Susanne (Duswald) Ryan

Austrian living in Canada

Sr Product Designer @ Microsoft, former IDEO

Sr Product Designer @ Microsoft,
former IDEO

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
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
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)

Work experience (9+ years)

Work experience (9+ years)

Oct 2022 - Current
Oct 2022 - present

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.

Jun 2021 - Oct 2022
Jun 2021 - Oct 2022

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.

Nov 2017 - Apr 2021
Oct 2022 - present

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

Universities & degrees

Universities & degrees

2014-2017
Oct 2022 - present

Sweden

MFA - Advanced Product Design

Umeå Institute of Design

2014
Oct 2022 - present

Italy

Product Design for Innovation,
Product Service System Design

Politecnico di Milano (Student exchange)

2010 - 2013
Oct 2022 - present

Austria

BSc, Industrial Design Scionic

University of Arts and Industrial Design

Up for a chat?

Based in Vancouver, PST time zone

duswald@gmail.com
Linkedin.

Up for a chat?

Based in Vancouver, PST time zone

duswald@gmail.com
Linkedin.

Up for a chat?

Based in Vancouver, PST time zone

duswald@gmail.com
Linkedin.

SUSANNE DUSWALD

©

All rights reserved. 2025

SUSANNE DUSWALD

©

All rights reserved. 2025

SUSANNE DUSWALD

©

All rights reserved. 2025