Nicole Kahn
Industry Coach
Nicole is spending her days doing what she enjoys: being fully engaged in design. She is thrilled that she gets to conduct needfinding with consumers around the world, discover new opportunity areas, and dream up new products, services, workplace environments, and architectural spaces.
Nicole graduated from Brown University with a BS in Chemical Engineering and a desire to pursue a more creative outlet. She discovered her true calling while taking a class with Brown engineers and RISD industrial designers, where she distinctly remembers the moment when her heart sped up and she thought, ”This is what I want to do with my life.“ The rest, as they say, is history. As an alumna of the Joint Program in Design, a former teaching assistant for the Product Realization Lab, and a member of the first class of d.school fellows, she found a home for herself within Stanford’s design community. While at Stanford, Nicole had the opportunity to collaborate with several mentors, including Michael Barry and David Kelley, who have been pivotal in shaping her as a designer. Nicole also had the unique opportunity to consult for Stanford’s School of Engineering in developing visions for the future Engineering Library, the Y2E2 Environment and Energy Building, and the Jen-Hsun Huang School of Engineering Center. There she experienced the power of applying design thinking to channel users’ needs, develop an architectural strategy, and unify a diverse group of future building occupants.
Nicole brings to the d.school a passion for human-centered design. She is also fascinated with deeply understanding people; specifically: why people do what they do. She currently practices needfinding and strategy innovation at Point Forward. Her experience extends internationally to China, Korea, and Europe. When she isn’t working, you can find her lecturing at Stanford’s Joint Program in Design or coaching students at the d.school.
