Senior UX Designer · Calgary, CA

Michael
Spaw

Designing complex systems that expert users trust.

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Years of experience
14+
Autodesk tenure
10 yrs
Focus area
UX Design for Content Creation Tools
Presented at
Siggraph
AU
Key companies & tools
Autodesk Branch 3D Elara Maya 3ds Max Figma Adobe Creative Suite
01

About

Michael Spaw

I design for people who work at the edge of what software can do. For over a decade, that meant shaping the experience of 3ds Max and Maya at Autodesk — but the real through-line has always been complexity: making powerful systems feel as fluid and intuitive as they are capable.

At Autodesk I operated as both Senior Product Designer and Product Owner — co-owning the roadmap, running research with professional users worldwide, and defining design patterns that scaled across an entire product ecosystem. I've integrated AI-assisted features into production workflows, facilitated alignment across engineering and product teams, and presented at Siggraph and Autodesk University.

I've brought that same sensibility to structural engineering platforms and medical visualisation. If the problem involves sophisticated users, dense information, and zero tolerance for friction — I'm at home.

Research
  • Contextual inquiry
  • Usability testing
  • A/B testing
  • Beta & charter programs
Design
  • Interaction design
  • Prototyping
  • Design systems
  • UX workshops
Domain
  • 3D / DCC software
  • Maya · 3ds Max · Houdini
  • Procedural workflows
  • AI-driven tooling
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Selected Work

Featured Case Study

Boolean Modifier

Modernising a powerful but broken legacy tool — redesigning 3ds Max's boolean workflow from an unreliable object-based system into a non-destructive, modifier-based solution that doubled monthly active users and drove 5× more boolean actions within a year of shipping.

Autodesk · 3ds Max Product
2022 – 2024 Timeline
Lead UX & Advocate Role
Boolean Modifier — robot head
Case Study

Smart Bevel

Reimagining how artists create bevels in hard surface modeling — a native, non-destructive solution for 3ds Max and Maya that removes geometric constraints and eliminates the need for manual cleanup or third-party workarounds.

3ds Max · Maya Product
2024 – 2025 Timeline
Lead UX & Advocate Role
Smart Bevel
Case Study

World Building

Designing tools and workflows for large-scale environment creation — initially developed for 3ds Max with a vision for DCC-agnostic application across professional content creation pipelines.

3ds Max · DCC-agnostic Product
Add timeline Timeline
Add role Role
World Building — city environment
Case Study

Branch 3D — UX Design System for Structural Modelling

Establishing foundational UX patterns and a design system for a hybrid 2D/3D structural platform — defining how engineers navigate, edit, and visualise complex structural models with precision and confidence.

Branch 3D Product
2025 Timeline
Lead UX Role
Branch 3D UX concept
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Résumé

Experience
Senior UI/UX Designer Aug – Oct 2025
Branch 3D (StructureCraft)

Contributed to the foundational UX and design system for a hybrid 2D/3D structural design platform integrating modeling, analysis, and digital workflows. Initiated 3D interaction patterns for navigating and editing complex structural models, emphasising clarity, precision, and workflow efficiency. Partnered with product, engineering, and project management to align early design decisions with long-term usability and scalability goals.

3D Interaction Design System Structural UX Technical Visualisation
Senior Product Designer · Product Owner Jul 2015 – Mar 2025
Autodesk — Media & Entertainment Division

Designed intuitive 3D content creation workflows for Maya and 3ds Max, improving usability for artists, game developers, and visualisation professionals. Developed the first cross-DCC functionality bridging Maya and Max, enhancing interoperability across Autodesk's ecosystem. Conducted user research and usability testing to refine AI-powered tools, integrating insights directly into the product roadmap. Defined and maintained UX design patterns to drive consistency across the content creation suite. Presented forward-thinking design concepts at Siggraph and Autodesk University.

Maya 3ds Max Cross-DCC Design Systems User Research AI Tools
Senior Designer Jul 2011 – Jul 2015
Elara Systems Inc.

Designed and developed interactive 3D medical visualisations for education and training. Created user-friendly animation workflows that reduced production time by 20%. Conducted client research to improve content engagement and retention.

3D Visualisation Medical UX Animation Workflows
Earlier Career

CG Supervisor & Sequence Supervisor · The Orphanage, San Francisco
CG Supervisor · Frantic Films, LA & Vancouver
3D Generalist · Sauce Ltd, Auckland NZ
Senior Artist · Stormfront Studios, San Rafael
Artist · Gametek, Sausalito  ·  Product Design · Anagram International

Download full CV ↓
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Get in Touch

Open to senior roles, freelance projects, and conversations about the future of professional creative tools.

Email
Phone
587.577.2322
LinkedIn
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada