Integrated Product Design - IPD at University of Pennsylvania

This week we had the opportunity to hear from outstanding panelists on what the role of Product Managers actually looks like across their companies.
We were joined by:
Antonia Violante (IPD ’23) - Product manager at Vanguard
Chris Thomas (IPD ’23) - Product manager at Fiserv
Taylor Gannon - Product manager at Perpay

We unpacked:
The core skills required to be an effective PM
How the role shifts depending on company stage and structure
Practical advice on breaking into the industry
And what truly differentiates strong candidates

It was an insightful conversation on how the IPD program intentionally equips students with the cross-functional thinking, technical fluency, and structured problem-solving required in product management; making the path feel far more tangible.

Thank you to our IPD career team for organizing such a thoughtful event; beautifully moderated by Maansi Manchanda; VP of careers and Alumni relations

Our very own IPD Student Sammy’26 worked on a bedside supply cart redesign project in BE 5130 (Spring 2025) focused on improving nurse workflow at HUP Cedar (Penn Medicine’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania – Cedar Avenue campus) Emergency Department. Her team conducted weekly on-site observations, interviews, and prototype testing to address inefficiencies caused by carts being stored outside patient rooms post-COVID.

After identifying wasted supplies, bent needles, and time lost from nurses searching across carts, the team developed a redesigned acrylic storage insert system that improved organization and inventory efficiency. The final design extended supply availability from 1 patient to 3 full shift changes and was projected to save nurses ~700 hours per year based on simulations.

The work was presented to HUP Cedar leadership and later published in JMIR Human Factors (January 2026).

https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2026/1/e80861?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Recruiting season can feel overwhelming.

If you’re feeling stressed or uncertain, know this: you’re not alone, and your timeline is valid.

Use the resources around you, lean on your community, and protect your peace.

What’s yours will find you.

Mechatronics in action 🤖⚙️

This semester, IPD students on the engineering pathway took on Mechatronics; a hands-on course where the final project culminates in a robotics competition.

The process starts with a project brief, followed by weeks of designing, building, and iterating on autonomous robots. While competition participation is optional, most teams choose to compete. During Competition Weekend, teams face off in a two-day tournament:

Day 1: Round-robin matches with randomly paired teams, where robots are evaluated on individual performance and win–loss record
Day 2: Teams are ranked, alliances of three robots are formed through a draft, and the competition continues in a double-elimination bracket

For Team Mercedes, Day 1 ended with a 1–1 record. Heading into Day 2, the team drafted Team Dhoom and the Meamsketeers (non-IPD) to form an alliance. After an early loss, the alliance rallied—winning multiple matches and advancing all the way to the quarterfinals.

It was exciting to see IPD students collaborate across disciplines—teaming up with fellow IPDs and non-IPD engineers—and bring the engineering pillar of IPD to life through real, competitive systems.

Team highlights:

Team Mercedes
Beatrice Tam (IPD)
Pavitpaul Makkar (IPD)
Sydney Neal (IPD)

Team Dhoom
Amey Sogodekar (IPD)
Skandhan Karthikeyan (MSE)
Nandagopal Vidhu (MS Robotics)
Aditya Vats (MS Robotics)

Arik’s Team
Arik Singh (IPD)
Emily Yao (IPD)
Kevin Zhao (MS Robotics)

As the semester comes to a close, IPD has been reflecting on some truly meaningful moments.

A group of students from the current cohorts had the opportunity to visit the Smart Design
studio in Brooklyn, and it was inspiring to experience firsthand where so much impactful design work comes to life.

A huge thank you to IPD alum Jonathan Blutinger for organizing and leading the visit. The day included an inside look at Smart Design’s industrial design process, along with a deep dive into the firm’s work with OXO, led by Caroline Slick and Marcus Eisendorf.

IPD students left the visit inspired, energized, and excited to apply what they learned as they continue their design journeys.

As the holidays are upon us, IPD wishes you all a happy holiday season! 🎄✨
We had such an amazing time at our annual IPD Holiday Party!!!

Highlights included decorating cookies, secret Santa, an IPD Jeopardy showdown (with the first-years taking the win!), and plenty of great food while building meaningful connections.

So grateful for moments like these that bring the IPD community together 🤍

📸: .yaaan 💕

We had a wonderful evening hosting our IPD alums for game night with current students! Special thanks to John Sylvester (IPD ’20), Anthony Nadine (IPD ’20), and Sean Barrett (IPD ’22) for joining us for an evening of games, laughter, and catching up! 🎉

T’was a scaryyyyyy night at IPD☠️⚰️
Here are some of our highlights from the IPD Halloween Party!!!

A time we had!! Here is a recap of the IPD Diwali Bollywood night festivities!! A festival of light with the people who light up IPD🪔💛

We’re beyond proud to celebrate IPD alumni Kausi Raman(IPD ‘23)- CEO & Co-Founder and Max Leichty(IPD’22)- CTO & Co-Founder of Chompshop who have been making major waves in the world of innovation and design!

They have recently been awarded & recognized in the following:

🏆 TIME‘s Best Inventions of 2025
🏆 Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award
🏆Fast Company’s “Next Big Things in Tech” 2025 —that honors ground-breaking companies recognized for pushing technology forward with fewer than 100 employees.

A huge congratulations to the ChompShop team on these incredible achievements. We’re inspired by your journey and wish you continued success as you keep redefining what’s possible in design and technology.🎉

Happening Today (October 15th)!!! Join us for the first IPD informational session with our Executive Director, Sarah Rottenberg!!
Join to Learn more about the Integrated Product Design program, including requirements, the application process, and tips on how to best prepare.
Bring your questions, gain insight into what makes IPD unique, and discover how you could be part of the next cohort.

Here is a link to register: https://lnkd.in/eJN3dsd
Time: 7pm EST