Sälü, hey,
hello

Nice to meet you!
I am a Swiss Sr Design Leader at IBM's Client Engineering organisation. I spent my childhood in Bern's outskirts between bears, hockey sticks, and mountains. In 2015, I graduated with a BA in product design, specialized in interaction design at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).

In summer 2015, IBM hired me to help build the German design studio — shaping a culture where diverse, complex teams do their best work. Transforming an engineering-driven company into one that puts client experience first, across multi-continental projects, taught me what design at scale really means.

In 2019, I moved to Austin, Texas to join IBM's flagship AI studio, focusing on AI and data science design and teaching AI basics at the University of Texas.

Today, I co-create working AI solutions with clients across all major Swiss industries — fast-paced engagements that turn ambition into reality, enable major deals, and help organisations experience the true value of AI firsthand. I also share this work regularly as a guest lecturer at Swiss universities.

Get in 
touch

Inspiring
humans

Passing on hands-on experiences with our design process to fellow designers.

Guiding an intern through the magical moments of user experience design. 

Curriculum vitae

Get in touch with me (hello@matthias-chavanne.com) for the password to access a detailed curriculum vitae. In the mean time, head to the curriculm vitae section to see my experience and eduaction joruney.  

Experience

10.2024 – now
Sr Design Lead - DACH for IBM Client Engineering  
IBM Switzerland, Zurich, Switzerland

07.2024 – now
Member of the board, ActionJam   
ActionJam, Bern, Switzerland

04.2023 – 10.2024
Senior UX and AI designer for IBM Client Engineering  
IBM Switzerland, Zurich, Switzerland

05.2021 – 04.2023
Advisorz UX and AI designer for IBM Client Engineering  
IBM Switzerland, Zurich, Switzerland

04.2019 – 04.2021
UX and AI lead designer for IBM Cloud Data and AI,
IBM USA, Austin, TX, USA

08.2015 – 04.2019
UX design lead for IBM Z Systems,
IBM R&D Deutschland GmbH, Böblingen, Germany

01.2013 – 07.2015
Junior usability consultant,
Soultank AG, Zug, Switzerland

08.2011 – 07.2012
eCommunication specialist for internal communication,
Swisscom (Schweiz) AG, Bern, Switzerland

Teaching

03.2025 – 04.2025
Guest lector - Innovation
ZHAW - Management & Law, ZH, SUI

Education

09.2020 – 11.2020
Management Perspective Seminar
IBM Design Studios Austin, TX, USA

07.2017 – 12.2017
Enterprise Design Thinking Coach,
European Studios, EU.

09.2015 – 11.2015
IBM Design Boot Camp,
IBM Design Studios Austin, TX, USA

09.2012 – 07.2015
Bachelor of arts in product and industrial design with a specialization in interaction design,
Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Zurich, Switzerland

08.2011 – 06.2012
Baccalaureate (BMS), concentration in art,
GIBB secondary school of general education, Bern, Switzerland

08.2007 – 08.2011
Mediamatician (apprenticeship),
Swisscom (Schweiz) AG, Switzerland

Personal
story