ABOUT ME
I am a senior UX designer and researcher with over 20 years of experience, currently residing and working in India. I began my journey in UX in 2001, at a time when the future looked promising for the field. Over the past two decades, UX has made significant progress and is now well-established.
What continues to fascinate me is the convergence of products (physical and digital), technology, and people, and how they shape systems, behaviors, and businesses.
I have been at the forefront of UX research and had the privilege of working as an independent consultant for major multinational companies such as Samsung, Nokia, and LG. I approached user behavior with empathy, inquiry, and effective communication. I always aimed to deliver actionable insights, and I still believe that this approach guides my thinking.
During my time at companies like HFI, Infosys, IBM, and Manulife, I contributed to changing the understanding and utilization of research for success in new business development. I also applied my design thinking expertise while consulting for US-based startups such as Edifecs and Seven Lakes Technologies as they crafted their flagship products.
What continues to fascinate me is the convergence of products (physical and digital), technology, and people, and how they shape systems, behaviors, and businesses.
I have been at the forefront of UX research and had the privilege of working as an independent consultant for major multinational companies such as Samsung, Nokia, and LG. I approached user behavior with empathy, inquiry, and effective communication. I always aimed to deliver actionable insights, and I still believe that this approach guides my thinking.
During my time at companies like HFI, Infosys, IBM, and Manulife, I contributed to changing the understanding and utilization of research for success in new business development. I also applied my design thinking expertise while consulting for US-based startups such as Edifecs and Seven Lakes Technologies as they crafted their flagship products.
Currently, I work as a part-time consultant for startups, integrating my diverse influences to design usable, informed, and delightful user experiences.
If you are a startup seeking assistance with strategy, design, or research, I would be delighted to discuss how my team and I can contribute to your product.
My team and I work in the IST (timezone).
I would love to hear from you!
LET’S TALK!
︎ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwini-garde-8a88ab3/
︎ ashwinigarde@gmail.com
︎ +91 8484812739
MY PHILOSOPHY
DESIGN = SIMPLE + BEAUTIFUL + NATURAL
Design is problem solving. It’s harder to solve complex problems, and create solutions that are simple.
My approach is to break a problem down to small parts and seek to resolve it. Simplicity is a quality that is hard to find in interfaces, my resolve is to make interfaces simple.
A simple design becomes extraordinary when you introduce beauty to it. Beauty is considered the pursuit of an artist, but I feel that beautiful design, too, can touch and transform. Good design is delightful!
Lastly, interfaces should be easy to use. Ease of use goes hand in hand with Simplicity. My constant endeavor is to create interfaces that are as Natural to use as possible within the context of the problem and the framework offered by the technology.
Technology is running at high speed and Design is trying to catch up with it. Or is it the other way round? I am interested in the blend that Design and Technology create, where Design and Technology interface.
In Graphic Design or User Experience Design, creativity is the difference I make.
DESIGN = SIMPLE + BEAUTIFUL + NATURAL
Design is problem solving. It’s harder to solve complex problems, and create solutions that are simple.
My approach is to break a problem down to small parts and seek to resolve it. Simplicity is a quality that is hard to find in interfaces, my resolve is to make interfaces simple.
A simple design becomes extraordinary when you introduce beauty to it. Beauty is considered the pursuit of an artist, but I feel that beautiful design, too, can touch and transform. Good design is delightful!
Lastly, interfaces should be easy to use. Ease of use goes hand in hand with Simplicity. My constant endeavor is to create interfaces that are as Natural to use as possible within the context of the problem and the framework offered by the technology.
Technology is running at high speed and Design is trying to catch up with it. Or is it the other way round? I am interested in the blend that Design and Technology create, where Design and Technology interface.
In Graphic Design or User Experience Design, creativity is the difference I make.
MY LIFE INFLUENCES
The Vagabond (poem) by Robert Louis Stevenson
My Fair Lady (English play and movie)
The Sound of Music (movie)
Pyaasa
Charles Dickens
Mark Twain
Thomas Hardy
Bill Watterson
Michael Jackson
George Michael
A lot of rock and pop
Selected Jazz
A lot of Indian Classical Music
Krishna Reddy
Frida Kahlo
Leonardo da Vinci
Salvador Dali
Picasso
Vincent van Gogh
Kohei Sugiura
April Greiman
Paul Rand
R K Joshi
Indian philosophy & mysticism
Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
Sri Aurobindo
The Mother
Osho
Studies on “Genius”
INTP (Myers Briggs Type Index)
Albert Einstein’s quotes
The Vagabond (poem) by Robert Louis Stevenson
My Fair Lady (English play and movie)
The Sound of Music (movie)
Pyaasa
Charles Dickens
Mark Twain
Thomas Hardy
Bill Watterson
Michael Jackson
George Michael
A lot of rock and pop
Selected Jazz
A lot of Indian Classical Music
Krishna Reddy
Frida Kahlo
Leonardo da Vinci
Salvador Dali
Picasso
Vincent van Gogh
Kohei Sugiura
April Greiman
Paul Rand
R K Joshi
Indian philosophy & mysticism
Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
Sri Aurobindo
The Mother
Osho
Studies on “Genius”
INTP (Myers Briggs Type Index)
Albert Einstein’s quotes
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My pedagogy lies in cultivating critical and analytical minds among my design students, making them ready to tackle design problems in the real world, while learning design. This approach comes from years of learning and practicing problem solving for UI/UX and research projects.
Design pedagogy in the top-most schools around the world already focuses on developing creativity and bringing in self-expression into design approaches early into learning methods.
I feel strongly about molding students to think analytically as well, thus igniting both sides of their brains - the right and the left, building “Da Vinci-an” personalities that are capable of questioning and critiquing as they create.
Early experience with research can give design students a competitive edge in their careers. I encourage and train students to conduct and analyze research data, leading to insights that help conceptualize design. I think that empirical observations add to theoretical constructs ultimately, and the approach of direct observation creates a ground for appropriate and innovative designs.
My teaching method is to encourage active discussions and open debates that foster group learning.
The spirit of inquiry, if ingrained early in young brains, can give rise to revolutionary ideas that can change the future of innovation and thought leadership in the world. My focus is to help create this future.
My pedagogy lies in cultivating critical and analytical minds among my design students, making them ready to tackle design problems in the real world, while learning design. This approach comes from years of learning and practicing problem solving for UI/UX and research projects.
Design pedagogy in the top-most schools around the world already focuses on developing creativity and bringing in self-expression into design approaches early into learning methods.
I feel strongly about molding students to think analytically as well, thus igniting both sides of their brains - the right and the left, building “Da Vinci-an” personalities that are capable of questioning and critiquing as they create.
Early experience with research can give design students a competitive edge in their careers. I encourage and train students to conduct and analyze research data, leading to insights that help conceptualize design. I think that empirical observations add to theoretical constructs ultimately, and the approach of direct observation creates a ground for appropriate and innovative designs.
My teaching method is to encourage active discussions and open debates that foster group learning.
The spirit of inquiry, if ingrained early in young brains, can give rise to revolutionary ideas that can change the future of innovation and thought leadership in the world. My focus is to help create this future.