About Us
For us, people are paramount to everything we do. When our clients succeed, we succeed.
We are based in Toronto and work with clients around the world. We have over 20 years experience working in technology and education. We've built custom solutions for Fortune 500 companies, worked with higher education institutions in enterprise software and international marketing and PR, built MVP's for start-ups and provided winning 'go to market' strategies to earn their first customers. No matter the size of the business, our focus sits squarely with the people it touches. We love what we do and our goal is to craft a delightful experience for our customers and our customers' customers.
Meet our leadership team ↓
CEO and Founder
Michelle Caers
Michelle is the founder and CEO of DesignedUX. She has over 20 years experience working in education and technology, where she has led teams in 6 successful start-up companies at various stages of growth.
Michelle is also an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at the Ryerson DMZ, the leading business incubator for tech startups in Canada.
In addition to education and technology, Michelle has a wealth of international experience from living and working in Japan, UK, France, India, USA and Canada. A duel citizen of Canada and Belgium, she embraces diversity and unique cultures and has visited over 50 countries around the globe. She has worked with leading startups and enterprise companies including The Coca-Cola Company, the Economist, BMO Financial Services, CIBC, A&W Food Services, Canadian Securities Institute, PBS, America Online, Wolters Kluwer and D2L.
Michelle is a frequent speaker at technology and education conferences and advises a number of start-ups on strategy, design and customer acquisition. She holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Western University and an MBA from Nottingham University Business School.
Senior Designer
Rachel Ma
Rachel is an Art Director and Designer with over 10 years of creative experience in digital advertising and UX/UI design. She has worked at global companies, boutique agencies and local startups in Canada, USA, China and UK.
A graduate from Ryerson University (Toronto) and alumni of Bournemouth University (UK), Rachel’s creative upbringing is a blend of fine arts, sociology and technology. She holds a BFA (Hons) in New Media studies and is well versed in design production, cultural theory and interactive arts.
In her agency career, Rachel has been part of the creative teams at global companies like MacLaren McCann, Cossette, Aegis Media and Aimia. She spent several years working on marketing websites, integrated campaigns and social media promotions for Fortune 500 clients including General Motors, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and Kraft.
Since entering the startup world, Rachel has developed a passion for helping people make a positive and meaningful impact in the world. She is particularly interested in designing tools and applications that facilitate learning and education, health and wellness, and social awareness.
Manager of Marketing and Communications
Dustin Manley
Dustin has been with DesignedUX since the beginning and leads our initiatives in marketing and communication. With extensive experience in higher education and start-ups, Dustin works closely with our partners in developing their messaging, communication strategies, and brand campaigns.
Dustin has managed Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) TOEFL iBT Canada Resource Centre on behalf of DesignedUX. In this capacity, he was responsible for all TOEFL iBT marketing initiatives in Canada including increasing test taker enrollment and communicating with each of Canada’s public and private post-secondary institutions.
An accomplished scholar-practitioner, Dustin bridges the gap between academia and professional practice. Holding a BA(Hons) from McMaster University and an MA (Professional Communication) from Royal Roads University, Dustin has contributed several peer-reviewed publications to prestigious journals in both Canada and the United Kingdom.
An advocate of the professional and ethical practice of public relations, Dustin serves as the incoming President of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Hamilton chapter and marketing specialist with the prestigious Master of Communications Management (MCM) program at McMaster University and the S.I. Newhouse School’s MS in Communications Management program at Syracuse University. Dustin also serves as a part-time instructor in Centennial College’s Bachelor of Public Relations Management program.
We believe in giving back to our community.
DesignedUX advises and mentors people through these amazing organizations:
