Susanne (Duswald) Ryan
Austrian living in Canada
Me in a nutshell
What excites me is the challenge to bridge the gap between users and technology to make the world more accessible. I care deeply about infusing more empathy and purpose into my designs to create adaptive experiences that truly serve both users and the business. To achieve this, I approach every project with a critical yet curious mindset, always asking how we can push further - not just to improve usability, but to create more intentional human-centred experiences. I love deconstructing complex problems to build scalable, cross-platform systems, but also find a lot of joy in refining the subtle moments that shape how people feel during an experience. While I may not be a writer, storytelling is central to how I design - balancing strategy, empathy, and systems thinking to create narratives that resonate. For me, design is a tool for change; it’s a way to help shape a more inclusive digital future not only through what I create, but through the way I create it. So, in short, I'd describe myself as a versatile t-shaped designer with a get-things-done mindset who thrives in the unknown.
My career @ Microsoft & IDEO

Spezialised in
Product Design
User experience
Interaction design
Design Systems
Industrial Design
Selected clients
Microsoft
IDEO
WE3
Zalando
Harley Davidson
Bosch
Tools / skills
Figma
Adobe suite
Framer
Lovable
Vibe coding
3D (Rhino, Blender)


Work experience (9+ years)
Canada
Senior Product Designer, Microsoft
I am driving multiple high-stake projects across multiple teams, defining new AI experience patterns and how users interact with our products. My impact spans across multiple applications in the office suite.
While on the Loop team, I worked on multiple canvas defining, focusing commanding structure and accessibility. I created the first ever AI experience in Loop and with the new framework established a connected experience between canvas, chat and app-level experiences.
Ireland
UX / UI Designer 2, Microsoft
May main focus on the team was growth of M365 products. I led and designed platforms for Microsoft's partners to better track their customers and their subscription models. I spearheaded the design of a learning platform for our VSB users to empower their personal growth.
Germany
Experience & ID, IDEO
At IDEO, I worked as a UX designer and Industrial Designer, collaborating on a wide range of global projects—from B2B to B2C—with clients across industries. My international experience spans Europe, Asia, and the U.S., where I've led and worked on projects ranging from healthcare to luxury goods, turn ambiguous problems into clear, successful outcomes.
~ 2 years
United States
Sweden
Germany
Austria
UX, ID, and Visual Design
IDEO (6 months)
Teams design (6 months)
Ziba design (3 months)
No Picnic (3 months)
Design Storz (6 months)
Universities & degrees

Sweden
MFA - Advanced Product Design
Umeå Institute of Design
Italy
Product Design for Innovation,
Product Service System Design
Politecnico di Milano (Student exchange)

Austria
BSc, Industrial Design Scionic
University of Arts and Industrial Design


