about me
I'm Swatika Upendran, a multidisciplinary designer crafting seamless experiences across physical and digital spaces.

I'm a multidisciplinary designer bringing over 9 years of experience in the design industry, with 3+ years in Product Design. My design mantra is "Functionality over Form". I believe that design is more than just good aesthetics and ultimately has to cater to the needs of the target audience. As a former interior designer, the most stereotyped aspect that I had to break free from was this notion that I designed or put together aesthetically pleasing things. Most people tend to overlook the design thinking and problem solving facet of my role even thought 85% of my time was spent on these tasks. Over the course of my career, I have acquired excellence in iteration, problem-solving, and crafting comprehensive brand experiences, underpinned by strategic critical thinking.

My design mantra is "Functionality over Form". I believe that design is more than just good aesthetics and ultimately has to cater to the needs of the target audience. As a former interior designer, the most stereotyped aspect that I had to break free from was this notion that I designed or put together aesthetically pleasing things. Most people tend to overlook the design thinking and problem solving facet of my role even thought 85% of my time was spent on these tasks. Over the course of my career, I have acquired excellence in iteration, problem-solving, and crafting comprehensive brand experiences, underpinned by strategic critical thinking.
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Pamela Halpert
Yoga Retreats Organizer
Grounded in retail, growing in digital- creating brands people believe in.
10+
years in Design
30+
successful projects
3
countries

My process

2

Tinker

Cut through the noise. Find the signal. Flip raw input into meaningful form. Sketch, test, break, rebuild.
3

Elevate

Push the work further, smarter, sharper. Make it sing. Make it stick. Sweat the small stuff. Make it shine.
1

Observe

Dial into context, people, problems, and patterns. Feel the pulse of everything. Note down all the details.

Other things I do

1
interior design
2
retail DESIGN
Things I do to recharge, relax, and stay creatively sharp.

Travel helps me expand my horizons, and  I design with cultural context at the core.

Cooking helps my creative juices flowing! When stuck, I experiment in the kitchen

I'm a huge fan of immersive experiences and aspire to work in the mixed reality field.

Experience

Over the past decade, I’ve built a creative career by working across industries, teams, and countries. I started in architecture, moved into retail design, and now focus on product design.

Product Designer | Self - employed


Building my own brand as well as working on an early-stage pre-seed startup focused on building an influencer marketplace focused on micro-influencers and niche communities that connects brands with the right influencers. In this role, I'm responsible for conducting market research to validate while also building initial prototypes.

Senior Product Designer | HCL America Inc.

Spearheaded end-to-end UX design for mobile & web apps, enterprise-level dashboards and tools for companies like Experian PLC, Otsuka Precision Health and TIAA org, collaborating with cross-functional teams to align solutions with business objectives. Conducted user research, developed information architecture, and created interactive prototypes to streamline complex data visualization needs. Established and maintained design systems to ensure consistency across products.

Product Designer | PRIDEnet by Stanford Univ

Steered the redesign of PRIDEnet's digital presence, focusing on enhancing user experience and brand visibility.Conducted qualitative research to inform design decisions and improve volunteer engagement. Developed strategiccontent aligned with organizational goals and research findings.

UX Designer | The San Francisco School

Directed high-impact user-centric design initiatives to optimize the summer camp registration process. Conducted in-depth qualitative research to understand local community needs and challenges. Implemented enhancedcommunication channels and user-friendly design principles.

Lead Designer & Manager | Interspace Inc.

Led an eight-member design team in conceptualizing and implementing innovative retail design solutions. Applied user-centric methodologies to enhance customer engagement and drive business growth. Managed multiple high-value projects simultaneously, ensuring client satisfaction and timely delivery.

Creative Designer | RSP Design Consultants

2011-2013 Designed interactive workspace solutions for major corporate clients, focusing on enhancing employee productivityand collaboration. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop innovative meeting spaces and recreationalareas.

Some hats I've donned...

As a Designer, a Leader, a Mentor, a Collaborator, a Strategist, & a Coordinator.

I enjoy..

Generating ideas, synthesizing concepts, building strategy, designing tangible & intangible experiential spaces.

> My Design Approach

Philosphy

Learn, Experiment & Adapt

Throughout my career, I have relied on my ability to learn on the job quickly. From software to techniques and understanding the system, I have always welcomed change and that has helped me adapt to my surroundings easily. I enjoy working with teams and leaning from people. I love experimenting and moving out of my comfort zone poses an exciting challenge.

I don't solve problems, I rise to the challenge

The one skill that I've developed over these years my ability to tackle problems on the spot. Everyday new obstacles come our way and looking at them as challenges rather than problems has helped me tackle them efficiently.

There's nothing a good meal can't resolve

I'm a foodie , I'm passionate about cooking and it's one of my biggest stress busters. My creative juices flow and simmer with the ingredients in my pot. Meals turn fancier as deadlines for deliverables approach. So whenever I'm stuck and can't find a way to resolve something, I go back to my kitchen and come back with a fresh pair of eyes. It has never let me down, until date.

Let’s talk

Design & Business,

and Create impact.