My UX Journey, Vol 02: Meet Prakrithy Pradeep
Hexagon chapter leads share their career experiences — and lessons learned — in this interview series. In her work as UX researcher and university instructor, Prakrithy Pradeep of Hexagon UX Bangalore combines her deep awareness of biases with a healthy dose of skepticism towards established principles.
Interview by Laura Palotie
Prakrithy Pradeep, lead at Hexagon’s Bangalore chapter in southern India, balances two day jobs. While working as UX Researcher at Tinkerform Innovation Labs, she also teaches Human-centered design at the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology. She notes a 2017 panel on Feminism and Technology as her fondest Hexagon memory to date.
Q: How did you get started in the User Experience space?
In 2013, as a confused undergraduate student of art and design, I became an intern at Srishti Labs (part of the institute). There I worked on a contextual design research project aimed at improving user experience, and became hooked. I went on to do an Advanced Diploma in Innovation and Experience Design.
Q: How would you describe the UX community in Bangalore?
The community here is an eclectic mix of designers, front-end developers, graphic designers, and students. There’s no dearth of opportunities to work in UX here, primarily due to the large number of startups in the city. The field is male-dominated, but it’s heartening to see that a lot more women are getting involved in design at startups.
Q: What’s a typical day for you?
I teach undergraduates and master’s degree students at Srishti Institute in a part-time capacity (2–3 days a week). The remaining 3–4 days I work as a UX Researcher at Tinkerform Innovation Labs, which focuses on innovation projects with startups.
On a teaching day, I’m at work by 8:30 AM. Classes start at 9, and end at noon. Post-lunch, I typically plan and prepare activities for the next class, finish up assessments, and work with some of my mentees.
On a Tinkerform day, I get to work by 9. Most of my time is spent designing research studies, preparing and conducting user interviews, and analyzing the data I’ve gathered.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten about working in UX?
I once heard that a UX designer’s key goal is to “design a solution that demonstrates a deep understanding of the people who will engage with it.”
This means you don’t always have to follow UX patterns, guidelines, and standards. Before you apply these standards, you should understand the context and intended purpose of their usage, and whether they will suit your users’ needs.
Q: What’s something you wish you had been told when you started your career?
Design is never apolitical. When you make decisions — whom you’re designing for, what you’re designing, how you’ll go about designing it, what materials you’ll use — you’re almost always taking a stance.
Because your biases and stances heavily influence your work, you should be aware of them. Always back your opinion with logic (or, in the very least, real user feedback) when taking part in any project discussion, and make sure everyone else at the table does the same.
Q: What has been the most valuable or enlightening mistake you ever made?
The first time I moderated a usability study, I was so nervous that I failed to ask most of the probing questions on the protocol. I thought we’d still be able to use some of the data, but it turned out that the participant had become almost as nervous as I. Needless to say, the data from that session was completely unusable.
Q: What gives you professional inspiration?
That’s a hard question! I’m inspired by a lot of different things — things I read, conversations I have, anything really. A lot of my inspiration comes from the amazing people around me: my family, my colleagues, and my friends.
Special thanks to Laura Palotie, Fiona Yeung, and Prakrithy Pradeep.
