A designer with a mission
to impact the world

Helping make lives better through the power of UX design.

About

Hola! I am Susana.

My journey into UX started with my Senior Project. I created a charity called Life Beyond Textiles to help weavers in my home country, Guatemala. After interviewing Mayan weavers from five different villages in Guatemala, I noticed a common problem: they lacked the funds for their kids to obtain an education. By leveraging the UX process and with the support of those who believed in me, the charity helped provide 13 kids with tuition, supplies, uniforms, and shoes for one year.

I was amazed about how one person can inspire others to create a difference. Without hesitation, I decided to pursue a graduate degree to master the UX skill with the goal to create greater impact. I applied to The New York Institute of Technology, and moved onto the next chapter of this journey..

Career

I joined IBM as a graduate intern, progressing to a co-op, a UX Designer, then becoming a Product Lead and now a Senior Designer on the Carbon Design System team. In five years, these unique experiences have helped shape my values.

Lead

Life Beyond Textiles taught me that one person can create a difference but that one person needs a team to make it happen. The most important leadership skill I have learned is to prioritize your team's health by building trust and empathy. Motivation and appreciation also goes a long way!

Design

The most exciting space to explore the impossible and bring an idea to life. It has enabled me to think beyond the limits and find solutions in not only creative, but innovative ways. It is a space where you can leverage collaboration. Great minds are brought together to create better solutions.

Learn

My motto is #neverstoplearning. As technology continues to evolve it is necessary to stay up to date with it to be innovative. Yet, the most valuable lesson is learning how to collaborate effectively with others.

There is immense growth that can be gained by sharing learnings, perspectives, skills, and ideas. This is where my empathy kicks in, as I share what I have learned, bring people together to share their work through Design Critiques and saving others time by receiving direct feedback from other designers and building relationships.

Content Services

Led and designed the enhanced experience of Content Services, a legacy tool that empowers administrators to manage and govern business content, while enabling them to build sites for users to securely upload and organize their business content.

Learn More

Product onboarding

Contributed to the vision that will serve as a model for 39+ PLG Software products starting in 2025, showcasing an end-to-end experience for new users as they onboard and engage with a product over time to drive increased retention.

Under construction

Recognitions

2023

Culture Catalyst Award

"Susana has been leading the way to rebuild the culture and collaboration in the Austin Studio for the Business Automation team. She has organized regular Design Share reviews and critique sessions for designers across the Automation teams. In this face to face activity, she has actively incorporated across the products and enable designers to expand their networks."

2022

Special Recognition

In recognition to my success at IBM, I was awarded a special large-sum payment.

"IBM's clients’ success, and the success of IBM, depends on the talent, passion, dedication and hard work of IBMers like you. Because of your exemplary track record, IBM is confident that you have what it takes to continue making important contributions to our success."

2022

Promotion to Advisory Designer

"Susana has been promoted to Advisory Designer. Susana is a rising star on the Business Automation team with a growth mindset and a positive attitude that has helped the team weather the recent church and strategic shifts in the business. Susana has a strong work ethic and is performing well above her current band level, not only leading her team of visual and UX designers, but also working with stakeholders to define the roadmap and identify opportunities for innovation."

Feedback

You are very focused on achieving project goals, building a consumable interface, and sticking to our schedules and commitment.

Matt Vest

Program Director,

Product Manager

Your team-oriented attitude and capability to work enthusiastically with designers, developers, and researchers is unique.

Natalia Russi-Vigoya

Sr. Lead Researcher Software UXR team

I admire your determination to grow younger designers. You’re always sharing the new things you’ve learned about leadership and AI and inspiring those around you to explore for themselves.

Hannah Sunstrom

UX Designer

Certifications

Life Beyond Textiles taught me that many weavers lack the funds for their children to access education. This realization makes me appreciate the resources available to me. It is a privilege to utilize them to further my learning, knowledge, and skills. These are a few of my learnings:

AI Fundamentals

Generative AI: Opportunity of a Lifetime

IBM AI Associate Leader

Enterprise Design Thinking - Team Essentials for AI

Apply the IBM AI Maturity Framework for Enterprise Applications

View More

The story continues...

