Walk into the interaction design office at Microsoft’s headquarters in Seattle and you may well find the team enjoying a traditional Swedish “fika.” You may even smell the aroma of homemade meatballs or catch them going for an after-work sauna.

Studies in a sharing environment

Family ties initially brought 27-year old Annika Ushio to northern Sweden from Minneapolis in the US.

“My mother is from Sweden so it was an opportunity to explore my heritage,” she says. She recalls the childhood summers she spent with her grandparents in Skåne, yet it was her time studying in Sweden that really brought the country to life.

Annika Ushio, 27, US, Master's degree in Interaction Design, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University. Photo: Mattias Ritschi

“Your experience of culture is very different as an adult,” she says. From her time in Umeå she took with her the characteristics of openness and sharing, both from an academic and social perspective. “Education in Sweden is very much centered around a community learning environment,” she says.

Annika also found the multicultural environment an education in itself. “It was an opportunity to experience different cultures in a micro-society and be able to look at the world from many different points of view,” she says. “And I have learned since that those who know the school internationally have a very high respect for it.”

That made for a smooth transition from her studies to working life. Soon after she graduated in 2008 she was offered a job as interaction designer for Microsoft. But Umeå is a place she would like to return, perhaps as a guest lecturer, some day. “The school gave me so many great things that is the least I can do in return.”

Mentoring across the miles

An exchange trip as an undergraduate convinced 29-year-old Mike Kruzeniski from Regina in Canada to take his master’s studies further afield. “I really wanted to spend some time in Europe,” he says. “And Umeå stood out because the program was pretty challenging and unique.”

He describes his time there as both an educational and cultural awakening. “My qualification has been extremely valuable as I was among the first with that kind of background and degree,” he says. “And studying abroad means you are learning about a new country as well as the program you signed up for.”

Mike Kruzeniski, 29, Canada, Master's degree in Interaction Design, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University. Photo: Dawn Lozzi

Indeed, the delights of northern Sweden introduced him to a tradition of late night saunas after long days in the design studio. “It is one of my favorite memories,” he adds. “Whatever the time of year we would finish the evening with a dip in the ice-cold river.”

Having graduated in 2004, Mike was offered a job with Nokia and moved to Los Angeles. Rising straight to the rank of senior designer, he moved on to work for Microsoft where he is now creative director. “The master’s program gave me a lot of tools that have put me ahead and I’ve been able to climb the ladder quickly.”

Mike maintains links with Umeå and has initiated a mentoring program between Microsoft and the university. “I look back on my time there fondly,” he says. “It is a place that personally invested in me and I really want to help other students grow from there as well.”

Top marks for Swedish style

Paula Guntaur did her homework before arriving in Umeå. “The university had a really good website where you could read all about being an international student,” says the 29-year-old from Montreal in Canada. “You could also contact foreign students on the program and the chance to get first-hand advice was really helpful.”

She is able to pass on sound advice. “One of the major differences to prepare students is that grading doesn’t exist in Sweden — it’s either pass or fail,” she says. “I had a hard time at first with this less competitive approach, but once I got used to it gave me more freedom to try new things with projects.”

Paula Guntaur, 29, Canada, Master's degree in Interaction Design, Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University. Photo: Brian Wilson

However, she recognized Sweden scored top marks in the international field of design. “People just have a higher sensitivity to design than they do in North America,” she says. “So I knew it would be good for my career to say that I studied in Sweden because people associated Scandinavian culture with design.”

Aside from a new wave of design skills, Paula learned more than she had bargained for in Umeå. “I shared an apartment with Swedes and Norwegians and I really enjoyed the culture of how four people can live together,” she says. “I also learned a lot about traditional cooking — I’m known in Seattle for my Swedish meatballs thanks to one of my roommates.”

She graduated in 2005 and was offered an interaction design job with Microsoft the following year. She has since joined a collaboration project at work to inspire students in Umeå to learn more about the industry. Paula sees herself teaching in the future and would embrace the learning style she came to know in Sweden. “The teachers put a lot of trust in the students and the informality made for a great atmosphere for everyone,” she says. 

Christine Demsteader

Christine Demsteader is a British freelance journalist based in Stockholm.