From India to California, how design helped me grow across cultures, careers, and communities.
“Your new life is going to cost you your old one.” -Brianna Wiest
From an engineering classroom in India to an Ergonomics classroom in California
Design didn’t come to me with a big idea. It came quietly. Eight years ago, I was an engineering student in India, trying to figure out what I didn’t want. Somewhere between writing code and learning HTML and CSS, I stumbled into design.
Like many of us, I began with graphic design. Then UI. Then UX. But what kept me going wasn’t the tools; it was the realization that every screen I designed affected someone’s day. It was clarity, empathy, and decision-making. It was also the realization of how much one can do in this space, the art of storytelling, presenting your ideas, mentoring others, and even learning how to sell your vision with confidence.
Learning from the real world at Accenture
In 2020, I joined Accenture. I didn’t know much about stakeholder management, product goals, or delivery metrics, but I knew how to ask questions. That was enough.
Accenture became my sandbox. I worked across industries, sat in virtual rooms with people I never thought I’d meet, and began to understand how design fits into business. It wasn’t always easy, but it was foundational.
Design was no longer just pixels and flowcharts; it became about people, process, and patience.
Dubai: the unexpected turning point
In 2022, I took a leap and moved to Dubai for a role at a tech startup. It came with big dreams — but within a month, the company ran into funding issues and stopped paying salaries.
It was scary. A new country, no job, and uncertainty all around. But I kept showing up. I kept applying. I believed that maybe this was all part of something bigger. And then, on my birthday that same year, I was offered a role at Mashreq Bank. I took it as a sign that things were beginning to align
At Mashreq, I worked on projects that touched real lives: revamping Mashreq Home, launching Mashreq Neo, and redesigning the end-to-end Customer Care Portal. I went from designing for one squad to managing four individual journeys.
In less than two years, I transitioned to Senior Product Designer at Emirates NBD, working with treasury teams and business leads. I had moved from creating screens to owning outcomes.
Community made me a better designer
Parallel to the work, I started organizing events for Friends of Figma, Dubai. My boss, who started the chapter in Dubai, encouraged me to join, and we started small.
Eventually, that “small” became something beautiful: quarterly events with over 300 designers, a community of 1300+ people, and topics that went beyond tools burnout, mentorship, career transitions, and design ethics.
What started as a weekend experiment became a space for connection. And honestly, it made me better at my day job too.
Measuring design by impact, not titles
In design, we often talk about metrics how many clicks, how many users, and how many conversions. But I’ve come to realize:
Impact also comes from the story.
Growth is not just moving from a Product Designer to a Senior one.
It’s also in:
Holding your voice in a stakeholder meeting
Mentoring a junior designer through burnout
Speaking at a community event, even if your voice shakes
Today, I start again
In Fall 2025, I begin my Master’s in Human Factors and Ergonomics in California. It’s my way of returning to the “why” behind the “what.”
I want to study systems, psychology, cognition, and user behavior because I believe better design comes from a better understanding.
This move feels like a loop completing itself. From engineering to design. From India to Dubai. From practice to research.
And once again, I’m starting from scratch with intention and with resilience.
What I’ve learned so far
Design has taught me that no journey is linear. That failure is feedback. That community is currency. And that the best thing you can do is stay curious.
If you’re in between jobs, between roles, or between countries — remember: You’re not lost. You’re in transition. And transitions make great designers.