Dr. Colgate and Dr. Norman, Co-Directors, Segal
J. Edward Colgate and Don Norman
Segal Co-Directors

Design: The deliberate shaping of the environment in ways that satisfy individual and societal needs.

The Segal Design Institute is dedicated to the study of human-centered design, in context. At Segal, we emphasize the interaction of people with technology, services, and organizations. Human-centered design takes into account human abilities, needs, and desires—as well as the practical realities of technology and organizations.

Design thinking means systems thinking, breaking out of the normal confines, solving the fundamental issues, not the symptoms. We see design thinking as a powerful approach to innovation and problem-solving in the diverse contexts of engineering, business, medicine, and communication. Our approach combines depth in a discipline with cross-functional, multi-disciplinary design teams and projects.

Segal oversees a number of courses and degree programs: the Engineering Design and Communication program required of all Engineering undergraduates and co-sponsored by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; the undergraduate Design Certificate program; the undergraduate Manufacturing and design Engineering (MaDE) degree program; and the Master of Science in Engineering Design and Innovation program (MS-EDI). In addition, Segal is closely affiliated with two graduate programs, MMM and MPD, and with the Northwestern Center for Engineering Education and Research (NCEER).

Students working in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

We are located in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center, 2133 N. Sheridan Rd. G-302, Evanston, IL 60208. Our offices are on the ground floor (G-302), while the Prototyping Lab is on the lower level.

The Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center provides many resources for design students, including machine tools, rapid prototyping and CAD/CAM facilities, meeting rooms and design studio teaching spaces, and more.

For general inquiries, please email us at segal@northwestern.edu or call our office at 847-491-3069. A complete list of faculty and staff can be found under People.