Design Education
Savannah College of Art and Design
Master of Arts in Industrial Design
3.4 GPA
Awarded 3 scholarships:
Student Incentive Scholarship
Academic Honors Scholarship
International Students' Scholarship
🇨🇦 WES Verified
2016 to 2018 ┊Savannah, GA, USA
BMS College of Architecture
Bachelor of Architecture
~3.65 GPA┊Top 15% of the class
Founder and Leader - Entrepreneurship Development Cell (BMSCE-EDC)
Lead Vocalist - Western Music Club
🇨🇦 WES Verified
2009 to 2014 ┊Bengaluru, India
Music Education
Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), London
Merit Grade 6 Piano & Grade 5 Music Theory
Under the tutelage of Mrs Hema Gulati Chandra of Keys Western Music Academy
2000 to 2008 ┊Hyderabad, India
Keerthana Institute of Music
Carnatic Vocal Foundations
Under the tutelage of Smt Kamala Ramani
1999 to 2002 ┊Hyderabad, India
Certifications
Publications
Recognition
Microsoft
Star Award
2021
Customer Obsession
2020
Growth Mindset
Microsoft
Hackathon
2021
Runner-up
2020
Winner
Microsoft
Champion
2022 to 2023
Learning
2020 to 2021
Diversity and Inclusion
ADPList
Key Speaker
BeMore Design Festival 2024, Hyderabad
Schooling
Nasr Girls' School
ICSE Grade 11 & 12
Sciences + English Literature + Art
Scored the highest ever in Art 95%
Hyderabad, India
Gitanjali School
ICSE Grade 1 to 10
95.4% with highest in Mathematics and Hindi
Hyderabad, India
Professional Experiences
Microsoft
Product Designer 2
Lead Designer for Cross Device Experiences & AI Copilot | Windows + Devices
- Leading product vision, strategy, accessible design and research for Copilot (>400 Mn users) and cross-device experiences (>80 Mn users) on Windows, including features like Copilot, Cast, and other competitive future releasing globally in 2024.
Lead Designer for Digital Safety | People Experiences and Family Safety | Modern Life Experiences
- Solely led accessible design and research for all primary Digital Safety value offerings like Content Filters, Web Activity, Screentime, Spending and Gaming, increasing Monthly Active Families by 12% and Users by 47% over 2 yrs, with all features released globally.
Lead Designer for Family Subscription Sharing | M365
- Led, designed and released a UX &UI enhancements that contribute to increase in MAU, increased sharing by 5% and subscription renewal by 20% ('23 -'24)
- Designed a UX toolkit for subscription sharing for other internal teams to leverage and reducer effort
Learning, Diversity and Inclusion
- Proactively led and curated design focused learning and growth initiatives for the team, resulting in an increase in learning score by 14% and inclusion score by 4% over 6 months.
Sustainability
Member fo Microsoft Green Design Lab, and completed Sustainability in Action Training
June 2020 to present ┊Hyderabad, India
Tandem Digital
Lead Experience Designer and Founding Member (Consultant)
- Spearheading end-to-end user-centered design including UX, UI, visual design, design systems, strategy, providing mentorship, client servicing, communication and quality assurance.
- Led business development, stakeholder management, defined company and project visions and oversaw 35+ mobile, web and visual design projects in 5 countries, increasing revenue by 250% in 3 yrs.
- Championed and initiated comprehensive learning, mentorship, fun and cultural initiatives within the company to foster a positive and engaging work environment for the team.
August 2019 to present ┊Hyderabad, India
ByQuest
Lead Industrial and Experience Designer
- Led design strategy for product experience and marketing kits, eliminating prototyping costs through curated digital product and experience design including photorealistic 3D model catalogues, specs and personalized recommendations, enabling streamlined customer acquisition and resulting in substantial growth in product sales.
- Enhanced brand presence in international exhibits and with clientele with improved visual, product storytelling and presentation, and spatial booth design.
May 2018 to May 2021 ┊New Jersey, USA & Hyderabad, India
ADP List
Design Mentor
2021 to present ┊Hyderabad, India
Designer, Artist and Vocalist (Freelance)
Pursued multiple passions as a lead vocalist for a 3-piece fusion rock band performing weekly shows, as visual designer for branding projects, and as an artist for public art installation projects.
