erin SuSki

Designing with curiosity, empathy, and impact.

As a designer, I’m passionate about creating thoughtful, user-centered solutions that are functional, inclusive, and visually engaging. Each project highlights my process — from research and collaboration to prototyping and final execution — with a focus on solving real-world challenges through design.

Watermelon Helmet

Spring 2024

In my second semester as a Product Design student at the University of Minnesota, the opportunity arose to collaborate with representatives from a Kansas City–based cycling group who shared valuable insights into the experiences of children of color learning to bike. During user interviews, a recurring challenge surfaced: traditional helmets often fail to accommodate larger hairstyles or textured hair, creating both safety concerns and barriers to entry.

Inspired by these findings, the focus shifted toward designing a helmet solution for adult riders. The result was a modular, tectonic plate–style helmet that adjusts to fit a range of hairstyles, featuring increased cutouts for greater airflow and styling flexibility. The lack of vibrant options on the market was also addressed through the design of a colorful prototype (affectionately dubbed the “Watermelon Helmet”), celebrating self-expression and inclusivity.

User Research & Interviews
Product Sketching
CAD Modeling
Keyshot Rendering
3D Printing
Prototyping
Product Development
Product Post-Processing

Kinder Egg Dreidel

Fall 2024

For the final project in Computer-Aided Design 1: Solid Modeling and Rendering, the challenge was to design a three-part toy small enough to fit within the dimensions of a Kinder Egg Surprise. With the holidays approaching, a dreidel with gelt took shape: a two-part shell designed to securely nest around five pieces of gelt. After modeling the design in SolidWorks, the prototype was 3D-printed with carefully refined dimensions to ensure a perfect fit inside the Kinder Egg capsule.

Solidworks Modeling
Solidworks Drawings
Keyshot Rendering
3D Printing
Post-Processing

Birth Preparedness Case Study

Spring 2025

For a semester-long project in a Service Design class, birth preparedness and opportunities for service redesign in maternal healthcare became the focus of exploration. A slideshow case study was developed to document the full research process - from early user interviews to identifying a key problem area and proposing a solution. Along the way, user journeys were mapped, stakeholders were engaged, and system-wide implications were considered to ground the design in real-world possibilities.

User Research
Literature Reviews
Journey Mapping
User Testing
Industry Benchmarking
Figma

Foot First Forward

Fall 2023

In an introductory Computer-Aided Design course, the task was to create a collapsible scooter, accompanied by an information sheet and a depiction of a figure interacting with the design. Taking the idea of a foot-powered scooter literally, the base was designed as a cartoonish foot, adding a playful twist to the functional requirements.

User Research
Literature Reviews
Journey Mapping
User Testing
Industry Benchmarking
Figma

©MMXXI

Erin Suski