By SGN | 19 Sep 2025
Magdalene Huang had planned to stay in Stockholm for just a year.
Then an undergraduate at NUS, she joined the university’s Overseas Colleges programme (NOC), working alongside developers, exploring UI and UX for the first time, and cycling home beneath the midnight sun.
The year passed in a blur, but the city left a lasting impression. Even as the years went by, Magdalene couldn’t shake the memory of her time in Sweden.
Every year after graduation, she sent applications to Stockholm-based companies like Spotify. And in 2022, her persistence paid off: one of those applications became a job offer and a one-way ticket back to the country the locals call Sverige.
Today, as a Lead Product Designer at Klarna, she has traded Singapore’s year-round humidity for long summer days, frozen lakes, and thirty days of vacation leave.
“I’ve learned that the fastest way forward isn’t always by following the ‘right’ process,” she reflects. “It’s about shifting mindsets, embracing cultural contrasts, and having the courage to try new things.”
Early design journey in Singapore
Growing up, Magdalene was never far from her sketchbook.
“I’ve always enjoyed drawing and doodling since I was young,” she says. That creative practice eventually led her to study Industrial Design at NUS, where creativity met problem-solving.
“We worked on projects ranging from redesigning everyday objects to creating fully functional prototypes. It taught us not just how things look, but how they work and feel. It was about turning ideas into experiences that people could actually use,” she explains.
For Magdalene, industrial design became a way to bring her childhood interests to life while balancing function, aesthetics, and user experience.
Her early professional experiences were equally formative. At Carousell, a Singapore-based online marketplace for buying and selling goods, she stepped into a fast-paced startup environment, surrounded by ambitious designers from across the globe.
“Being around such talented colleagues made me wonder what it would be like if I were the foreign colleague abroad,” she recalls, this realisation sparking further introspection.
A subsequent role at Google further honed her skills, teaching her to recognise her strengths and weaknesses while giving her a close-up view of the industry’s best practices.
“It helped me understand the best way I could contribute and how to approach design at scale,” she shares.
A pull towards Stockholm
While Magdalene continued to hone her design skills in Singapore, one city remained at the back of her mind: Stockholm.
During her time at NUS, she completed a one-year internship through the NUS Overseas Colleges programme at Flic, a Swedish startup specialising in wireless smart buttons.
“At Flic, I was involved in every stage of redesigning the flagship product’s retail packaging, from prototype to launch,” she shares. “I helped it reach international stores like DesignTorget in Sweden, Best Buy in the US, and MediaMarkt in Europe.”
She also worked on retail spaces and merchandising displays for the US and EU markets and collaborated closely with developers to contribute to the mobile app’s UI/UX, product discovery, and onboarding experience.
Although the internship was brief, it left a lasting impression. “It felt like a glimpse of something bigger,” she says. The innovative design culture, vibrant city life, and emphasis on work-life balance had planted a seed she could not ignore.
Even after graduating and starting her career in Singapore, she kept her sights firmly on Stockholm, sending applications to companies like Klarna and Spotify year after year.
“I wanted to live in a place that challenged the way I thought about design and how I approached work,” she says.
In 2022, her persistence paid off. An offer from Klarna, a Swedish fintech company, opened the doors to her next chapter and a long-awaited return to the city she had always admired.
“Sometimes you just have to keep trying, even if it takes years,” she reflects. “Opportunities have a way of appearing when the timing is right.”
Adapting to the Swedish way of work
Since joining Klarna, Magdalene has been inspired by the company’s bold approach to design.
“Back in Singapore, I was used to linear thinking and structured processes,” she admits. “At first, I felt my usual strengths weren’t being used. But I quickly realised the value of making swift decisions and designing with a bigger vision in mind.”
Working with international teams has also taught her practical lessons. “Speak slower,” she laughs. “Everyone in Singapore talks fast, myself included, but not everyone can keep up. Being clear and patient makes all the difference in a global team.”
As Lead Product Designer, she focuses on trust and safety, covering everything from account creation and sign-ins to authentication and KYC processes.
