Ekta S, Ph.D.🇮🇳

About Ekta S, Ph.D.

Senior UX designer III at IIT Kanpur

I am a design researcher, strategist, and UX practitioner seeking to contribute meaningfully to this world through my design skills. With a PhD in Design and published scholarly work at international conferences, I also bring six years of industry experience, having collaborated with multiple national and multinational clients.

I believe research is the backbone of any good design. I strive to bridge academic rigour with the fast-paced demands of industry to create real-world impact. Over the years, I have honed my ability to craft research-informed, intuitive, and pragmatic user experiences that align user needs with business goals and technical constraints. I am skilled in research planning, usability testing, user interviews, survey design, thematic analysis, wireframing, design systems, accessibility, responsive design, and refining business requirements.

I don’t claim to know everything in this ever-evolving digital landscape, but I am committed to meeting unprecedented challenges through learning, doing, and iterating, something a PhD has taught me. Also, I believe design thinking alone isn’t enough; the real magic lies in pairing it with strong communication and interpersonal skills. I step up when things aren’t working, ask the hard questions, challenge assumptions and the status quo, put forth new perspectives, and get to the root of the problem. I have come to appreciate that asking the right questions is both an art and a skill. Design interrogation is a key part of my arsenal for defining and solving the right problems.

I try to facilitate collaboration of diverse team members by moderating discussions with the intent of genuinely exploring the subject at hand. I value diverse perspectives, moderate conflicts, and try to create safe spaces where members can express themselves. At the same time, I assert my viewpoints in critical situations, backed by objective reasoning and clear design rationale.

Outside work, I am committed to balance, resisting digital overload through high-altitude treks, team sports, and music. Here is to creating work that matters and living a meaningful life on and off the screen!

I can contribute here in the following areas: Communication with stakeholders Mentoring design students in their UX/UI, toy and industrial design projects. Teaching design process

Expertise

Sessions with Ekta S, Ph.D.

• General Mentorship Session (30 min)