Leadership, vision & strategy
Setting direction across three platforms, and turning briefs into better briefs.
About
I design for how people feel, and let the numbers keep me honest.
Most briefs start with what the business wants. I start with what people feel while they decide, because that feeling is often why a good product still fails while a bad product succeeds. Numbers show where people drop off. They can't show what went wrong. That's where I work.
The short version
I work best before the problem has a name.
I'm most useful when nobody agrees on what's broken yet. That's when a team needs someone to slow down, listen, and name the real problem.
For nine years I've worked in design, and for eight I've led it across three online businesses at Tata CLiQ: Luxury, Fashion and Palette. Along the way I built an AI shopping assistant and a design system made to serve all three, grew four designers and six interns into a team, and helped bring Richemont's TimeVallée and Bvlgari online in India for the first time.
I studied science, then industrial design. So I think in evidence and systems, and in objects, materials and rituals, not just screens. I'm drawn to the choices people make with their heart first, because that's where the real reasons hide. That's as true for a game, a lesson or a fitness habit as it is for a luxury watch.
Next, I want work with no benchmark to copy, where the direction has to be found before it can be designed, whether that's in commerce, games, learning or health. I'm looking for Head of Design and Design Lead roles, and I take on a few consulting projects with businesses that want to grow without losing what makes them special.
What I'm known for
Five things people bring me in for.
Design that reads the room
Luxury, slow commerce and AI that feel right, not just work right.
Systems & design ops
500+ components, a research lab, 40% faster turnaround.
Research people act on
Long conversations, sense-making with the team in the room, personas that change decisions.
Physical & digital
Industrial design training, AR try-on, events and phygital journeys.
How I lead
Clarity over hierarchy.
i.
I find the problem worth solving.
Briefs arrive as solutions. I go back to the question underneath, make the case for answering it properly, and start with research, not screens.
ii.
I grow the people around me.
I give designers problems worth their talent and the room to own them. Sales, service, product and engineering help frame the research, so the insight is shared before anyone builds.
iii.
I build for whoever comes next.
Design systems, documentation and research anyone can pick up. If the work only functions while I'm in the room, it isn't finished.
iv.
I tie design to numbers that matter.
Every project starts with what success looks like for the business and for people. When a deadline or a rebrand shifts the ground, I protect what matters and say plainly what can wait.
Kind words
Strategic thinking, empathy, and a partner teams rely on.
From the head of product I've worked with since 2019, and from mentees I've met through 144 sessions on ADPList.
She brings a level of clarity and craft that makes a real difference… She understands how to balance business goals with user needs, something that's not easy to get right at scale. She brings strategic thinking and empathy to the table, qualities that make her an invaluable partner in any product team.
Read Udit's full note
I've had the chance to work closely with her on several high-impact projects at Tata CLiQ Luxury, and she brings a level of clarity and craft that makes a real difference. As a Lead Product Designer, she understands how to balance business goals with user needs—something that's not easy to get right at scale.
From driving design systems that actually support fast, cross-functional work to mentoring designers into leadership roles, she's consistently raised the bar. Her approach isn't just about clean visuals—it's thoughtful, user-centered, and grounded in how things work in the real world. She's played a key role in shaping experiences that moved our metrics in the right direction, whether that meant improving engagement, increasing revenue streams, or launching features that felt intuitive from day one.
She brings strategic thinking and empathy to the table—qualities that make her an invaluable partner in any product team.
Aarti is a brilliant mentor. Not only did she give me valuable suggestions for my portfolio, but she was also very patient in guiding me through the mindset needed for interview answers.
She is a very wise person that I could see in 1 hour of discussion… She has holistic knowledge of product design and product manager profiles.
She is very calm and bright. She helped me realise my personal aspirations and thereafter planning the correct path for me. She is encouraging, friendly and full of ideas.
insightful patient encouraging wise constructive kind positive calm approachable mindful generous a great listener professional empathetic humble fun
- Sessions
- 144
- Hours
- 91
- Countries
- 12
India · United States · Canada · United Kingdom · Singapore · Taiwan · Indonesia · United Arab Emirates · Nigeria · Bangladesh · Pakistan · Kazakhstan
More reviews on ADPList →Off the clock
No brief. Still curious.
I like knowing how things work, so I'm always learning something new.
The path
How I got here.
- 2024 → now
Senior Product Design Manager
Tata CLiQ Luxury, Fashion & Palette · Shanghai (remote)Setting direction across three platforms at once, and leading the team hands-on across the AI shopping assistant, Bvlgari and more.
- 2021 – 2024
Lead Product Designer
Tata CLiQ Luxury & Palette · Mumbai (remote)Made research the first step, not an afterthought, and built the design system and research lab that let the whole team work that way.
- 2020 – 2021
Senior Product Designer
Tata CLiQ Luxury · Mumbai (remote)Held a remote team together through COVID. Rebuilt checkout and payments, and led the research that launched Beauty.
- 2018 – 2020
UI & UX Designer
Tata CLiQ · MumbaiThe only designer on CLiQ Luxury. When the Head of Design left, I stepped up and put the house in order.
- 2017 – 2018
UX Designer
Dwello, JM Financial · MumbaiMapped the uncertainties of buying a home and designed for each one.
- 2013 – 2017
BA Industrial Design
Symbiosis Institute of DesignAfter a grounding in science, this is where I learned to think with my hands, and started the side projects that shaped my range.
Also: Tata Bluemint Leadership Programme, London Business School (2022). Certifications in Emotional Design, Data-Driven Design, Strategic Thinking and AI Prompting.
Beyond the day job
The rest of the range.
144
Mentoring sessions
Across 12 countries on ADPList. Top 10% contributor in India, qualified for ADPList Advance, its highest mentor tier. 100% of mentees rate my communication as exceptional.
Languages I speak
- English Fluent
- Hindi Fluent
- Marathi Fluent
- Gujarati Fluent
- Mandarin Learning, HSK 2
- French Beginner
The short version.
Ready to forward to your team.