“Designing for security can be tricky,” she explains. “The goal is to keep things simple and smooth for users while still building in safeguards to prevent fraud. It’s about balancing user experience with safety, so people can complete tasks without being exposed to risk.”
Working across Klarna’s European markets has also taught her to navigate cultural nuances. “Germany, for example, is far more cautious about privacy and data-handling. You have to design with that context in mind while ensuring a smooth experience for users everywhere,” she explains.
Magdalene has developed a passion for documentation along the way. Inspired by her time at Google, she values how organised knowledge keeps teams aligned and connected across locations. “Good documentation is a superpower in design,” she says. “It helps everyone stay on the same page.”
Klarna’s culture, she adds, is bold and playful in ways she hadn’t experienced before. Campaigns have featured Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg, and the team experiments constantly with AI.
“It’s liberating,” she reflects. “We’re not trapped in rigid processes or endless reviews. In Singapore, design often felt slowed down by too much research or too many approval rounds. Here, we research carefully but also move quickly, testing ideas in real time and learning as we go.”
Embracing ‘Lagom’: The Swedish Way of Life
Life in Stockholm is guided by the Swedish philosophy of lagom: not too much, not too little, just right. Magdalene has come to embrace it fully.
Most days, she moves between home and the office, winding down in the evenings by cooking, lighting a candle, and either losing herself in a book or simply scrolling on her phone.
“Over time, I’ve picked up little Swedish habits without even realising it,” she says. “I talk in weeks instead of dates, take vacations just to rest, give people space, and rely on black-out curtains to survive the endless summer daylight.”
Summers in Stockholm are long and bright, perfect for soaking up the outdoors. “We often head to parks, sit by the water, and even take quick dips in the cold lakes,” she shares. Rooftop bars are another favourite, offering the chance to unwind while enjoying panoramic views of the city from above.
Winter brings its own magic. Snow blankets the city, rivers and lakes freeze, and weekends are often spent skiing or snowboarding.
Even a short trip outside Stockholm feels like an adventure. “Everything is so accessible,” she says. “You can hop on a train and be in Copenhagen or Helsinki for the weekend, and it feels like you have gone somewhere completely different.”
Yet there are still things she misses about Singapore. “I miss eating takeaway or watching a show at home with my family,” she reflects. “And I miss my friends. I can really relax and speak Singlish with people who understand every nuance.”
At the same time, community has made it easier for her to adjust and feel at home. “Faith is really important to me, so I found support at my English-speaking Protestant church and attend services every week,” she says.
Through exploring the city with friends from work, cycling through neighbourhoods, swimming, or simply wandering and discovering new spots, Magdalene has settled comfortably into Stockholm’s way of life and found her own sense of lagom.
Tips and advice for a career abroad
For Singaporean or Southeast Asian designers hoping to work overseas, Magdalene’s advice is simple: keep applying.
“Having a well-known company on your CV definitely helps,” she admits, “but persistence and patience are just as important. Opportunities abroad often take time, and you have to be ready when they appear.”
For those transitioning from industrial design into digital product design, she highlights the importance of collaboration.
“Digital design isn’t just about making things look good. You work closely with developers, product managers, and other designers. You need to embrace collaboration as part of the creative process. And you also have to let go of the idea that your design is your ‘baby’; it will constantly change and evolve.”
When it comes to building a portfolio that stands out to global companies, Magdalene recommends having an accessible website for both desktop and mobile. She also stresses the importance of detail. “UI elements, motion design, small interactions; show them thoughtfully. They make a big difference.”
Above all, she encourages young designers to stay curious and open. “Take every opportunity to learn, experiment, and challenge yourself,” she advises.
“Working abroad will push you in ways you can’t always predict, but it will also teach you what you’re truly capable of.”
About Magdalene
Magdalene Huang is a Singaporean and Lead Product Designer at Klarna, based in Stockholm, Sweden. With a background in industrial design and over seven years of experience in digital product design, she specialises in trust and safety, account management, and creating seamless user experiences across multiple European markets.
Connect with her here.
