Bio
I'm a product design manager for my organisation and a mentor for my team. I love working with multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex business and interaction design challenges while not compromising on the end goal of solving the user's problem. In simple words, a problem solver who loves guiding a team towards a common or bigger vision through reasonable milestones.
A total of 8.6 years in design including 4 years in design management for product-based B2C + B2B corporates like Amazon.com and full-product service startups like Kuliza Technologies with product scale ranging from Enterprise to IOT offered me a broad opportunity to work in a small-scale to large-scale agile environment on the most complex products with the most interesting teams. At Amazon, I have carried a reputation of extending responsibility in forming a full-fledged internal team of 20 members from a pilot project. And in Kuliza, the reputation was in on-boarding and then retaining few of the well-known clients with the help of most talented group of designers and developers.
Here's how my day-to-day work looks like:
• Planning and optimising the team's day-to-day work
• Promoting mature design practice within the cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Aligning designer's work as per short-term user goals and long-term business goals
• Sleeving up for practical research/ design work (20% of my time)
My team's design decisions are always driven by measurable ROI:
• Launching or revamping new product/ functionalities/ programs and track their success rate
• Increasing conversion rate/ engagement rate/ retention rate
• Reducing customer grievances
• Improving positive user perception, and so on
8.6 years in design I 4 years in design management
Experience
Asst. General Manager - UX Design
Reliance Retail (JioMart), Mumbai
Aug 2020 - Present
Role:
Managing the JioMart Digital product design and research team, Standardising a common design system, Acting as a business and tech stakeholder SPOC, and more
Projects:
JioPrime, JioMart Digital, JioMart Bot, Cashify SDK B2C, Cashify SDK POS, Reliance Digital, JMD Merchant, and more
Sr. Manager - UX Design
Reliance Jio (Retail Commerce), Mumbai
Oct 2018 - Aug 2020
Kuliza Technologies, Bengaluru
Mar 2017 - May 2018
Role:
Managing 2 direct reports, Mentoring the core design team on UX research and advanced HCI, Collaborating with tech and business stakeholders on various design decisions, and more
Projects:
Zephyr for JIRA, Aditya Birla Direct, Vistara, Watabid, IME Pay, and more
Sr. Product Designer
Sr. User Experience Designer
Sulekha, Chennai
Nov 2016 - Feb 2017
Role:
Contributing as an IC for Sulekha Services platform, Leading the usability tests and contextual enquiry, Working thoroughly with VP of product to improve conversion rate, and more
Projects:
Sulekha Services listing page, User testing for Sulekha Services,
and more
Sr. Executive - Interaction Design
Vodafone, Pune
Oct 2015 - Oct 2016
Role:
Contributing as an IC for MyVodafone app project, Owning the complete app's information architecture and design system, Working on several user journeys based on user research and business suggestions,
and more
Projects:
MyVodafone app (entire IA and few journeys), MyVodafone app styleguide
Creative Experience Designer
Athena Infonomics, Chennai
Jan 2015 - Sept 2015
Role:
Single handedly revamping the complete website from scratch, Conducting UT post completion of the website, Working on few of the internal tools for the employees to improve their work efficiency, and more
Projects:
Athena Infonomics website, Economic Data Calculator and Visualiser
Visual Design Associate
Amazon, Chennai
Jul 2012 - Oct 2014
Role:
Contributing as a 2 member pilot team to scale the team to 20 members in 2 years, Working on various stakeholder requirements for their brand pages, Working on various internal tools to increase employee efficiency, and more
Projects:
Amazon Affiliate Brand Journeys, Image Assist, Dev Conference,
and more
Digital psychology and design
Education
BA (Hons) in Digital Media
University of Wales Trinity Saint David, UK
2008 - 2011
(Regular)
1st Division (2nd Class)
Course Modules:
Basics of Digital Media, Basics of Design, Cognitive process while interacting with any digital media, Research techniques and tools, Design techniques and tools, Dissertation (on anthropomorphism or personification in design)
Activities:
International student co-ordinator, Second topper in 1st and 2nd year
Design management, UX research, UX methodology, usability
Certifications
Human Factors International (HFI)
May 2016
Course Modules:
User Experience Foundations, User-centered Analysis and Conceptual Design, The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design, Practical Usability Testing
Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)
Course Modules:
Introduction to Human-Centered Design, Inspiration Phase, Ideation Phase, Prototyping Phase, Implementation Phase
Design Kit: Human-Centered Design
Ideo.org (Acumen)
May 2015
Course Modules:
Achieving Focus and Winning, Using Today's Product Management Methods, Exploring a New Product Idea, Amplifying an Existing Product
Product Management: Fundamentals
University of Virginia (Coursera.org)
Pursuing
Course Modules:
Focus on User Outcomes, Restless Reinvention, Diverse
Empowered Teams
Enterprise Design Thinking
IBM
Pursuing
Course Modules:
Make it Real, Build to Think, Plan for Field Tests, In the Field
Design Kit: Prototyping
Ideo.org (Acumen)
Jan 2016
Key Skills
• Design and People Management, Design Sprint, Stakeholder Management, Design Negotiation, Team Scaling, Design Mentoring, Design ROI
• Design Thinking Methodologies: Human-Centered Design, User Centered Design, Double Diamond, Enterprise Design, Agile UX
• Design Research Methodologies: Contextual Enquiry, Focus Group, Card Sorting, Personas and User Stories,
Affinity Map, Mind Map
• Design Techniques: UX Design, Service Design, Interaction Design, Wireframing, Visual Design, Prototyping, Micro-interactions
• Design Documentations: Link Prototyping, Dev-handover Styleguides, Business Presentations, PRD, Design ROI
• Industry/ Product Lines: B2C Products, B2B Products, Desktop Products, Mobile Products, Enterprise Products, IOT Products
Key Skills
Awards & Volunteering
Amazon, Amazon Imaging Team (Chennai)
Jul 2013
Awarded with the ‘Star of the Month’ at first award inauguration for being a key member of the 5 member pilot team (2 designers from Chennai, 1 lead designer from Seattle, 1 producer from Seattle and 1 manager
from Chennai) in bringing 17% of the design workload from Seattle design team by getting trust of the stakeholders; and establishing a 20 members full edged design process/ team in Chennai. The award is usually aligned in meeting the criterion of 12 amazon leadership principles; the mandatory being ‘Customer Obsession/thinking Backwards’.
