PinnedWhat it means to be a Dad going on parental leaveWe’ve heard a lot about maternal leaves and what working moms go through, the insecurities, the challenges, the fear of being left behind in their careers, stories of people who were replaced/laid off on returning to work and everything else that comes with it. But, strangely for some reason, I’ve…Technology7 min readTechnology7 min read
Mar 1, 2021The curse of having a good managerTaking charge, and dealing with vulnerability when you no longer get to work with the best boss in the world. — If you are reading this, then you most likely have worked for a kick-ass manager, and you know exactly where this article is heading. We’ll begin with a personal story to set the context, followed by actions you could take, and end with the impact it can potentially have in…Work7 min readWork7 min read
Published in UX Collective·Jan 5, 2021Having a growth mindset as a DesignerHow my Design Manager inspired me to become better at my craft. — It’s been about a year since I started working at Atlassian. And, it took me almost a decade to meet a design manager I’d finally call, my most favorite! Ash Sterzenbach (who now no longer works at our organization) is some one who is super passionate about her practice, genuinely…Workplace6 min readWorkplace6 min read
Dec 4, 2020Too many meetings, and no time to get sh*t doneWays to organize your calendar and reclaim your ‘Focus-Time’ — ‘Zoom fatigue’ is a term that isn’t alien to today’s remote world and there are numerous articles published on the internet on how to battle it effectively. With this essay we will be focusing on ways to organize our calendars better as individuals and teams so that we aren’t overwhelmed…Remote Working6 min readRemote Working6 min read
Published in UX Collective·Sep 7, 2020Are we supportive enough as an industry towards budding design talent?How a simple act of opening up your calendar, can contribute towards a more friendlier design community. — Final year design graduates were impacted in a big way during the early days of the COVID pandemic, and they still are. Students were loosing internship opportunities, job offers were being cancelled, promising startups were shutting shop, grads were not having industry mentors to guide them with their final year…Design6 min readDesign6 min read
Published in UX Collective·Jul 20, 2020Member-onlyDesigners: Sitting with your engineering teams isn’t as scary as it seemsWays to deal with the skepticism of giving up the studio space and moving in with your project teams. — Design, in the world of tech, has only matured over the years. From being mere ‘pixel pushers’ or ‘people who beautify screens’.. to becoming that elite group that works out of a fancy studio space and constantly keeps emphasising on why design thinking is important while building products.. to a…Design5 min readDesign5 min read
Published in Design Warp·May 17, 2020Money – What they don’t tell you about, while studying abroadTips to deal with the nerve wrecking experience of calculating your bank balance endlessly as a student — The decision to study abroad is a big one. Sure, moving to a new country can be overwhelming especially if it’s your first time traveling abroad. Anxiety a.k.a excitement during your first month is a given! Have I invested in the right course? Is my faculty going to be any…Students7 min readStudents7 min read
Published in UX Collective·Apr 23, 2020Your offer letter isn’t necessarily a reflection of how good or bad of a design candidate you areHere’s why you shouldn’t take rejections or offers too seriously. — With the industry going through a rough patch, and design students having a lot of anxiety about securing a job or taking up higher education at a foreign university etc, I thought I should share a story about one of my big rejections as a newbie in the world of…Jobs6 min readJobs6 min read
Published in UX Collective·Apr 8, 2020Member-onlyHave we changed the way we perceive our colleagues ever since working from home became a norm?The realization that every individual is as vulnerable and human as our very own selves. — This isn’t another “Tips on working remotely” or “How to manage your time better while working from home” sort of an article. There is more than enough content out there, and a lot more people have started sharing Zoom-screenshots on how awesome their teams are functioning today. …Teamwork6 min readTeamwork6 min read
Published in UX Collective·Apr 5, 2020Member-onlyDesign grad exclusive — tips to make your resume & portfolio stand outStaying ahead of the pack — This essay is targeted mostly towards design graduates, those that are new to the industry or basically anybody who wants to give their job applications an edge above the rest of the pack. Grad-hiring usually happens in two ways: Apply via job portals like LinkedIn, Glassdoor etc; or directly on…Design6 min readDesign6 min read
