Hi,

a bit about me

How I got here?

Passionate about design thinking to empower customers/users and 'designing the invisible' is what I define the ideal customer experience (simple, transparent yet functional). I am Rachana, a UX Researcher working closely with different stakeholders on the team to find the right balance between User and Business. As a user advocate, I try to bring user needs, behaviours, and their goals to the team to inform product decisions. Currently, at Google working on Cloud AI products for past 1 year and 4 months. Background in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) often helps me understand the technical feasibility of the product when making actionable recommendations. And expertise in Human-Computer Interaction helps me practise design thinking keeping user needs, business goals, and technical limitations in mind.

How did I get into the User Experience Research?

The habit of approaching every problem keeping the user in mind and based on strong research was built since the beginning of undergrad. Being an ICT engineer I was introduced to the basics of Computer science, Electronics and User-Centred Design (UCD) at Ahmedabad University (AU). AU follows Project-Based Learning (PBL) pedagogy which gave me immense freedom to design and build various projects on an academic level. I was worked as a product designer at Luminati Clothing Co. with a quest to grow and learn each day

I came to the United States to pursue my masters in Human-Computer Interaction from Indiana University. I worked under Prof. Dr Young to understand the patient experience of very chronic disease using online sensemaking technique. Alongside, I interned at Boston Government and worked at Management Performance Hub. These diverse experiences have helped me develop an interdisciplinary mindset to practise as a UX Researcher.

My favourite activities are - Folk-dance (Garba) 💃 and adventure (Skydiving ✈ is next on my list). “Shelter in place” has definitely made me a great cook.

“She possesses outstanding creative problem-solving skills along with the ability to communicate her ideas in a clear and concise fashion. She approaches new learning with humility, curiosity and a tireless work ethic. She’s a quick learner, grasping business model design concepts and strategies extremely well. She works well under the pressure of aggressive schedules while bringing out the best in her teammates. Rachana has the core capabilities to excel in any business environment, from start-up to mature business organization.”

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

— Lou Lenzi, Professor & Mentor

Connect

If I have piqued your interest, let's chat! Would love to meet and have a virtual coffee together.