Star of the Month
Bhumi NGO, Chennai
(Empowering Under Privilege Children with Education)
Mar 2013 - Sep 2014
Worked as a volunteer (art department) for this well known children's education (underprivileged) society/ NGO in Chennai. Mostly, the contribution was 2 hours for 4 weeks (in a month). My work generally included recreating/ innovating art teaching methods or syllabus for the children, maintaining a profound relationship between art volunteers of pan Chennai centres, teaching/ curating art interests among the children.
Notable Achievement:
Listing ‘Bhumi’ as a sponsored NGO for ‘amazon cares’ (http://www.amazon.in/cares), while acting as an initial communication representative between the (Director, Bhumi) and (VP, Country Manager, amazon.in) as in June, 2014.
Art Coordinator - Pan India
Reliance Foundation, Navi Mumbai
(Empowering Under Privilege Children with Education)
Nov 2019 - Dec 2019
Worked as a teaching volunteer for basic english and computer skill. Was a part of the group who created crash-course syllabus for the rural teachers to teach in such a way that children will grasp the subjects quickly and will be enjoy the learning process alongside.
Teaching Assistant
I believe as a human (and calling ourself the highest of all earth species), it is our responsibility to 'give back to the society' for what we are blessed with in some way or the other. Well I prefer taking care of one of the most neglected part (animal care). Acted as independent activist, angel, coordinator or advisor for various animal right NGOs and organisations. Mostly prefer being a no-link angel for the local strays in and around office and house. Had been invited in various meet-ups and rally for inspirational talks and discussions or directions to progress towards a solution. Bhumi Jeevadaya (Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai), RCP Animal Care (Navi Mumbai), Mother's Touch Foundation (Bardhaman, West Bengal), Astithya (Kota, West Bengal) were few of the organisations I had/ have been supporting.
Notable Achievement:
- Participated in various rally and pen requests to govt. which resulted in implementation of new law on increasing the fine upto INR 75,000 from INR 50 (and jail upto 5 years) for stray animal abuse.
- Cured (post-hospitalisation) 50+ injured animals, adopted few, and feeds nearby strays (making their day and feeling better myself).
Belief:
I will show love to my creator by taking care of his/er creations in all the possible ways.
Animal Rights Activist
Pan India
(NGO, Independent and Local volunteer collaborations)
2013 - Present
More about me
The personal passion I have for product and design led me try out most in the sector with past experiences (yet to try the remains). A travel explorer by heart, cook by necessity, vegetarian by choice, writer by passion, and ambivert by birth. I love handmade and antique things, the sound of water, the smell of fabrics and aged-books, and love talking to interesting people around the world.
My hobbies include:
• For mental health: Meditation every weekday, Reading one page of eight different books every weekday, live sketching every weekday for five minutes, writing one pager random thoughts on paper every week day, playing chess with random online players, observing working things around me
• For physical health: Cycling marathon once every six months, boxing practice every weekday, badminton on holiday, volleyball in reunion
• For heart's health: Analysing human psychology, taking parts in spiritual activity and community services, leading a trek adventure
• For relationship health: Outing with friends and family one weekend every month
• For psychological health: Playing harmonica when angry to release the bad breadth with a positive tune
• For financial health: Reading financial and tech journal for ten minutes everyday, improving and applying self-analysed financial method in personal portfolio
Oh Hey! And here are certain things I loved other than work
Leading expedition at the highest peak of western ghats (Kumara Parvatha Trek)
8 members, 22 km inclination, 2 days
Training the school kids in Nepal on solving problem through design thinking approach
Spatial design for every new flat I enter into or my friend's flat (once they request me to design). Here's my Navi Mumbai Seawoods flats' spatial design