June 2015 to August 2016 ┊Hyderabad, India
Heineken USA x SCADPro
Project Lead Experience Designer
Led a team of 18 designers for a funded project to create holistic sustainable strategy, service and industrial design solutions for urban infrastructure, that generate new purpose for recycled glass.
September to November 2017 ┊Savannah, GA, USA
Lucciola
Founder and Principal Designer
- Independently managed my online business, curated and selling 500+ customized eco-friendly hand-crafted lamps in 3 years.
- Commissioned by celebrities and top companies to facilitate workshops.
April 2013 to August 2016 ┊Hyderabad, India
Ereena International
Industrial Designer
Elevated brand experience through design of sustainable packaging, print, digital exhibit spatial curation and experience design, positioning the brand as a top-rated sustainable brand globally.
July to September 2017 ┊Hyderabad, India
Savannah College of Art and Design | Department of Design
Graduate Research Assistant + Design Assistant
Oct 2016 to May 2018 ┊Savannah, GA, USA
Research Design Office
Experience Designer - Spaces
Swiftly promoted in a month to lead design, oversee and bring to life 7 luxury high value residential, educational and commercial projects.
February 2014 to May 2014┊Hyderabad, India
Nandu Associates
Spatial Experience Designer
Feb 2014 to May 2014┊Hyderabad, India
Mistry Architects
Spatial Experience Designer
September 2013 to Dec 2013┊Bengaluru, India
CII Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)
Sustainable Designer
Summer Internship 2012 ┊Hyderabad, India
Skills
When Creativity and Technical Proficiency converge
I've honed a versatile skill set across a spectrum of softwares, each chosen so I may elevate my skills and capabilities. I leverage them to combine my creativity with technical expertise. and turning my ideas intro reality. These skills are more than just a list, but a testament to my strife towards constant growth.
Versatility in Design and Strategy
I bring a comprehensive blend of creative and strategic skills, knowedge, practice and expertise that extend across multiple discplines.
As a multidisciplinary designer, I am equipped to seamlessly integrate diverse skills and perspectives from various fields, enabling me to craft solutions thar transcend conventional boundaries. This holistic outlook empowers me to foster fresh ideas and unique problem solving approaches in ways that a single-discipline approach may not be able to achieve.
Design Thinking
User & Usability Testing
Design Strategy
UX Research
User Centered Design
User Experience (UX) Design
Product Design
Design Systems
User Interface (UI) Design
Interaction Design
Storytelling
Visual Design
3D Modelling
Sketching
Wireframing
Storyboarding
Agile Methods
Design Sprint
Design Leadership
Mentorship
Accessibility
Information Architecture
Workshop Facilitation
Product Strategy
Service Design
Industrial Design
Prototyping
Systems Thinking
Public Speaking and Emceeing
Content Writing
Performing Arts – Music
Voice Over
Illustration
Graphic Design
Branding
Multi-lingual Aptitude
Fluency in multiple languages not only broadens my communication skills but also enables me to engage with a diverse range of audiences, fostering inclusivity and a deeper understanding of different perspectives.
English (Professional)
Hindi (Native)
Telugu (Native)
Tamil (Native)
Kannada (Elementary)
Testimonials
8 JUNE 2020
via LinkedIn Recommendations
Ingrid Cornehl
Chief Executive Officer at ByQuest
I had the pleasure of directly collaborating with Sunanda during her tenure with us here at ByQuest. She consistently demonstrated a solid work ethic, ingenious technical skills, a disciplined approach managing several projects and, an exceptional ability to adapt to changes. Above all, her enthusiasm, dedication and overall positive attitude were contagious. Sunanda is an wonderful professional and a valuable asset to any company.
