Linzi Ryan

Dr. Linzi Ryan is an Assistant Professor and Postgraduate Program Director in the Department of Design Innovation, where she teaches design thinking at under- and postgrad level.  She was the recipient of Ireland’s first PhD in Product and Service Systems Development, has a First-Class Honours Masters Degree in Product Design and Innovation, and a First Class Honors Degree in Industrial Design.  

She is an experienced product and service designer in both the public and private sector.  For example, she was the Project Manager on the INTERRG Project ‘Extending independent living for older people’, which resulted in a permanent change to the delivery of Dementia services in the North West.  As Project Manager on the INTERRG ‘Building Capacity for Service Design within Public Services’ Project, she worked with over 15 public bodies (including the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Education and Skills, the Health Service Executive and the Revenue Commissioners).  On this project she trained over 170 staff in the public sector, resulting in direct changes to the delivery of services.  On a strategic level, she has worked on the SEE (Sharing Experience Europe – project funded by the EU’s European Design Innovation Initiative) working with 11 partners across Europe to highlight the benefits of design-led innovation; and was an expert advisor on the development of a key report to Government which highlighted the importance of design called Design-Driven Innovation: Why it Matters for SMEs.  

She continues to research and implement user-centered design, particularly in the area public sector and healthcare reform.