Let's write the next chapter together!

Resume

Just what we decided to do on 1.11 ✨
These ladies inspire me on a daily basis. From badass non-profit girlies, to education, theater, and dancing babes, to business and entrepreneurial women, VPs, and even students who are stepping into the word with such great power.

This is your sign to bring your girlfriends together and visualize your goals for the year while getting to know each other at a deeper level.

Up next, we’re going dancing 💃 and of course, keeping ourselves accountable with our 2026 goals 😌

Love you so much queens! xx
Keep shinning!!

I first met @bessymartinezceo the founder of the @thelatinafoundation at a Cafecito event on 2023. My sister shared it with me knowing that I wanted to be closer to the Latino community to use my voice to lead and help others.

That’s when I got to witness how Bessy is genuinely and deeply passionate about helping others in the community. I decided to return to her SXSW event the following year. This is when I learned more about her and how her vision and goals are aligned with what I was looking into supporting. I got to learn about her role model, @jlo and after watching her Super Bowl documentary on @netflix —which I highly recommend, I realized why she sees her as such.

Without any hesitation, I applied to the board of directors for @thelatinafoundation. I am now happy to share with you that I got the role and look forward to continue getting closer to the community and drive change along wonderful and empowering women.

I admire Bessy for all her work and establishing this organization. It takes a strong woman like her to get this started. It is a privilege to join forces with her to create greater impact for our Latino community.

Thanks for this opportunity Bessy! This is our time to work together, take action, and drive greater impact.

Sometimes when you’re focused on the big goals, you forget to celebrate or even acknowledge the little ones.

I’m so grateful for my wonderful ESL students who have been there cheering me on every step of the way. On our last call for the summer course, I shared one of my goals with them. Yes, I got emotional.. but having their support means the world to me.

Through this journey, God connected me with amazing student. With her permission, I can share that together we went to her 🟩🪪 interview as she wanted my support and she passed without any problems! Watching her achieve this huge goal and experiencing her happiness when we went out to celebrate reminded me why I do what I do.

Teaching ESL every Thursday has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done this year. Even with my accent, sharing what I know and helping others find their voice has been such a gift.

Sometimes the big goal can seem far away, but just by showing up, even in the smallest ways, lives change. The distance shouldn’t hinder you from start taking action today.

Thank you to every single person who continues pushing me forward towards this goal and reminds me to enjoy the journey. 🤍

As for me, next week, together with @elbuenaustin, we’ll be meeting to identify new ways to help in the new year. Let me know if you’d like to help ☺️

#neverstoplearning

I’ve been so blessed with friends who genuinely want to see you succeed 🤍

@kiki.federico sent me the application for the Women in Tech Executive Summit, and without thinking twice I applied and also shared it with @natyrussiv who once worked together with me as the Sr. Lead UX researcher for a product I led.

Together, we showed up and learned from amazing women in executive roles and founders who shared their stories, lessons, and advice.

All the presentations were insightful. One that I could relate the most for where I am in my journey was @amandabradford ‘s presentation about how she built @theleague and how meticulously she was when launching it. We even got to chat after about her MBA journey at Stanford and how she took that leap into entrepreneurship.

Big thanks to @lillian_brown for creating this wonderful event I’d been looking for here in Austin. A group of women who, selflessly want to grow, care about making an impact while staying true to themselves and their values.

Can’t wait for our coffee next week! Thanks for using your skills to empower more women.

Kiki, thank you for being a wonderful supporter and friend 🤍 Natalia for being part of this journey and for always pushing each other to level up. ✨

#womensupportingwomen
@kindred_atx

The scary thing isn’t the night of Halloween, it’s what’s happening right now.

My first coach meeting with @gayleannreaume wasn’t about my product but about my users. She is not even Latino and stands up for us. She taught me more in one meeting than what I’ve learned in other places.

