ABOUT ME

Get to know me and what inspires me as a designer.

Presenting the "Self-service insights dashboard to stakeholders.

Presenting Late-Breaking Work (LBW) at SIGCHI Conference 2022 in New Orleans, LA.

Delivering a guest lecture to MBA students at FLAME University in Pune, India - my alma mater. Sharing my career progression from an MBA graduate to becoming a User Experience Lead. The focus of my talk was on the crucial role of incorporating business insights when tackling design challenges.

Image: Funko Pop!

Inspired by Wonder Woman

Drawing parallels from Wonder Woman's character.

Wonder Woman is my most admired and inspiring character. Her qualities of empathy, tenacity, integrity, ingenuity, curiosity, passion, and assertiveness deeply resonate with me, and I aspire to cultivate these traits in myself.

Here's how we are similar:

Empathy - Display a deep understanding of others' feelings and perspectives.
Perseverance - Do not fear challenges and face them head-on.
Integrity - Possess a strong moral compass and commitment to principles.
Problem-solving - Finds creative solutions through intelligence and resourcefulness.
Inquisitiveness - An eagerness to learn and grow is core to both.
Passion - Passionate about making a difference and enriching the lives of those around them.
Assertiveness - Confidently express thoughts and stand up for their beliefs.

While I do not claim to be a superhero, I find Wonder Woman to be an inspiring example of the values and strengths of character that I strive to live by and develop in myself. She serves as a north star, encouraging me to be the best version of myself.

Amateur Chef

How my love for cooking honed my skills as a designer.

Cooking and UX design, while distinct, share core principles in creating impactful experiences:

User-centric focus: Both prioritize understanding and meeting end-user needs, whether diners or digital product users.
Business alignment: Success in both fields requires balancing user satisfaction with business objectives.
Iterative improvement: Chefs refine recipes; UX designers prototype and test, adapting based on feedback.
Empathy and anticipation: Understanding human behavior is crucial in predicting how users will perceive dishes or interact with digital products.
Contextual awareness: Both consider broader contexts - restaurant branding or company goals and market positioning.

Skills honed in cooking, such as empathy, iteration, and balancing priorities, translate well to UX design. This culinary background enhances the ability to create user-delighting, business-driving digital products.

Home-based venture

aura - A divine collection of hand-poured aroma candles.

I was the founder and chief candlemaker of a home-based venture of hand-poured aroma candles custom-made for a niche clientele of spas and healers.

This venture was initiated using the design thinking methodology to conduct the research, identify target customer groups, test multiple iterations of the candles and their fragrances, and get feedback from the customers.