Four students from Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems traveled to Espoo, Finland this fall to participate in a global innovation project at Aalto University’s Design Factory. The facility is recognized as a major center for interdisciplinary design.
The students represented the New York City Design Factory (NYCDF), based at Pace’s Seidenberg School, and joined an international group for Aalto’s Product Development Project (PdP) course. This yearlong challenge involves teams creating real-world prototypes for industry sponsors. Their team focused on advancing hydrodetection technology for PrinSys, an Aalto-affiliated research group aiming to commercialize leak detection systems.
“Students traveled to be onsite at Aalto University for a week of team building, workshops, and collaboration,” said Professor Jonathan Williams, the faculty lead for Pace’s team on this international project. “They took part in the PD6 workshop—short for ‘Product Development in 6 Hours’—with their client, PrinSys. The trip is connected to the IS 600: Graduate Independent Study in IS and CS 665: Product Development Project courses.”
The student team described their experience at the Design Factory by saying, “Stepping into Aalto University’s Design Factory felt like entering a space where creativity meets engineering. Whiteboards filled with ideas, 3D models coming to life, and teams from around the world deep in discussion. The energy was inspiring and collaborative.”
Arvind Sharma (MS in Human Centered Design), Isaac Wirth (MS in Human Centered Design), Ledda Knudson (MS in Human Centered Design), and Remi Williams (BS in Information Technology) spent time prototyping in the ProtoBunker workshop space and met with representatives from PrinSys. According to them, “Through those conversations, we gained valuable insight into their goals and the context behind our challenge, helping us connect the technical problem to its human and societal impact.”
Ledda Knudson noted that working alongside her Aalto teammates allowed her to dive deeply into understanding their project problem as part of a global team. She said, “We really dove deep into understanding our problem. It was energizing to see that we all share a passion for solving this global challenge and creating something valuable that can be used in many different countries.” She also observed how design influences daily life throughout Finland.
Isaac Wirth found representing Pace at Aalto University memorable due to collaboration across disciplines including engineering, software development, and design. He said his favorite part was visiting Helsinki’s central library Oodi.
Remi Williams highlighted the hands-on aspect of developing a prototype designed to prevent water damage caused by leaks: “Our group developed a prototype designed to prevent water damage caused by leaks, and it was incredibly rewarding to troubleshoot and piece solutions together.” She emphasized access to various tools at ProtoBunker and appreciated working with students from diverse backgrounds.
Arvind Sharma reflected on multicultural teamwork: “I learned how design thinking goes beyond ideas. It’s about understanding people, cultures, and the small details that shape user experience.” He added that PD6 encouraged quick thinking and teamwork under uncertainty.
After returning home for winter break, the Pace team will continue collaborating with PrinSys and Aalto through spring semester coursework before presenting their final work at Aalto University’s Product Development Gala.