Driven by fear, I never attended any events like this. She told me “If you’re a leader, you can’t be scared to stand up for your users.” I do have a privilege to speak up for them and even if you and I have different beliefs. We both can agree that no family should be separated. Breaking families apart is not the answer. I will always lean into education, that’s what we need.

To provide people the resources they need to succeed and that way give back more to the country. Funding in other systems and not for education and healthcare is something we shouldn’t ignore. You can say the education system needs to catch up sure, but how can it when there aren’t enough resources? When teachers are forced to spend their own money to do their jobs?

This isn’t about left or right. Education shouldn’t only be accessible to those who can afford it. It’s time we stand up and drive change ourselves because no one is coming to do it for us.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are my own and not those of my employer.

It brings me so much joy when others share your vision. I met Keyra, President of @texasalpfa, at an @alpfa_austin event, and we teamed up to inspire our community and why not doing so by teaching them IBM’s Enterprise Design Thinking process, which helps turn ideas into fully developed products and services.

So I led a workshop at @utexasmccombs with @texasalpfa, and without hesitation @vera._.wei and Radcliffe, two amazing UX designers joined me to make it happen.

We gave students this prompt: How can you use tech to help first-gen students navigate college with more confidence?

My goal wasn’t just to teach the process. I wanted them to acknowledge that they have what they need to drive for impact and also get them badged up. And they did! They earned the IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner badge and with understanding of their potential.

I’m excited to be the bridge to bring more IBMers to share their knowledge and inspire our future leaders again in the Spring. 🤍

#DesignThinking #ALPFA #Leadership #Mentorship #Community #GiveBack #EDT #UX

When your wonderful coach invites you to Noche de Ópera, where Austin’s international communities come together to celebrate their shared love for opera ✨

@gayleannreaume has always been an advocate for financial literacy and for empowering parents to teach their kids about money from a young age, just like she did with her daughter.

She has helped me to let courage lead the way and to use fear not as a barrier but as a tool to rise for what I believe in and for my community. Thank you for all you do Gayle! I had a wonderful time 🤍 Like you said, to this wonderful group, we women need to keep coming together to make a difference.

This year, I started speaking my goals into existence.

It’s been surprising how sharing my boldest ideas has led to coffee chats and events that are aligned with my goals. I’ve connected with incredible people who have shared their time and experiences with me. ✨

Don’t be afraid to share your vision. Speaking about my goals has increased my accountability and my belief that I can achieve them and the support of many friends.🫶🏼 Whatever happens, trust that the universe has a way of aligning what’s meant for you.

Thank you, @ccler, for sharing your insights, your support, and reminding me that I’m on the right path. The moment is now. 🤍✨

And thank you to everyone who made space for a conversation with me this year, even remotely.

☕️😌

I’ve always admired women who are independent, brave, driven, and confident, yet still caring, nurturing, and beautifully delicate.

Recently I’ve met a few with that same mindset and thought, why not bring them together? We need more empowering women to grow together, share, and get inspired from.

From business owners to entrepreneurs and corporate girlies…

Thank you so much for coming! I am grateful to have met you and to have you in my life. It brings me joy, you can now connect with each other! 🤍✨

My journey since @lifebeyondtextiles included: earning a Masters Degree in UX and achieving a job at my company, which I LOVE with the goal to help at a larger scale. 🐝

At the same time, I still have the need to continue my purpose of helping my community. I tried content creation and blogging but I pivoted since I know my skills and knowledge can be used for something different.

During that time, I wanted to know what content I should make. Every time I’d ask an immigrant what their main challenge had been while living in the U.S. (before this year), they’d say the language barrier. Current methods are not fully successful so why not start there and find a way to improve it?

Therefore, on a Sunday afternoon, I brought two of my students and a member from @elbuenaustin where I volunteer as an ESL teacher, to help me understand users better: their pain points, their needs, and opportunities to leverage.

