideen Cardiff

Aoife Phelan

Brian O‘Connor

Dan Sullivan

Aoife Purcell Alex Quigley Okay Soylag Aine Whelan

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