Designers🎤alk #28 with Ayushi Sharma( Product Designer at upGrad)| PHASE 3 [IND Edition]

Date: 14th February 2021

Ayushi is working as a Product designer for one of India’s largest online higher education company i.e “ upGrad”. Also, she worked for other companies like Hotstar and PharmEasy. In this talk, she has shared her opinions regarding :

1️⃣ how to build an internal network stronger;

2️⃣ how to speak about the design work in an interview;

3️⃣ the most underrated thing in design and etc;…

Q1. Hi Ayushi, nice to meet you. Let’s start with a short background story. How did you get started in design?

Well, I always knew I wanted to get into design, I was always fascinated by the ability to visualise, and once I figured you could do this for a living in a very rational process, I had no reason not to do it.

I think my first area of interest in the 6th grade was brand logos and their symbolism

Q2: How to build an internal network stronger with the designers you work with every day?

Every designer loves getting feedback on their work, and also we all love to take a break from our ideas and sketches and see what others are doing.

So I guess time-to-time group syncs. A quick run-through of each other’s work, or access to their notion docs (if you may) to see how their process works for their problem statement VS yours.

This could also be as simple as dropping a “hi” on slack and getting some tips on stakeholder management

Q3: What do you think is the best thing you have done in your projects?

The best thing I have done in my projects is getting user feedback on them. Build a prototype →show it to a user →have them go through and hear them out.

And I have done this many times even after the feature has gone live to find out what’s working and what’s not.

Q4: Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your team’s recommendation. What did you do?

I always try to put my thoughts through clearly, whether in agreement or disagreement.

I think if it’s about a design, “Show, then tell” works best.

Wireframe your thought, compare the two with 2 people who would have an unbiased opinion on the feature/problem, and test it out! Works like a charm ;)

Q5: How to speak about your design work in a UX Design/Product Design interview?

In my experience, few things I’ve tried to take care of..,

1. SHORT-Story telling: Your problem has a story, so does the solution, and your audience would love to know. Start with the problem →how did you validate the problem →research/User study → Solution space. Make sure the whole thing is tied together.
2. Keep it crisp — The interviewer could loose interest in your presentation if you talk too much. Remember, they’ve had a long working day, and they want to get to the point. You need to direct them to what “they’re looking for” and not what “you want to show them”
3. TIME: Please time yourself. 15–20 mins for a project → keep a 5 min buffer → and have 10 minutes for Q&A. Also, maybe another short project too, just in case.

Q6: What’s the most underrated and the most overrated thing about design?

“Everyone has an opinion about design”

Q7: Would you want to share a few tips with folks out there who want to join as interns or a UI/UX or product designer at upGrad?

We’re looking for passion, willingness to learn, and skills to contribute to the team.

In every interview we take for our potential new member, we’re looking to answer:

• “What will he/she bring to the table” or
• “What can I learn from this person?” and

I guess that’s what drives us all towards our own growth, and the team’s growth.

Your work should speak for “This is what I’m great at”

Q8: Designers Talk: Wrap Up round(One word or Choice-based)

1. Design in one word: Improvement (as quoted by Tom Dixon)
2. A product that inspires you: Duolingo
3. Favorite design blog/publication: I don’t miss updates from Nick Babich, Nir Eyal, UX collective & many more.
4. Favorite gadget: Tough, for now, My Apple Watch & Airpods.
5. Linkedin/Twitter/Instagram: Instagram.
6. DesignersTalk in one word: Inspiring
7. Favorite Design Series/Video/Movie: I am a fan of well-designed/directed/envisioned movies — Stanley Kubrik, Christopher Nolan, etc. but I don’t follow any series per se.
8. First Choice(Website/App): Duolingo — Hands down.
9. Favorite Design System: No opinion yet, still figuring the norms of deciding the best. upGrad has done a pretty good job
10. Android or iOS: iOS
11. XD/Figma/Sketch/Invision Studio: Sketch (new to figma)
12. Go-To Tool for you as a designer: Sketch/Figma
13. Taking Design Inspiration from: Products/books/publications/more designs.
14. Design Hero: Apple

Thank you 🙏 Ayushi💚⁣⁣⁣ for giving your precious time
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HOSTED BY: designer.akash

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The motto for this DesignersTalk is to “Bridge the gap between Industry Standard Designers and New Designers”.

Why text-based? Because it’s precise, to-the-point opinions and it also gives freedom to those designers who want to share but not comfortable in front of the camera and who don’t want to give their too much time but still wanted to contribute.

If you like it, please follow this publication and share it with the design community and help them to learn from the experience of the great designers without investing your and their tooooo much time…

Akash ✍️💚

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