Breadth, depth and diversity

Design Leadership - Microsoft Edge

Microsoft (R&D) India Pvt Ltd

Jul 2022 - Dec 2024 · 2 yrs 2 mos

Directed design innovation, launching features that boosted growth through data insights, global collaboration, and cross-functional alignment. 

• Strategic Design Leadership and Team Building: Spearheaded a team of 12+ designers and researchers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and professional growth to achieve exceptional outcomes in browser design.

• Innovative Product Development: Envisioned and launched four design-led product features, significantly increasing user adoption and browser market share through user-centric solutions and iterative experimentation.

• Global Design Collaboration: Partnered with Microsoft's global design teams to ensure cohesive, cutting-edge user experiences aligned with brand vision and innovation strategies.

• Data and Research Driven Growth Strategies: Utilized experimentation, data analysis, and insights to iteratively refine designs, driving measurable improvements in user engagement and satisfaction.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Collaborated with Product and Engineering teams and Executive teams to define and achieve strategic OKRs, ensuring seamless integration of design goals with technical and business priorities.

• Process Optimization: Established scalable processes and tools to balance agility and quality, enabling efficient design delivery and maintaining high standards of excellence.

• User-Centric Research Advocacy: Directed the integration of robust user research methodologies, enhancing product quality and ensuring customer satisfaction through deep insights and user feedback.

• Browser Market Share Growth: Successfully envisioned and shipped 4+ impactful design features, contributing to significant growth in user engagement and browser market share.

Design Leadership - Microsoft SharePoint & OneDrive

Microsoft (R&D) India Pvt Ltd

Dec 2017 - Jul 2022 · 4 yrs 8 mos

Scaled and led design teams, delivering impactful, user-focused solutions through collaboration, innovation, and a culture of excellence.Built and lead a team of 14+ (amazing designers and researchers).

• Leadership in Design Excellence: Directed and mentored a team of 15+ designers and researchers, driving impactful design solutions that significantly influenced business outcomes across multiple Microsoft products, including SharePoint, played a key role in designing and launching two new products, Microsoft Lists, and Microsoft Viva, ensuring their successful market entry and customer need alignment.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration for Innovation: Led the design efforts for a diverse portfolio, including Microsoft Lists, SharePoint, Cortex and Syntax, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cutting-edge product experiences that align with business objectives.

• Team Scaling and Impact Maximization: Successfully scaled the design team from 5 to 15+, increasing the team's impact and ensuring deep customer engagement from the conceptual phase through to post-release.

• Craftsmanship and Quality Assurance: Maintained a relentless focus on high-quality craftsmanship, ensuring that all design deliverables met the highest standards of excellence while driving user satisfaction.

• Transformational Leadership in Design Initiatives at Microsoft: Spearheaded Microsoft India’s first International Inter-Disciplinary Internship program, partnering with prestigious global institutions like RCA and CMU, while also launching the inaugural Design Day to engage and inspire the Indian design community.

• Cultivation of an Inclusive, Growth-Focused Culture: Fostered an inclusive, empowering culture within the team, promoting values such as growth mindset, integrity, respect, and creativity to drive long-term success and collaboration. Created processes and mindsets across functions to operate with trust and efficiency and deliver high impact.

• Driving Product Excellence at Microsoft: Got recognized for playing a pivotal role as a core founding team member at Microsoft India’s first cross-function Product Excellence (PEX) initiative and representing the design discipline. Collaborated and influenced top India leaders to drive impact and build a community around excellence in product building.

Managing Director

The PropelLabs

Apr 2016 - Jul 2017 · 1 yr 4 mos

Drove innovation and client success through strategic solutions, efficient processes, and exceptional retention, delivering measurable impact. 

• Leadership in Innovation: Built and led a dynamic team responsible for delivering innovative, high-impact projects to top-tier clients, including Dr.Reddy ’s, Mercedes Benz, Stryker, WISH Foundation, Black+Decker, Novartis, and Covidien, ensuring alignment with client objectives and market demands.

• Strategic Design Thinking and Workshops: Delivered strategic design thinking workshops and alignment sessions to drive product development, go-to-market strategies, and business model refinement, ensuring solutions were both innovative and aligned with client goals.

• Innovation Solution Delivery: Developed and validated a range of innovative solutions, from VR walkthroughs and storyboards to comprehensive product UIs, enhancing user experience and achieving tangible results for clients.

• Tool Development for Team Efficiency: Designed and implemented proprietary tools and frameworks aimed at improving team efficiency, streamlining innovation capabilities, and accelerating project timelines without compromising on quality.

• Client Retention and Return Business: Successfully secured close to 100% return business from almost all clients, including Stryker, Black+Decker, and Dr. Reddy ’s, driven by the high quality of work delivered and the substantial business value generated.

Head of Design

DLabs @ Indian School of Business

Dec 2013 - Mar 2016 · 4 yrs 8 mos

Built and led design innovation, mentoring startups, securing funding, and driving growth through design thinking, & product-market alignment.