#EDT #Workshop #leader #latinos #unidos #ux #design

Recently I was asked what success looks like to me.

For me, success isn’t about titles or milestones, it’s about what I leave behind.

These girls were the start of everything I continue to pursue. They are the girls I picture when I say this, imagine creating something that will get in the hands of a little Guatemalan girl, giving her access to education so she can grow, become independent, and build a better life with what she learns.

I say this because education was the biggest challenge I discovered while doing research among weavers in Guatemala. If Facebook was able to reach every corner of the world, why can’t accessible education do the same?

What would our world look like if every kid, teenager, or adult, no matter where they were born, had easy access to tools they need to succeed?

#Education #Guatemala #purpose #leadership #travel #Antigua

Find love and share it along with the good energy ✨

One of my favorite #bucketlist items and hikes. Grateful for the experience, and for the reminder that the best views really do come after the hardest climbs.#MachuPicchu #Peru 🇵🇪 ✅

My current mood ✨

#gratitude #aboveandbeyond #anjuna

Make it happen

#change #travel #leadership

And we also celebrate releases! The first one from the product I currently lead this Wednesday.

#product #design #lead #leadership #business #strategy #ux #womenintech

Two weeks ago, I went to a Town Hall with Joanne Wright, the SVP of Transformations and Operations, and James Kavanaugh, the SVP of Finance sand Operations and CFO of IBM.

After the panel, I was invited to join Joanne on a round table meeting. I am proud to say that she is a full supporter of my leadership and encouraged me to continue inspiring others.

It was also wonderful to talk to James after the event about being more innovative and the power of AI.

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

Back in January, I started hosting weekly design critiques at the Austin Studio.

The goal was simple: improve collaboration, reuse patterns, create better designs, and give people a chance to actually meet each other.

Every Wednesday since, I’ve been leading these sessions and watching the culture shift.

Yesterday, I passed the mic.

I invited my mentee to facilitate the critique, not just to support me, but to help her grow as a leader and build her own presence in the studio.

It was a proud moment not because I stepped back, but because I got to watch someone step forward.

Creating space for others to lead is one of the best parts of leadership.

Thank you to everyone who joined and made it meaningful.

Opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.

#DesignCritique #Mentorship #AustinStudio #Leadership #Culture #growtogether

I hosted a few speed networking events in the Austin studio because I wanted to help people connect on a deeper level, beyond “what do you do for work?”

We often talk around each other in work settings, but rarely take time to actually get to know the person behind the role.

So I gave everyone a set of personal questions to guide the conversations:

What are you looking forward to?
What motivates you outside of work?
What’s something you’re proud of?
If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be and why?

The conversations felt different. People opened up. They listened.

Afterward, I saw more designers showing up to critiques. Feedback got better. Collaboration felt easier.

It reminded me that real connection leads to trust, and trust changes how we work.

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

#Connection #bringingpeopletogether

Harvard Business Review 10 Must Reads: On High Performance ✨

I got a promotion this month to become an Advisory Designer at IBM. It has been a pleasure to work with talented designers and team as I continue to grow in my career. I have enjoyed the journey and look forward to what the future will bring.

In the meantime, I will continue working towards my next goals by taking action steps each month to get closer to accomplishing them, starting with a Level Up course next week to gain more leadership and management skills and grow my design team. What is growth if you cannot grow with others?

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢᴏᴀʟs. Start with one of them and write down steps you can take this month to work towards it. Some goals will take time, but imagine how much you can accomplish by the end of the year. Thanks, IBM for letting me shine with you!

From 2019-to 2021, I went from being a graduate student to an intern, a co-op, a full-time UX Designer, and a Product Design Lead. So tell me, what actions will you be taking this month that you will be thanking yourself for in 5 years?

