From a young age, I’ve been fascinated by how design can shape the way people interact with their surroundings. My early interest in designing homes and furniture has evolved into a passion for crafting digital experiences that truly resonate with users. At the core of my work is empathy—understanding not just what users need, but how they feel.
Currently working as a Senior Experience Designer at Cognizant, I dig deep into their experiences, translating those insights into designs that offer both function and meaning. I have led teams and worked on projects' complete life cycle and for me, design is about building connections, creating products that not only work but also feel intuitive and human.
With every project, I push myself to refine my approach, balancing innovation with a respect for the values that first drew me into design.
How I began my professional design journey? My time with Pattamadai Mat weavers and IIT-Madras.
In 2017, I embarked on a journey to a quaint village in Tamilnadu's Tirunelveli district to revive the traditional craft of Pattamadai mats, inspired by their constant presence in Tamil rituals I grew up attending. Despite the craft’s stagnation due to limited usage, I saw an opportunity during my final year of college to innovate. After extensive research, market analysis, and user studies, I identified a gap: using these mats as load-bearing materials could revolutionize their application. With funding and guidance from RuTAG, IIT M, I focused on creating furniture that utilized the mats’ unique traits. This effort culminated in the founding of my brand, aimed at promoting and expanding the craft’s potential.
Throughout this process, design thinking played a pivotal role, guiding me to understand user needs, market gaps, and craft innovative solutions. It helped me empathize with the artisans, identify pain points, and iterate until I found the right product-market fit. Building my products not only helped me grow as a designer but also sharpened my understanding of metrics, brand language, and market expectations. This experience reinforced my belief in the power of user-centric design and deepened my skills in developing meaningful, marketable solutions.
I also love to,
Discovery Phase
Awards
Always Striving, Never Settling - 2022
Ignite Thornado Contest @ Cognizant, For developing the designs of a healthcare application.
Best Concept and Innovative Degree Project - 2019
Graduation project @ Symbiosis Institute of Design, For designing and prototyping furniture from Pattamadai mats.