18 DEC 2017
via LinkedIn Recommendations
Scott Boylston
Graduate Coordinator, Design for Sustainability Program at SCAD
I had the immense pleasure of teaching Sunanda for a SCAD CLC class with Heineken USA, where the design brief was broadly scoped and required solutions that were technically feasible, creatively inspirational, and authentically sustainable. Sunanada’s task was a daunting one, leading a highly interdisciplinary team through an intense process of research, research analysis, ideation, prototyping, design execution, and client presentation. The blend of talents she brought to the table for this endeavor constitutes a comprehensive list of skillsets, including concise task alignment (based upon an unrelenting assessment of existing skillsets on the team, present demands on each teammates, etc), consensus building both in the moment and over time, crises management, team and personal motivation, and of course creative, design-based acumen. It’s rare that a single individual possesses such an impressive balance of skillsets across so many professional and personal performance demands, and can maintain that balance—and the wherewithal to apply them simultaneously, in real time—even as the levels of intensity reach a crescendo during a period of consecutive deadlines. It was my honor to work with Sunanda, and I am wholly confident she will excel at any endeavor she chooses to pursue.
23 DEC 2017
via LinkedIn Recommendations
Mike Lindsey
Professor of Design Management at SCAD and Senior Partner at High Performance by Design
Su is an exceptional and inquisitive person, a quick learner and active participant in all she does. Her results focus and attention to detail is a major asset, and she has made a real impression to her peers and professors at SCAD. She will be a major contributor in the Design Field!
26 DEC 2015
Letter of Recommendation
Latha K
Principal Architect
Sunanda Subramanian is the best junior architect I’ve had in the last few years. She is highly intelligent, works well as team member and has demonstrated leadership potential.She was thrown into the rough seas from the word go. She excelled at not only the work assigned to her but very quickly and naturally became a leader to her own contemporaries. She is confident and willingly takes on challenges and responsibility. She stands out from the rest of the pack. Sunanda is very very efficient. She is quick to grasp a concept and with great clarity of thought, proceeds to execute it in a thorough manner. This is a very rare quality and in my 15 years of experience with young architects I’m yet to see someone who is so ahead of the curve in terms of skill sets and mental maturity. When I assign a job to her, I can be rest assured of not just its high quality but also how quickly it will be back on my table for assessment. She has a good combination of artistic/technological and managerial skills making her our go-to person to take on multiple roles in the office. In spite of being a high achiever, she is affable, friendly and helpful with her co- workers. I’ve seen a young intern low on confidence and with limited skills blossom under her guidance. That’s speaks highly of her patience and her capacity to be a team player with members who have differing range of skills. Sunanda has a well-rounded personality. I believe, her early training in the arts, her architectural education, an innate intelligence and most importantly the encouraging and nurturing environment she’s grown up in, gives her an advantage to achieve her best.
21 DEC 2015
Letter of Recommendation
Sharukh Mistry
Director & Principal Architect at Mistry Architects, Chairman-IGBC – Green Homes Steering Committee
Sunanda is an industrious, talented and creative architect and I am very happy to give her the highest recommendation. Sunanda is very good at quickly grasping the needs of a project/customer and the reasons behind them. She impressed me from the get-go, grasping concepts with a keenness to learn and transforming the concept into tangible design work. Sunanda showed her design skills with her effective yet creative utility of space and contribution to the design aspects. Her ability to successfully integrate her ideas into the design needs of the client impressed me greatly. Her speed of working really stood out head and shoulders above the other interns, and combined with her meticulous hard work, made for successful contribution to my team. In the absence of the junior architect, Sunanda stepped up and took responsibility of the project. She burnt the midnight oil and stepped up to the plate to deliver. Her organized work methodology, sincerity and impressive presentation/composition skills were pivotal in the successful delivery of this project. Her passion for green architecture and creative design were visible in her innovative ideas. Her ability to take initiative, her organizing skills and team spirit, combined with her excellent communications skills and volunteering to work extra to ensure quality were some of the aspects that prompted me to give her a 90% for her internship - something rarely given to interns. My firm maintains a culture of fun and entertainment between tight schedules to increase camaraderie and relieve stress of work. During such occasions, Sunanda was always the first to step up to entertain us with her melodious voice, organize activities and talk about her experiences. It told me a lot about her genial and spirited nature, politeness and courtesy. Sunanda has demonstrated excellence in all that she sets her mind to. I am proud to see her succeed in her entrepreneurial initiative of designing customized upcycled handmade lamps. I had the joy of receiving one as a parting gift when she completed internship with me. Sunanda’s bandwidth goes far beyond just the Architectural discipline and includes design in a larger context. I am sure that she would be an ideal fit in whatever she chooses to pursue.
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