why here?
The story of how designing buildings taught me to design better experiences
I didn't wake up one day wanting to be a UX designer. I studied architecture for five years, only to realize I didn't actually like designing buildings. What I loved was organizing complex information, simplifying problems, and creating experiences that just made sense. I just didn't know there was a career for that yet.
The wrong path (that taught me the right skills)
Five years studying architecture. Learning about spatial planning, user flows through buildings, visual hierarchy, and how design impacts human behavior. But here's the truth: I didn't enjoy designing buildings. The construction, the materials, the site visits—it wasn't for me.
What I did love? Breaking down complex problems. Organizing information so it was intuitive. Creating systems that helped people understand things better. I was good at making complicated things simple. I just didn't know that was a job.
Discovering UX/UI by accident
After graduating, I knew I didn't want to be an architect. I decided to pivot to illustration, something I genuinely enjoyed. I applied for illustration jobs, took on freelance work, built a portfolio. Then I got a job offer.
But it wasn't for an illustrator. It was for a UX/UI designer role. I had no idea what UX/UI even meant, but I googled it and everything clicked. Designing how people interact with products. Simplifying complex flows. Making interfaces intuitive. This was exactly what I loved doing, I just never knew it had a name.
I enrolled in a UX/UI bootcamp immediately. Learned the fundamentals—wireframing, prototyping, user research, design thinking. And suddenly, all those skills from architecture made sense in a new context.
Thrown into the deep end (and I loved it)
My first UX role was at Clearisk, for a fintech SaaS platform. I knew nothing about finance. Nothing about trading or treasury management. But I had three months as an associate designer to learn, then I was leading the design.
Designed trader onboarding flows. Built a CX portal for multiple user roles. Created document management systems. Reduced drop-off rates by 35%, rage clicks by 50%. Improved efficiency by 40%. The metrics were great, but what mattered more was this: I genuinely enjoyed the work.
For the first time, I was solving real problems for real users. Simplifying complex finance workflows. Making intimidating interfaces approachable. This was what I wanted to do.
Exploring different problems
Before starting my masters, I freelanced. Worked with an HR-focused app. Designed a platform connecting users with premium stores in Dubai. Helped an edtech startup improve their personal growth website.
Each project was different. Different users. Different problems. Different constraints. But the process was the same: understand the users, simplify the complexity, design intuitive flows.
Going deeper into the why
My first role made me fall in love with UX design. But I wanted to understand it properly, not just how to design interfaces, but why users behave the way they do. So I pursued an MSc in Human Computer Interaction at the University of Nottingham.
Studied cognitive psychology. Learned research methodologies. Explored accessibility and inclusive design. Conducted VR research on Cartesian dualism. Gained the academic foundation to back up my design intuitions with evidence.
Life happens alongside careers
Got married. Moved back to India. Took time to reflect on what I actually wanted. All my roles had been "UX/UI designer," but when I looked back honestly, most of my work was UX-focused. Research. User flows. Information architecture. Problem-solving.
Yes, I designed interfaces. But what I really enjoyed, what I was actually good at, was figuring out how to make complex things simple and intuitive for users.
Designing for sports and learning clarity
Worked at Consultcraft designing a sports coaching platform. Redesigned user flows, built design systems from scratch, created custom illustrations and animations. Collaborated with developers, CEO, and advisors to launch across the US, Canada, and India.
This role confirmed what I'd been realizing: while my title said "UX/UI designer," my strength was in UX. I understand visual design, but my real value was in understanding users, simplifying complexity, and designing experiences that just worked.
Taking the leap: building my own product
After leaving Consultcraft in early October, I decided to work full-time on Quippy—a browser extension I'd been building on the side. Launched it a month and a half ago for initial testing, and it's now live for everyone.
This is different from client work. I'm designing for users I need to find, iterating based on real feedback, and learning what it takes to ship and maintain a product independently. It's scary and exciting at the same time.
Also preparing to move to Canada in May 2025. New country, new chapter, new opportunities ahead.
So why did I become a UX designer?
Because I stumbled into it by accident and discovered it was exactly what I'd been looking for. A career where I could take complex problems and make them simple. Where I could organize chaos into clarity. Where I could design experiences that help people accomplish their goals without friction.
I didn't choose UX design because I loved buildings or technology. I chose it because I love solving problems for people, and UX design is the best tool I've found to do that.
What's next?
Continuing to refine my craft. Learning from every project. Staying curious about users and their needs. That's what keeps this work interesting.