“I’ve learned that integrity and ethics can’t be compromised—even if it means taking the harder road. I focus on outcomes, not just deliverables—and I try to lead with both craft and compassion. I care more about whether something truly works than how fast it gets done. I show up as I am, even when there’s pressure to manage appearances, because I’ve found that real trust comes from honesty, not polish. At the end of the day, the work matters, but the way we do it—with people, and with care—matters just as much.”
Hands-on product/UX design leader with 25 years across Fortune 500s and startups—ex-Amazon, LinkedIn, Yahoo!
As a UX pioneer, shaped 30+ product & brand experiences and embedded ethical, human-centred design in AI, fin-tech, HR-tech, e-comm, travel, ad-tech, and geographies across India, Singapore, UK and Italy.
I now combine years of traditional UX and product design expertise with the latest AI tooling to transform design workflows, making them leaner, faster, cost-effective, and modern.
Great at building and leading rock-solid design teams as a player-coach. Enjoy building ground-breaking product and brand experiences from scratch as much as reimagining legacy software.
- Currently, VP at Hyperbots, driving design for AI-native fintech products, branding, content marketing and people experience. Influenced a scale-up from $2M seed funding to $6.5M series A round
- Previously, led the UX orgs at Amazon (India & UK), with significant impact on OPS conversions, affecting the lives of millions of users & Amazonians across the world
- Co-founded boutique design studio, Stoodio Iterati
The brasstacks
I focus on outcomes, not just deliverables—and try to lead my team with both craft and compassion. I provide support, listen actively, resolve conflicts with patience and poise, and am present through adversity.
In my approach to design leadership, I:
- Hire for character: Aim to build a rock-solid team instead of rockstars. Look for high levels of integrity, strong ethics, commitment, and humility. Human-centricity, teamwork, collaboration, curiosity, and a hunger to learn are table stakes. Skills can be developed, potential can be groomed.
- Prioritise individual growth: Align business goals and the design vision with individual strengths of team members and map out a growth plan early. Review at regular intervals, provide frequent and balanced feedback through 1-to-1 meetings, and monthly, quarterly check-ins.
- Co-own the design vision with the team: Lead with example, be the conduit/facilitator between the design team and cross-functional leaders, making sure communication flows smoothly up, across, and down. Get into the trenches when circumstances demand it.
- Insist on a high bar but also demonstrate it: Don't just expect the team to raise the bar in design; demonstrate it through regular design critiques, co-working sessions, reviews and clear examples.
- Shepherd the team to organically grow into a close-knit community: Establish regular team rituals that balance work, learning, bonding, and well-being; from team-wide stand-ups, design critiques, lunch and learn sessions to recreational outings, and events.
Community and thought leadership
- Organised and hosted 30+ webinars featuring Hyperbots senior leadership and 20 Chief Financial Officer (CFO) community members from the USA.
- Hosted the Amazon Conflux Design Conference 2019, India chapter with participation from 250+ design professionals across India.
- Conducted Service Design and UX workshops at National Institute of Design (NID) 2010, 2013, 2023, IIT Kanpur 2009 - impacting 150+ students.
- Created a community of Visual Designers, Visdom at Yahoo!. Organised workshops, curated speaker sessions with design practitioners from cross-disciplinary design domains, and performing arts.
- Published on ethical design, team culture, leadership on LinkedIn, Medium and his blog
- Speaking & thought leadership across design forums - Experience Fridays (Redd Design) 2019, Orbit Live 2017, Scripbox 2016, Nasscom Product Conclave 2012, UXNext 2011, Adobe Design Summit 2010, WebApps Conference 2010
Education
- Masters in Interaction Design from the Interaction Design Institute, Ivrea, Italy
- Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) from Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai.
Outside of work
I read all the time. Also write and draw whenever something bothers or inspires me – sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference!
My partner Roopal and I enjoy yoga, meditation, talking to plants and cooking without recipes at our home in Bangalore when we are not foodie-travelling.
It’s easy for me to do nothing, if time permits.
Write to me:
deepux@me.com