How one young designer is opening doors for women in engineering

When people think about engineering, they often picture technical drawings, calculations and manufacturing assembly lines. What attracted me to the industry was something much simpler. I like building things. And I like solving problems. 

When I was about five or six, I was always trying to build things. I was the one wearing a tool belt, not my brother. I liked building furniture, doing projects around the house, and being hands-on. 

What started out as something fun eventually led me into industrial design and engineering. Today, I work in product development at ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in access solutions. I’m based in Eskilstuna – about an hour and a half’s drive west of Stockholm – and the birthplace key production for ASSA. It’s also the center of our innovation activities today and it’s where I work on products that combine usability, safety, and design in ways most people never even notice. 

When you think about it, these products - such as handles, escutcheons, and lock cases – are everywhere. At home. Where we work. Where we visit. Most people never give them a second thought, but people use them all the time.

Good design should feel seamless

And I think that’s a key part of what good design is – that the interaction with an object is so seamless that you don’t register using it. That said, if they don’t work – or if the design is bad – then people really do sit up and take notice. And not in a good way. 

Of course, to get to that stage takes a lot of work. My master’s thesis focused on improving the user experience of smart locks, specifically around inclusive design on physical keypads. 

We looked at common usability issues and how to create more intuitive interactions through things like size, width, shape, and layout. And it goes without saying that sustainability is built into everything we do. 

Obviously, environmental sustainability means using green and recycled materials where possible, as well as designing products to be modular so they can be easily repaired rather than replaced. But for me, as a product developer, it’s equally about social sustainability—designing products that are easy and ergonomic to assemble in production, while also ensuring they are inclusive and accessible for end users. Ultimately, it’s about contributing to a fair and inclusive society.

Designing products for life

People often ask me about the type of work I’m involved in. For me, security is interesting because it’s so fundamentally important to people. It’s about keeping the things that are precious to you safe and sound.

I focus heavily on testing and verification, especially in terms of compliance and meeting security standards. But I’m also fascinated by ergonomics. 

For example, if something is spring-loaded and too hard to push or turn, that could be a security risk and make it difficult for senior citizens to open their windows, for example. 

Working for a company like ASSA ABLOY has really opened my eyes to what's possible. There's a real focus on young talent, exciting projects, inclusivity, and design. 

The importance of mentorship and support

What’s more, I’ve had people on hand to provide support throughout my journey. One is someone I really look up to professionally. She’s my role model and has what I regard as my dream career.  

Then there’s another colleague who’s more like my cheerleader, someone I can confide in emotionally about business life.

And then in my team, I have a colleague who’s worked at ASSA ABLOY for over 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge. He’s my day-to-day mentor for sanity-checking ideas.

Having that support network in place is so important. Not only am I the only woman on the team, but I'm also the youngest. I know that engineering is still a male-dominated industry, but it’s not all one-way traffic. 

Bringing fresh perspectives into engineering

As a woman, I bring a different perspective. And I come straight from academia, so I know the latest ways of working and can implement new things. 

What matters is collaboration and competence. And I bring competence in new areas, for example, in artificial intelligence (AI). Although I’ve only been here for a year, I’ve been appointed as an ’AI ambassador’ representing R&D in the Nordics.  

Even though some of the people around me are nervous about AI, for me, there are so many amazing tools for collaboration, speeding up the design process, and quickly verifying work. It’s exciting.

Encouraging more women into engineering careers

My advice to anyone considering a role in engineering is this: If you like hands-on things, product development, and design, then I’d really encourage you to consider a career in engineering. 

It’s immensely rewarding. I’m able to use both sides of my brain – the problem-solving and logical thinking part – but also the design and aesthetics part of it. Best of all, engineering is fun. You can work in all sorts of areas and disciplines – not just security – and it can open lots of doors both personally and professionally.