Vivek Agarwal

Highlighting my article on some of the Lessons I've learnt from working in Product Design across a variety of industries. https://lnkd.in/gSxD6nCe #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui

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Its 8:00 p.m. and I have to post this, here. No surpise, its long and saddening - Why IVR Systems Alone Aren’t the Solution #Businesses #India If I have to log onto a website to fix an issue, why would I call customer support to get it resolved? Because your website alone was not able to give me the solution that you “think” you are providing. Simply including an IVR system in the name of inclusivity, accessibility, or as a touchpoint is not a solution to the problem. You need to understand the root cause to provide a real solution. I’ve seen countless instances where an IVR system promises to solve problems that users can’t fix online, but due to a lack of real human interaction, already frustrated users end up even more exasperated. Examples that come to mind include: Taxation-related website Ticket booking problems Passport-related government applications and websites Two recent personal experiences: Passport Renewal: I needed a new copy of my passport as it was expiring. During the process, I encountered an error message: “You are registered at RPO Thane or RPO Malappuram. RPO Thane or RPO Malappuram is no longer accepting new applications. Kindly register under RPO Mumbai or RPO Kozhikode respectively.” There were no further steps provided to resolve this issue. I had to resort to reading, Googling, and watching YouTube videos to find a possible solution. Gym Complaint: I joined a nearby gym and paid ₹10,000 for personal training, in march 2024. However, the trainer never showed up at the agreed time. When I tried to raise a complaint through a trusted grievance cell webpage of our country, I was repeatedly told I was missing details, despite the form fields not indicating what was mandatory. Eventually, they closed my ticket, stating I hadn’t provided a detail they never asked for, without any prior or future notifications. I strongly believe this isn’t just a problem of user experience, customer experience, technology, or business-related issues—it’s more than that. The channels provided are not efficient enough! Why do I have to post this on LinkedIn? If there were proper mechanisms on their websites, this wouldn’t be necessary. And to those who say I should carefully look at their websites—boss, don’t you think they need a deep understanding of why users come to a page called ‘reissuing of passport’ and what different scenarios might arise? Or what mandatory information should be filled out to take a grievance further? And if there is a problem with user's concerns, the website should transit me towards a solution oriented page. Let me know your thoughts below, because it’s up to us to make things better in the end. AI, money, and time won’t fix everything. Sometimes, we need to come up with ideas, innovations, and strive to inform those who are unaware of not just the problems but also the necessary solutions in today’s world. #EmotionallyFrustratedUser #BadUserExperience #IVR Alone cannot solve the problem #Business

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I keep getting this question from many "What do I do as a Design Manager?" I summarised my response with an Article "The Role of a Design Manager" https://lnkd.in/gDDxYcuG #design #manager #article #medium

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Hello Designer's, Take a look at new the design concept for the Bento Layout : My Comeback Story in UX/UI Design. Embarking on the challenging path of UX/UI design, I encountered more than just design briefs; I faced the harsh reality of low payments in the Indian market. But in adversity, I found resilience. Fuelled by passion, I dove deeper into my craft, emerging not just as a designer, but as a testament to perseverance. In this journey, I've learned the true meaning of perseverance and how important it is to keep pushing forward, no matter the obstacles. I hope my story inspires others who are facing their own battles. Join me as I showcase the power of creativity, determination, and unwavering. 📈✨ 💬 I’d love to hear your feedback. Don't forget to like and share if you’re inspired! ❤️✌️ #UI #UX #UXUIJourney #BentoDesign #DesignInnovation #UserExperience #UserInterface #Dribbble #Remote #Freelance #Job #DesignCommunity #JobLossRecovery #CareerGrowth #CareerChange #UXDesign #UIDesign #OvercomingObstacles #CareerJourney #ProfessionalGrowth #Perseverance

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Ever heard the term 'average user' in design meetings? It's a design tragedy waiting to happen. Here's why. When we optimise for the 'average user,' we ignore the richness of human diversity. We miss out on creating experiences that truly resonate. Imagine a spectrum of users. On one end, you have techsavvy folks who want every bell and whistle. On the other end, you have those just starting their digital journey. Then there's everyone in between. Designing for the 'average' means we create something that doesn't fully satisfy anyone. It's like making a onesizefitsall shirt. Sure, it fits most, but it doesn't fit anyone perfectly. In the user experience, 'good enough' is rarely good enough. Here's how you can avoid this pitfall: Embrace user personas: → Create detailed profiles representing key user segments. → Understand their needs, pain points, and goals. Conduct inclusive user research: → Involve a diverse group of users in your studies. → Test with edge cases, not just the median. Prioritise accessibility: → Design for users with varying abilities. → Ensure your product is usable by all. Iterate with feedback: → Continuously gather user feedback. → Iterate based on real-world usage, not assumptions. By focusing on the fringes, you create a more inclusive, engaging experience. So next time someone mentions the 'average user,' remind them: The average isn't memorable. Excellence is. What are your thoughts on designing for diversity over averages? Share your experiences or challenges below! 👋 I'm Mukesh Bakshi, a seasoned UX leader, mentor & coach with 18+ years of experience. 👉 Follow me + 🔔 for daily actionable UX leadership, mentoring & coaching tips. ♻ Repost & share your UX insights to uplift our community. 🏷️ Save this for a continuous stream of UX wisdom. Let's shape exceptional user experiences together! The chances we take protect us from future regrets

