Laura Escudé ============ Senior Product Designer @ Microsoft Name pronunciation: [Laura en español - Lau in English (Like loud without the D)] First Name: Laura Last Name: Escudé Fediverse: @laura_escude@vutuv.de Followers: 1 Following: 1 Connections: 1 TAGS ---- * architecture (0 endorsements) * design (0 endorsements) * illustrator (0 endorsements) * Information Architecture (0 endorsements) * interaction design (0 endorsements) * project management (0 endorsements) * ui (0 endorsements) * usability (0 endorsements) * user experience (0 endorsements) * UX (0 endorsements) * webdesign (0 endorsements) EXPERIENCE ---------- * Presidenta @ Asociación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo de Barrio Amón [Volunteering & hobbies] (2026-04 – today): civilRights * Senior Product Designer @ Microsoft (2025-11 – today): Designing Player Experiences for Xbox * Product Designer II, Xbox @ Microsoft (2022-03 – today): Working on Game Creator Experiences. * Service & Interaction Design Senior Lead @ Fjord (2020-09 – 2022-03): Spearheads the design offering that started our local Fjord studio and steadily furthered its abilities and competencies as it grew to 60+ designers. Leads design research and execution for products and services in the US and LATAM in industries as varied as: banking, non-profits, retail, technology, life sciences, energy and transportation. * ILA21 Co-Chair @ Interaction Latin America [Volunteering & hobbies] (2019-10 – 2021-12): artsAndCulture · Envisions ILA21, leads local IxDA team to pitch it to LATAM chapters, and steers execution, adjusting to the pandemic to deliver the first virtual IxDA conference in the region, a multilingual 3-day gathering attended by 800+ designers. -Presents on the stages of ILA19 in Medellín and Interaction20 in Milan. -In charge of identifying, reaching out to, and securing potential sponsors. -Participates in the curation of the program. -Creates social media pieces and upgrades website to visual brand identity. -Answers support questions and requests. -Moderates speaker Q&A sessions. * Service & Interaction Design Lead @ Fjord (2019-02 – 2020-09): Local Diversity and Inclusion Lead. * User Experience Arch Specialist @ Accenture (2015-12 – 2019-02): As part of an internal agency, I work as a lead for UX projects, in charge of client communication, and leading visual designers, front-end developers and quality assurance analysts to achieve clear deliverables in line with the product's vision. I'm regularly balancing several projects at once. Being an strategic subject matter expert for the UX discipline in the Costa Rica delivery center, I collaborate with executives in order to develop new delivery models, as well as with managers to streamline our teams' organization and workflows. I regularly scout internally and externally for UX talent and provide mentorship — even taught a UX management class. Prior to that, during my tenure in the Business Technology team, I led a group of junior UX designers and visual designers to develop an internal responsive web design application from beginning to end — and participated on the concept and validation of other two apps. I provided user research planning and execution as well as interaction design, typically delivered as Axure wireframes or prototypes. * Interaction Design Instructor @ Convenio Universidad Veritas / Cenfotec (2016-02 – 2016-09): I taught a class on Interaction Design (Diseño de Interacción en el Técnico Superior de Desarrollo y Diseño Web). Covering UX fundamentals, basics of Information Architecture and Digital Prototyping. * Instructional Design Team Coordinator & Build Manager @ SweetRush Inc. (2013-09 – 2015-12): As I learned more about Instructional design, I moved to support our Lead ID, coordinating in-house and contractor talent. I developed new concepts and interactions for courses targeted to a wide variety of industries, spearheading the Instructional Design Pattern Library to serve as common reference material across all E-Learning production disciplines. During this period I was responsible for the client's E-learning Interaction Libraries and corresponding storyboard template and documentation. My Build Manager functions included ensuring projects adhered to predetermined scope, and timeline. Identifying critical path items to ensure a smooth project flow and client