Raelynn O'Leary

Raelynn O’Leary co-founded the Pittsburgh design firm Dezudio in 2011 with the belief that smart, independent designers and developers could find creative new ways to collaborate with greater autonomy and flexibility than in traditional design consulting models. From the start, the aim was to remain small at the core and agile—building a robust network of creative and technical contractors that she could draw from to bring the strongest, most motivated partners to every project. 

Her early interest in information design and data visualization brought her to the MDes program in the School of Design, where she developed a deep respect for design research, and a passion for making meaning visible and accessible. After graduation and prior to founding Dezudio, Raelynn worked as an Information Designer at Addison in NYC, and at the Pittsburgh data visualization software company, Viz. 

Raelynn has long advocated for the idea that there’s no one-size-fits-all design process, and that designing the process itself is a critical first step in any engagement. Her work spans domains and clients ranging from small nonprofits, to university-based research groups, to Fortune 500 companies. Raelynn's recent projects have been largely in the spaces of equity in education and reproductive health, designing communications, tools, and services that inform decision-making and inspire action. 

Raelynn is Special Faculty in the School of Design, where she teaches Interaction Design Studio and Lab courses to graduate students and advises thesis work. She brings a practitioner’s experience to teaching interaction design theory and principles, and uses teaching to continually examine and refine her design practice.