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What’s one of the most important traits of a UX designer? Learning to deal with ambiguity As designers, we have to deal with ambiguity all the time It’s unlikely you will get a clear request or brief On many projects, you will likely get Unclear brief Unclear information Unclear problems to solve Unclear stakeholders and responsibilities Your role as a designer is to bring clarity the ambiguity and get people aligned along the way It is to connect the dots, and help others visualize what the future looks like The best way to deal with ambiguity? Get started Explore ideas Ask questions Seek for feedback Be extremely curious Be flexible to change direction Do you agree? Let me know in the comments! #UXdesign #UX #userexperience

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Excited because I get to co-present with my long distance BFF and fellow researcher and fellow-ex-IBMer, Tyler King! This talk is about ensuring you and your research gets heard in a room of diverse functions and people. Tyler and I talk about this a lot in our voice notes to each other and you can get a sneak peek into some of the tips and tricks that have worked for us so far! See you there. #userresearch #designresearch

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🚨 The Subtle Art of Failing at System Design 🚨 System design is more than just connecting dots; it's about anticipating the unknowns and addressing the what-ifs. But, sometimes, in the pursuit of innovation, we stumble. Here’s a real-world example of how not to design a system. ❌ Example: The "Monolithic to Microservices Migration" Gone Wrong A major financial institution decided to migrate its monolithic banking system, including card, payment, loan, and investment services, to a microservices architecture. The goal was to improve scalability, flexibility, and time-to-market. Where it went wrong: 👎 Lack of Cohesive Strategy: Each team designed their microservices independently, leading to inconsistent API standards, duplicated functionality, and inter-service dependencies that mimicked the old monolithic structure. 👎 Ignoring Data Consistency: The distributed nature of microservices led to eventual consistency issues. The payment service sometimes processed transactions twice because no proper idempotency mechanism was in place. 👎 Underestimating Latency: The new architecture increased network hops, causing latency issues, especially in real-time processing tasks like payment authorization. 👎 Neglecting Observability: Without a centralized logging and monitoring solution, debugging failures across dozens of services became a nightmare. 🚧 Lessons Learned: 👉 Start with a clear, cohesive architecture strategy. 👉 Prioritize data consistency and latency from day one. 👉 Invest in observability tools to keep your microservices ecosystem healthy. 👉 Align teams to a common set of design principles and practices. System design is as much about avoiding pitfalls as it is about innovation. The next time you're building something new, remember: Success lies in the details! #SystemDesign #TechFail #Microservices #LessonsLearned #CloudArchitecture

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An interesting and very informative talk on "The challenges of designing with language models by Maggie Appleton, Product Designer at Elicit. Maggie discusses the need to balance the 'squish'—the fluid, often chaotic behaviors of language models—with 'structure', the systematic design frameworks we typically use. She delves into why compositional design ( using simple, understandable components that can be combined in complex ways ) matters when integrating these AI models into user interfaces and experiences. The talk highlights the potential of treating these models as small, single-purpose reasoning engines that can bring a new level of creativity and functionality to digital products, but also emphasizes the importance of managing their unpredictability through thoughtful design practices. https://lnkd.in/gszPGKJ7 #productdesign #designthinking #userexperience

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Decoding user behaviour: leveraging cognitive biases in app development https://lnkd.in/gyHTYpAk #DigitalProductStrategy #BusinessPartnership

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I had a great time talking about usability and accessibility. I believe that with the increase of digital literacy and maturity in the country, a lot of UX mature brands and companies are focusing on building exceptional experiences. it is paramount as a budding designer to know that it is is the designers responsibility to bring the best and most usable product to the world. And to always remember that the product is going to be iterative will keep evolving.

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🚨 True Story Alert! 🚨 Ever wondered why some services win over customers for the long haul while others fall flat despite expertise? Let me share a personal experience with two freelance cooks, Mohan and Anuj. Mohan, the “pro chef,” thought his experience was all he needed. Anuj, on the other hand, was just starting out but took a different approach—he listened to his clients and adapted. In a surprising twist, Anuj ended up winning everyone’s hearts and contracts. The lesson? Expertise isn’t everything. Adaptability and a user-first approach are key to long-term success. Want to know how this story unfolds and what it teaches us about product and service delivery? 📖 Read my latest blog—based on a true story I witnessed firsthand! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gxdm5jZt #CustomerExperience #UserCentricDesign #ProductManagement #Adaptability #TrueStory #ContinuousLearning #userexperience