satisfaction and conveys strategy, objectives, standards and processes to project team members. * Production Manager and Designer @ BOSZ Digital (2011-01 – 2013-02): As a Production Manager, I was in charge of the design, development and implementation of digital content such as Online Advertising, and Web and Software development. At one point I was leading 2 teams simultaneously, consisting of 16 designers and developers. I constantly reviewed output work, ensuring conformity to design and functionality specifications. Served as subject matter expert, providing guidance to clients on digital production matters. Discovering my affinity to User Experience topics, I attended, prepared and facilitated talks, and participated in usability tests with the company's UX team. Initially hired as a designer, I created Online Advertising animations in Adobe Flash, incorporating direction from Creative leads onshore, doing Image retouching in Photoshop and basic ActionScript 2.0 & 3.0 programming. I'm specially proud of an Augmented Reality internal project, in which I had the opportunity to participate on concept, design and coordination. *This company was acquired and is now part of Prodigious Latin America. * Web Designer @ Lakelubbers (2009-07 – 2010-12): I was engaged for Lakelubbers full-site redesign, including its newsletters and vector-drawing of custom maps illustrations. I made 3D icons and flash banners, and I often had to edit images for the site. * Architecture Assistant @ NeoArquitectos (2007-07 – 2009-02): At Neo, I designed, drew and illustrated master plans for residential developments. Apart from the CAD blueprints, I worked in 3D modeling and rendering. Contact with engineering professionals and constructions suppliers. Unguided developments of at least three draft projects, one including financial viability studies and legislation research. * Technical Drafter @ Jirón Beirute Arquitectura (2006-12 – 2007-07): Computer-Aided Drawing and physical 3D modeling for a variety of building projects. Design of architectural constructive details. EDUCATION --------- * Master, Universidad Veritas (2014 – 2015) * Especialista, Tecnológico de Costa Rica (2013 – 2014) * Arquitecta, Universidad de Costa Rica (2003 – 2013) * Universidad del Diseño (2002 – 2003) CERTIFICATES & LICENSES ----------------------- * Microsoft Global Hackathon 2024 Volunteer: Certificate · Microsoft · awarded 2024-10 https://www.credly.com/badges/76c9cd8f-595e-4980-b732-1ff7d54558e0/linked_in_profile * Microsoft Global Hackathon 2024: Certificate · Microsoft · awarded 2024-09 https://www.credly.com/badges/e6422636-6d48-42e6-aa20-092d4a4d45eb/linked_in_profile * Microsoft Global Hackathon 2023 Volunteer: Certificate · Microsoft · awarded 2023-09 https://www.credly.com/badges/5f76defc-c806-495d-8d92-913e451079e0/linked_in_profile * Microsoft Global Hackathon 2023: Certificate · Microsoft · awarded 2023-08 https://www.credly.com/badges/8fdee66e-bcda-4d8e-b9f5-60012d766289/linked_in_profile * Design Principles: an Introduction: Certificate · Coursera Course Certificates · awarded 2016-06 · ID: R3CHB5YDGQBS https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/verify/R3CHB5YDGQBS * Human-Centered Design: an Introduction: Certificate · Coursera Course Certificates · awarded 2015-12 · ID: JNPWSBVFPYG7 https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/verify/JNPWSBVFPYG7 * Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society: Certificate · Coursera https://www.coursera.org/course/design * Internet History, Technology, and Security: Certificate · Coursera https://www.coursera.org/course/insidetheinternet * Learn to Program: The Fundamentals: Certificate · Coursera https://www.coursera.org/course/programming1 * TOEIC Listening & Reading — Gold: Certificate · Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano LANGUAGES --------- * Spanish: Native (Preferred contact language) * English: C2 CONTACT ------- * Personal: laura@laescude.com PHONE NUMBERS ------------- * Cell: +506 8854 2604 ADDRESSES --------- * Private: 10101, San José, Costa Rica -- vutuv agent document · type: profile · schema_version: 3 username: laura_escude avatar_url: https://vutuv.de/avatars/01a0e9a7-ed89-70f1-95b2-20b151ad1349/laura_escude-medium-233620f14218.avif generated_at: 2026-09-28T22:33:43Z canonical: https://vutuv.de/laura_escude noai: true