Product Design Leader and Mentor
Summary
I am a UX design leader with over 20 years of global industry experience. I believe remarkable things can happen when empathy for users plays a key role in solving a design problem. I have designed consumer and enterprise products for a wide range of industries and leading global brands.
As a design leader, I have hired global design talent, managed and mentored a 600+ member multi-disciplinary design team. I have directed large-scale design programs and managed key client relationships. I’m experienced in facilitating design thinking workshops with product teams and also while co-innovating with customers. I have been a visiting faculty and jury member at top design schools in India. I routinely volunteer to mentor high-school students on a career in design and conduct design-thinking workshops for young students.
As a designer, my experience spans across the full lifecycle of User-Centered Design. I have extensive hands-on experience conducting design research, personas and journey mapping, information architecture, storyboarding, wireframing, visual design, prototyping, and design specifications. I have designed solutions for all form factors.
My in-depth understanding of design methodology has enabled me to play a critical role in product ideation, conceptualization, validation, and implementation. I have worked closely with agile product engineering teams to manage design tradeoffs and ensure pixel-perfect implementation. I have developed UI pattern libraries and established design systems to ensure a consistent product experience.
Core Competencies
Design Talent Management l Mentoring l Design Operations l Design Program Management l Ideation and Conceptualization l Design Thinking l Design Research, User Testing and Insights l Interaction design and wireframing l Creative direction and visual design l Rapid Prototyping l Design System, Pattern Library and Specifications
Experience
 | Director of Product Design San Francisco Bay Area Oct 2016 – Present |
As a design leader, I frequently wear multiple hats, such as a manager guiding my team towards success, as lead designer envisioning end to end enterprise user experience for Service, Sales, and Commerce cloud users, as a collaborator bridging the gaps between a very talented team of engineers, product managers, and designers and as an innovator focus is on leading Machine Learning design innovation and solutions for Sales, Service and Commerce customers to help them work efficiently and smartly on end to end workflows.
 | User Experience Design Lead San Francisco Bay Area Feb 2016 – Oct 2016 |
As a design lead, I was responsible for building product experience that makes salespeople and LinkedIn business partners more productive and successful.
 | Experience Design Director San Francisco Bay Area/India Sept 2008 – Feb 2016 |
As a global design practice head, I built, nurtured, and mentored an industry-leading design team from 150 designers to 600+ Interaction Designers and Visual Designers spread across multiple geographies. I led many large-scale digital design programs and managed key client relationships by regularly traveling to customer locations in various countries and providing thought-leadership on user experience and creative design to customers and Cognizant engineering teams while collaborating with business consultants, front-end architects, and product teams to deliver over 100 projects in consumer and enterprise space. I successfully led many client pitches to win new business for Cognizant.
 | Group Creative Director India / US Apr 2000 – Jul 2008 |
I was instrumental in establishing and growing HFI’s design office in Mumbai, India. While doing that I built and mentored a 40-member creative design team supporting global design consulting projects. I directed and managed more than 100 design projects for Fortune 100 customers from industries such as financial services, telecom, healthcare, mobile, technology, ERP, automotive, e-commerce. I have designed User Interfaces for a variety of platforms such as Desktop apps, Web, hand-held devices, mobile phones, and kiosks.
Animator and Graphic Designer for multiple leading animation studios and design houses
India
May 1995 – Mar 2000
 | Guest Faculty and Jury Member for User Experience Design Post Grad and Undergrad students. India 2009 -2013 |
Education
 | Bachelor’s in Applied Arts University of Mumbai, India |
Certifications
Certified Usability Analyst – Certified Usability Analyst by Human Factors International (HFI)
Conscious Business Academy Certification – Conscious Business Certification focuses on Fred Kofman’s fundamental principles of Conscious Business
Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner – Certification focuses on applying design thinking to complex teams, problems, and organizations.
Enterprise Design Thinking – Team Essentials for AI – Certification focuses on applying Enterprise Design Thinking concepts and activities to design responsible artificial intelligence systems with intention and a focus on people.
Accomplishments
Honors & Awards
Emerging leader of the year 2012
Cognizant Interactive Design Practice
Dec 2012
Associate of the year in supporting role 2010
For performing beyond expectations to support various business initiatives.
Cognizant Interactive Design Practice
Dec 2010
The project of the year 2010
Cognizant Interactive Design Practice
Dec 2010
Special Recognition
For holding HFI’s graphical world together with creativity and leadership in the year 2004
Human Factors International
Dec 2004
Patent
Applying Scoring Systems using an Auto-Machine Learning Classification Approach
Filed Nov 16, 2018
us 16/194,157
riya.design 