Ramya Mahendran🇺🇸

About Ramya Mahendran

Founder, Design Thinking Coach and Consultant at Design Squiggle and School of Empathy.D

I am a design butterfly: infinitely curious, perpetually hyper, and always in search of meaning and purpose. Fluttering from flower to flower, I gather expertise to build a colorful bouquet that defines my skills. Over the past 14 years, these are a few of the flowers that have piqued my interest: managed innovation, creativity culture, design thinking, lean startup, business modeling, jobs to be done, visual storytelling, and my latest flower—human factors at Bentley. As a deliberate multidisciplinarian and generalist, I enjoy working at the intersections of design, technology, business, and art.

Hello, I’m Ramya Mahendran (RM), founder of Design Squiggle and Sweat(er) Capitalist at the School of Empathy. My aim is to make design education available, affordable, and accessible for future generations. With over 14 years in the industry, 10,000 hours of design experience, more than 50 certifications, and having trained over 7,000 students and entrepreneurs, design has become more than a vocation—it's my life’s calling, purpose, and destiny.

Expertise

Sessions with Ramya Mahendran

• You are the Product: Design, Position, and Present (45 min): You are the most important thing you will ever design. Before the portfolio, the website, the brand, the business model - there is you. And how you choose to shape, position, and express that identity to the world. What this session is This is a one-off, high-impact mentorship session for designers, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders who want to reinvest in themselves. You don’t have to commit to multiple sessions. Come in with clarity (or confusion), and leave with direction. We meet once, unless you choose otherwise. What we’ll do together Define your personal value proposition Reframe how you present yourself (portfolio, website, brand, narrative) Break down your business model / career positioning Review any project - including you (because you are your best work yet)
• Designing Your UX Career: With Creative Confidence (30 min): Not sure where you fit in UX? Figuring out your next move? Feeling stuck? This session is for you. I've lived multiple versions of a UX career: designer, researcher, consultant, educator, entrepreneur. I help you find the path that fits you, not just the one that looks good on paper. What We Can Work On Career pathways and specializations Research vs. Design vs. Strategy vs. Product In-house, agency, consulting, or startups Career transitions into UX Portfolio and case study reviews Personal branding and LinkedIn Person-profession fit Freelancing and independent practice Grad school and research careers Come As You Are Portfolio, resume, LinkedIn, side projects, startup ideas, or just your questions. You don't need to have it figured out. That's what this is for. ⏱ 30 Minutes. Three Parts. Part 1 · Understanding You (10 min) Part 2 · Exploration and Feedback (15 min) Part 3 · Action Plan (5 min) Why $15? Small enough to be accessible. Meaningful enough to make you show up ready. You'll leave with clarity and a concrete next step, not just a nice conversation. Building a UX career isn't about following someone else's path. It's about designing your own.
• Business Design Thinking & Doing (45 min): Design-Led Startup Mentorship: From Opportunity to Big Picture Building a startup means moving fast—which is exactly when you need a high-level sounding board to surface blind spots. This three-session series is a deep dive into your business. We aren’t just "talking shop"; we’re refining your design strategy from initial spark to a business model that actually sticks. Session 01: The Who, What & Why — Digging for the Real Opportunity We start by getting honest: Is the “gap” you’ve spotted actually worth building for? We’ll pressure-test your problem statement, identify underserved users, and surface the assumptions shaping your thinking to set a solid design strategy foundation. Session 02: The How — Differentiation & Service Design Now we move into the "how"—finding what truly makes you stand apart. We’ll look at the total experience, not just the product. By mapping the service journey and using specific design tools, we’ll turn insights into something you can test and iterate on quickly. Session 03: The Big Picture — Connecting the Dots Finally, we zoom out. We’ll translate your users and service into a viable business model. This is about timing and direction: refining your value proposition, GTM sequencing, and planning your next meaningful experiments.

What mentees say

“I had an exceptional session with my mentor, who demonstrated amazing communication and motivation throughout our time together. Their extensive subject knowledge in Design Thinking was evident as they provided me with a comprehensive guide to implement these strategies in my company. Their problem-solving skills truly exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend booking a session”

“Ramya shared her wealth of deep, wide-ranging experience in the design industry to help me think through storytelling from concept to final outcome. I can't thank her enough for helping me realize that as designers, it's not just about making visuals — it's about understanding the value of what we create and the impact it has.”

“I had a great first mentorship session with Ramya. She was very open and honest about the realities of the UX field, she also gave me a lot of clarity on how my background in software engineering can still be valuable and how I can position myself better in the UX space. Her advice on exploring different paths and identifying a specialization very helpful.”