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This year at the UXIndia conference, was a beyond special experience, since I attended it as a speaker! I met many amazing people, who were at different stages of their design careers, and got the chance to listen to some amazing talks on AI, sustainability, service design, design leadership, and so much more! My topic was 'How emotional design cures experience'. It was a 15-minute talk on understanding emotional design, its importance, how to leverage user's emotions, and how we use this in our daily lives as a designer. The inspiration spark was from the legend Don Norman's book 'Emotional Design - Why We Love or Hate Everyday Things' If anyone wants to reach out for a quick chat about this topic or anything design in general, feel free to say hi! And for more context about the talk, I've posted an article on Medium ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gu87GQz2 #uxindia #uxindia2024 #design #emotionaldesign

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For all the UX enthusiasts out there, here’s a list of some fantastic UX conferences happening around and you can attend in India. These are some of my favourite ones as well. 🙂 1. UXIndia,  https://2024.ux-india.org/ 2. UXnow, https://www.uxnow.org/ 3. UX360 Research Summit, https://lnkd.in/gSJfXD_q 4. International Conference on Research Into Design, https://lnkd.in/gUCEVvQ9 5. Hatch conference, https://lnkd.in/guyvAaEN 6. UXInsight Festival, https://lnkd.in/gPHb5Zby 7. ConveyUX, https://conveyux.com/ 8. AIGA Design Conference 2024, https://lnkd.in/gsKmfRWT 9. George UX Conf, https://lnkd.in/gQgHwuRF For more information, plz visit the specific event websites. Top 5 benefits of attending the conferences: 1. Connect with other professionals 2. Stay ahead of Industry Trends 3. Inspiration and Fresh Ideas 4. Showcase work 5. Attend amazing workshops and masterclasses When people with the same passion come together under one roof, the conversations are truly unstoppable. These gatherings create an environment so vibrant and inspiring that you wish the day would never end. The energy and vibe are unmatched. UX conferences are more than just events; they’re incubators for ideas and catalysts for growth. Some ideas that start as casual conversations come to life, sparking innovations that can shape the future of design. For others, it’s a place of clarity, where the fog of uncertainty lifts, revealing the path forward in their career. Don't think. Just decide your next UX conference, you would like to attend soon. 😁 #UserExperience #UXConferences #UXEvents #UXSummit #DigitalDesignConferences #ProductDesignSummit #UXGathering #UXDesign #UserExperience #UXResearch #DesignThinking #InteractionDesign #UIUX #UXStrategy

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We often talk about UX maturity in organisations, but what about the maturity of the practitioners themselves? 🤔 In this article, I dive into how UX practitioners can grow and ultimately elevate the overall UX maturity of the company. Big thanks to Sean Vöckerodt and Arun Kumar for their feedback 🙏 If you’re a UX designer, researcher, or work alongside them, I'd love to hear your thoughts: - What level of UX maturity do you see in your team? - How do you approach the growth and development of your UX practitioners? #UXDesign #UXResearch #UserExperience #UX #DesignLeadership

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So editing is not a simple task; but I’m sharing the second interview with Rittika, an interaction designer based in India. Two reasons I started writing: 1. All my design heroes were men: and though some women designers are famous, some are relatively unknown with their unique lives, busy mastering their craft; Sharing their knowledge thru the Women in Design (WIDE) blog, “Not your cookie cutter designer”, is one way. 2. To monetise to provide design education to the underprivileged as an opportunity to give back. PROCESS I rewrote the transcription and didn’t use AI for this article and I found it more satisfying than using AI as you're using your creative brain cells more! WE NEED AN NZ DESIGNER You know any designers that would be great to feature? I’m really interested in featuring a female designer from New Zealand, know too many that are good so hard to pick - I’d love some suggestions :) Next up is a VR designer, so stay tuned. Subscribe! #womendesigners #equalopportunities

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Leveraging AI thinking will help you build better AI assistants. Here is my latest article on Medium titling "Design Thinking to AI Thinking" which got republished in UX magazine. https://lnkd.in/gCrB7Ajt #ai #artificialintelligence #aithinking #design #ux #medium #article

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A couple of weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity to have a keynote talk, “Unlocking Your Impact: How an #Outcomes-Focused Approach Empowers Designers,” at uxindiaconf (ux-india.org). The conference was a massive gathering of talented designers from around the world, and I was thrilled to be a part of it. Here are some of the things I covered in my keynote: - By adopting an #outcomes-focused approach, you will gain a deeper understanding of how your actions contribute to achieving organizational goals and ensuring the successful execution of your #vision. - By defining clear outcomes, you will foster a more focused and aligned team, eliminate unnecessary work, and ensure your efforts are centered around meeting #customerneeds. - Using the #JobsToBeDone framework helps align your organization’s outcomes with your customers’ needs, ensuring that your products and services meet their needs. I want to thank Kaladhar Bapu, Jabeen Shaistha, and all the wonderful volunteers of UX India 2024 for helping to make this keynote a success! I also want to thank the thought leaders who came before me: Tony Ulwick, Joshua Seiden, Alexander Osterwalder, Jim Kalbach, John C. Maxwell, and Marty Cagan. https://lnkd.in/ePHXh4cq #teamwork #alignment #empowerment #outcomesoveroutputs #ux #india #userexperiencedesign #userexperience #jtbd #UXIndia2024

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