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

And that’s a wrap! Thank you everyone for making my master’s experience an unforgettable one. Next chapter will be converting to a full-timer at @ibm in 2 weeks and it still sounds like I am in a dream. Congrats to everyone graduating and continuing chasing their dreams👩🏻‍🎓🎓🍾🎉 did I mention I love designing in AR? @adobeaero

It was a pleasure to be requested to be a panelist again. I love to answer questions about my incredible experience as an UX Design intern at @ibm
This time, during the Hispanic Early Careers Event @shpenational #shpe2020 #ux #design #ibm

I am so grateful to @IBM as it continues to provide me incredible opportunities. I feel fortunate to have been chosen as a panelist on IBM's Ask an Intern panel at Grace Hopper Celebration yesterday along with wonderful fellow interns. I had a great time answering questions during this event and later on LinkedIn about my experience at IBM.

My experience at I'm has been a fantastic journey with many unexpected events that have allowed me to try many things in just a little time. I am looking forward to what the future awaits as a full-timer.

#ibm #ghc20 #ghc2020 #vghc #ghc2020 #ux #design #HHM #HispanicHeritageMonth #womenintech

I am grateful to have gotten the incredible opportunity to join IBM as a Summer intern, for joining the Enterprise Design Thinking Patterns program along with the new hires, for receiving an internship extension through the Fall, and lastly.... for obtaining an offer to become a full-time IBMer next year! I have officially accepted the offer. 🍾Thank you to everyone who helped me get to where I am today 💙 @ibm #ibm 🐝 #ux #design

A week ago, I presented this slide as part of my internship overview presentation, to my manager, my assigned team, mentors, and my Patterns team. This past Thursday, I received the news that I achieved my first goal as I will be continuing my internship through the Fall. Gracias @ibm! #designresearcher #ux #design #ibm

When Chloe is @ibm famous #catgoals #ibm #ux #design #research

I have been looking forward to today since February! @ibm

Black Lives Matter Protest App Design .
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#peacefulprotest #connect #blacklivesmatter #ux #ui #design #together #united #blm #newyork #nyc #app #apple #ios #art #communicate #understand #userneed

When Graphic Design Meets UX/UI = best of both worlds. A design I created for a project about protecting a client’s UX/UI ideas. #graphic #design #ux #ui #business #art #colors #ideas #creative #creativity #womenintech

That’s how I finished my semester as a UX/UI Designer master student, presenting two products that I created with the using the UX process. Now time to treat myself ✈️ #ux #UI #design #development #developer #womenintech

Currently creating an Amazon Echo Show Alexa skill task for “Bubbles”. #ai #interactive #ux #ui #developer #design #create #hci

Today we learned about Voice UI, can’t say how much I enjoy my major and the opportunity to expand my knowledge of design into a more technological world #uxui #designer #developer #google #siri #cortana

Working at school gives me the chance to do demonstrations, try different platforms, organize events and immerse myself in VR. I love my major #UXUI #design #HCI #humancomputerinteraction

Got to fill up the walls, this picture was taken after already taking the majority of papers down. #uxdesign #projectoverview #marketresearch #empathymap #journeymap #persona #swot #moscow #userresearch

If you don’t fill out the wall, did you even do enough research? #uxui #userexperience #research #womenintech

Last week’s research extended almost to the end of the wall. #uxdesign #projectbrief #demographics #swot #moscow

My team’s 4 ideas for empathy project. #uxuidesign

Si actúas como si supieras lo que estás haciendo, puedes hacer lo que quieras. #fridakahlo

Behind every project there is always a lot of research & planning. First meeting with Professor Deer about @lifebeyondtextiles went amazing. There is a lot to get done & you are invited to be part of the journey.
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.#graphic #design #planning #brainstorm #research #designer #art #power #reading #project #work #enjoy #life #edgy

Frida Kahlo screen-print. Inspired by Andy Warhol and texture techniques. 🦋

#FridaKahlo #AndyWarhol #silkscreen #screenprinting

Volunteering for @furrr911 so that cats’ pictures can be updated on social media and PetFinder.com

Volunteering for The National Multiple Sclerosis Society at their Bike MS event.

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@su.chinchilla

A designer with a mission to impact the world