Paving the way for women in a male-dominated industry: Grad to watch Jacqueline Savage - Women's Agenda

Paving the way for women in a male-dominated industry: Grad to watch Jacqueline Savage

They’re ambitious, innovative and highly intelligent – and they’re set to soon graduate from their chosen fields of study and launch careers that will inspire and change the world.

In the coming weeks we will profile 16 female graduates to watch in 2014 who are leading the next generation of female talent in science, medicine, law, business and research. They answer our questions on everything from what they hope to achieve in their careers, what inspires them and the challenges they anticipate they will face in their careers.

Jacqueline Savage looks set to achieve her aim of contributing to society through the creation of useful and meaningful products, having already designed and engineered an interactive knee model for Johnson & Johnson Medical, which was showcased at the Australian Orthopaedic Association exhibition last year. She believes a focus on user-centred design will assist in her developing medical products to provide a holistic approach to patient care, and ultimately to developing products that make a difference. In an industry that’s still heavily male-dominated, Savage also hopes she can pave a way for strong women through great product innovation and continually building on her own designs.

What degree are you studying and at which university?

I am currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Product Design) at Swinburne University of Technology.

When do you plan to finish your studies?

November 2013

How old are you?

24 years

How do you hope your research will be used in the future?

I hope that my research will aid in the development of medical products that provide a holistic approach to patient care, through the use of user centred design.

What do you want to achieve in your career?

I want to use what I’ve learnt to develop products that contribute positively to society. I don’t want to only develop consumer goods, I want to make a difference.

What are the biggest challenges you face in trying to reach these goals?

I honestly believe that the only thing that can stop you from achieving your goals is yourself. I think that like most design engineers I am never truly satisfied with my own work. This is an attribute that both makes me doubt myself but also drives me to do better. Finding the balance between knowing that you can always do better and knowing when something has reached a level that any further work will not yield results is crucial.

Where do you hope to be in 10 years time?

Retired? No, I hope to greatly improve the medical industry through product innovation. Paving the way for strong women in an industry which is predominantly male dominated.

Who do you admire most?

Yves Béhar. His continuing contribution to the design field has inspired me to view product design in a new light. His work illustrates the amalgamation of commercial products with sustainability and social good.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

There are four key sayings which I believe; “go big or go home”, “if you are ahead get more ahead”, “if you do something you love you’ll never have to work a day in your life”, and “to create a memorable design you need to start with a thought that’s worth remembering”.

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