• Founder of India’s First Design-Led Business Accelerator: Part of the founding team that established India’s first Design-led Business Accelerator, securing funding from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in DLabs at Indian School of Business.

• Leadership in Securing Funding: Collaborated with co-founders to secure DST funding, ensuring financial support for the lab’s design initiatives and fostering a culture of innovation and growth within the organization.

• Establishment of Design SWAT Team: Formed an in-house innovation consulting team and a Design SWAT team and a robust network of mentors and advisors, enhancing the design capabilities of the incubator and driving innovation for startups under the lab’s program.

• Design Thinking: Led the organization from a design thinking perspective, strategically shaping and reining the acceleration/incubation program to empower startups with the tools, methodologies, and support needed to succeed in competitive markets.

• Mentorship and Evaluation of Incubated Companies: Mentored and evaluated incubated companies, providing strategic guidance, design expertise, and critical feedback to drive better success rates and accelerate product-market it.

Director of Design

reQall Inc.

Dec 2006 - Nov 2013 · 7 yrs

Directed cross-functional teams to deliver user-centered strategies and impactful solutions, reining designs for optimal usability.

• User-Centered Product Approach: Led the product direction with a strong emphasis on user-centered design principles, ensuring that product decisions were consistently driven by user needs and expectations to create impactful solutions.

• Comprehensive Product Experience Design: Designed end-to-end product experiences, integrating strategy, interaction design, visual design, and user testing to deliver products that were intuitive, efficient, and visually compelling for end-users.

• Team Management and Coordination: Built and directed a diverse team in India comprising design, technology, QA, and support professionals, ensuring seamless collaboration and alignment across departments to deliver exceptional user experiences.

• Worked with Prof. Don Norman: Worked closely with Professor Don Norman, leading the design for one of the first multimodal intelligent digital assistants as early as 2006, while also working closely with him to refine and shape the overall product experience, leveraging his expertise in user experience design to elevate the product’s usability and functionality.

Senior Interaction Designer

Oracle India Pvt. Ltd.

Nov 2004 - Dec 2005 · 1 yr 2 mos

Established UX team, integrated design standards, and led interface design and user testing, fostering a user-centered culture.

• Establishment of UX Team and Usability Lab: Played a key role to the foundation of Oracle's first UX team and Usability Lab in India, laying the groundwork for design innovation and enhanced user experience practices.

• Design Standards and Principle Implementation: Led the integration of design principles and usability standards into Oracle’s development processes, ensuring that every product iteration adhered to the highest standards of user experience and functionality.

• Interface Design and User Testing: Designed key interface components, focusing on usability, functionality, and visual appeal. Led user testing sessions to validate design concepts and enhance product usability.

• Training and Mentoring on Usability Best Practices: Trained and mentored cross-functional teams in India on usability best practices, cultivating a culture of user-centered design and elevating the overall design competency.

• Key Contributor to Oracle’s Design Legacy in India: Part of the driving team responsible for establishing Oracle’s first design center and first Usability Lab in India.

Co-Founder, Director of Design

Studio Aum

2010 - 2012 · 2 yrs

Drove business development, client retention, and project management, delivering impactful UX designs and accelerating brand growth.

• Business Development and Strategic Management: Spearheaded business development efforts, driving growth and establishing Studio Aum as a reputable brand and UX design firm. Led strategic initiatives that helped scale operations and attract high-value clients.

• Client Satisfaction and Retention: Successfully maintained a high level of client satisfaction, resulting in repeat business and client referrals, fostering long-term relationships that contributed to the firm's growth.

• Project Management and Execution: Managed end-to-end project lifecycle, overseeing timelines, resource allocation, budget, and quality control. Delivered projects on time and within budget while maintaining the highest standards of design and user experience for clients like the Indian School of Business, Microsoft, Citibank, IMImobile and Pragati Printers.

• Brand and User Experience Design: Led the creation and execution of innovative brand and user experience designs that resonated with client audiences. Focused on delivering designs that were both visually appealing and functionally intuitive, aligning with client goals and market demands.

Designer/Design Lead

Various

1997 - 2004 · 8 yrs

Between 1997 and 2004, started the design journey by creating impactful digital and print solutions, shaping brand identities and user experiences. At Smartifacts LLC, designed intuitive web and mobile interfaces, aligning user needs with brand values to enhance market presence. Collaborated with clients to deliver seamless interaction and visual design solutions. At Moving Pixels Pvt. Ltd., developed multimedia content for educational CD-ROMs, corporate films, and ads, leveraging user research to boost usability. Designed a product for optimizing jewelry showroom processes. At Tata Interactive Systems, contributed to interactive game design and 3D modeling, enhancing user engagement. Early experience at Ogilvy & Mather involved crafting print ads, packaging, and brand identities, driving brand visibility and recognition. Each role built a solid foundation for delivering creative, user- centered design solutions. Led the design and development of one of the first hybrid Knowledge Management solutions at Smartifacts LLC, revolutionizing enterprise knowledge sharing in the early 2000s.