About me

Hi, I'm Payal!

I'm the designer who buys things because the packaging is too pretty to leave behind, then spends the next hour trying to figure out why it worked. That curiosity? It's not just a quirk, it's how I approach every design problem.

Over the past few years exploring design across healthcare, aerospace, social impact, and enterprise software, I've come to believe that COLLABORATION is probably the most under-hyped skill in design. When design fits as a lens across the organization rather than a siloed department, everyone wins. Quality goes up because you're solving the RIGHT PROBLEMS with input from people who see angles you'd miss alone.


There's no single playbook for navigating uncertainty. Every project is different. That means sometimes I do rapid prototyping to uncover issues fast. Or sometimes I just keep asking "why?" until we get to the real problem hiding under the obvious one. But I always aim for that sweet spot where creativity meets purpose where the solution is both surprising and inevitable, delightful and functional.


I'm fascinated by the human mind, art, colours, the cosmos, and anything handmade. Mountains, clouds, sunsets, and desserts? ALWAYS A YES!


I find stories in the smallest details and art in ordinary moments. Some of those observations turn into projects with HUGE impact. Others just go in my mental scrapbook of "things that made me notice."


For me, creativity lives everywhere. You just have to keep noticing!

Design Journey

IBM
User Experience Designer
October 2022 - Present
LV Prasad Eye Institute
Product Design Intern
March 2022 - September 2022
Bachelor of Design
Product and Industrial Design
Woxsen University
2018 - 2022
Next Education
UX & Visual Design Intern
2017 - 2018
Freelancing
Illustrations & Brand Identity Design
2016 - 2018
C-Tech Diploma
Graphic & Communication Design
2016

Awards & Honorary

Design Team Social Glue Award
IBM Sustainability Software
2024
Design Champion Award
IBM Sustainability Software
2023
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Award (OTAA)
IBM
2023

Talks & Presentations

UX INDIA Conference
Ted-like talk
2025
Woxsen University
Process showcase
2022

Mentoring

IBM Patterns Design Academy
(Incubator)

Design Coach

2025
IBM Accelerate Program
Career Coach
2024
IBM Developer Jumpstart

Design Thinking Coach

2023