Strategic, Human-Centered Designer

ananya.

Strategic, Human-Centered Designer

Ananya Profile

Hi, I'm Ananya — a strategic, human-centered designer with 3+ years of experience designing brand and product experiences that align people, systems, and purpose.

At Parsons School of Design, I’m currently pursuing a Master’s in Strategic Design Management while working across Design Research, Product, User Experience, brand, and communication with strategy at the core.

Explore Projects

I design strategic experiences that turn complexity into clarity; aligning people, products, and purpose.

by

uncovering insights and shaping systems that balance user needs with business goals

and

building narratives, brands, and products that scale with intention.

MY DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

"We don't need designers who make more stuff — we need designers who can make new worlds that are just, kind, and equitable."

— Echoing the thoughts of John Thackara

I believe design is not just a tool for building — it's a way of seeing, questioning, and realigning. To design well, one must see the world clearly and align thought, word, and action with care.

That is the kind of work I strive to do: not additive, but transformative.

EXPERTISE

🧠 Strategy & Leadership

  • Strategic Brand Positioning
  • Project Management
  • Team Leadership
  • Financial & Sustainability Reporting & Analysis

🧠 Design & Systems Thinking

  • Design Thinking
  • Design for Sustainability
  • Market Research
  • Creative Problem Solving

💬 Communication & Facilitation

  • Storytelling & Narrative Building
  • Presentation Skills
  • Client Communication & Relations
  • Time Management

TECHNICAL SKILLS

🎨 Design & Creative Tools

  • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
  • Figma
  • Framer
  • Webflow (HTML, CSS Layout, CMS) & Wordpress (CMS)
  • Mailchimp (Email Marketing)

👆 UX, Prototyping & Systems

  • Wireframing & Interaction Design
  • Micro-interactions & Motion
  • Prototyping (Framer/Webflow)
  • Responsive Web Design

💎 AI & Emerging Tech

  • AI Prompt Engineering
  • Generative AI Software (Midjourney, DALL·E, Runway ML, Relume.)
  • GPT-based ideation and research workflows

💻 Strategy & Workflow Tools

  • Notion
  • Miro, Figjam & Mural
  • Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
  • Google Workspace
  • Trello & Slack

💡 Specialized Skills

  • Brand Design & Visual Identity Systems
  • Web Design & No-Code Development
  • Design Systems & Component Libraries
  • Presentation Design & Storytelling

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

rotman

Rotman Design Challenge

A Business Design Case Competition

Hosted by the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

1st Place : Team Northstar

Team Lead Ananya Harshini

Team Members: Alana Rhodin, Yash Sonwaney, Youngjun Shin, Meenu Jain

Duration: January 2025 – March 2025

Our team tackled a real-world business problem posed by Intact Insurance using a human-centered design approach, blending strategy, innovation, and empathy to deliver a solution grounded in user needs and business impact.

un

Represented School of International Affairs, The New School at The United Nations of Academic Impact

Team Members: Ananya Harshini, Asharkana Muralkar, Medha Dhoundiyal, Sukanya Pasi

Faculty Supervisors: Prof. Mark Johnson, Prof. Peter Hoffman

Duration: January 2025 – May 2025

To implement measurable SDG framework to achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goal.

vobble

Represented the Next Generation Kids AI Audio Player of Vobble at The New York Toy Fair in March 2025

Managed Logistics and Operations with Vobble Team in India & represented the brand with Co-Founder Sowmya Jagannath and my peers Ritu Pant & Avantika Kulkarni with the guidance of Co-Founder Neha Sharma & Head of Marketing Arpit Sharma.

CERTIFICATIONS

1

Impact Entrepreneurship

Parsons Graduate Minor (14months) (Ongoing)

2

AI x Design Thinking

IDEOU View Credentials

3

Understanding Organisational Strategy and Capabilities

MIT xPRO View Credentials

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Journey over the years

August 2024- Ongoing

Parsons Logo

Enrolled in Masters of Science, Strategic Design Management (STEM Integrated)

Pursuing my MS in Strategic Design & Management at Parsons (4.0 GPA), I apply systems thinking to real organizational challenges, bridging research, strategy, and execution

I've served as a Research Assistant to Prof. John Payne and currently a MS-SDM Student Assistant + Representative, I’ve designed and led alumni and industry talks that increased program engagement by 98% in the last 5 months. I also drive marketing and outreach for the Creative Consulting Club collaborations and founded the Parsons Badminton Club, securing $7K in funding and growing it into a 70+ member, lean, student-led community.

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January - July 2024

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Full Time Brand Designer

Vobble has been a sacred part of my journey, a place where I found mentors, a supportive culture, and an energy that kept me inspired every day. I redesigned their website (3× increase in conversions), crafted campaigns for Toy’s R Us and Shark Tank, and supported their U.S. launch by aligning with all stakeholders across logistics, creative execution, and brand storytelling at the New York Toy Fair.

Vobble Logo

May - December 2023

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Setting up a Sustainable Organic E-Local Platform for a Business

At Briclay, I helped redefine the service model of a local vendor e-commerce platform by blending business strategy with UX. I formed and led the design team, collaborated on product development, and played a pivotal role in setting up the business and marketing foundation for the next term from digital platforms to vendor storytelling and brand communications.

BricLay Logo

June 2023

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Graduated — B.Des, Business Service & System Design

While internships gave me real-world exposure, school offered a space to turn theory into practice. In my final year, I worked on two client-led community projects that merged visual storytelling with business service design sharpening my ability to design with both empathy and systems in mind.

At every step, I was fortunate to find mentors across classrooms and studios who continue to shape my thinking and being a part of my journey (till date).

Manipal Logo

January - October 2022 (10 Months)

Half Eaten Donut Logo

Marketing and Visual Communication Design Internship

A pivotal summer internship where I managed social media calendar designs and campaigns for 5 FMCG brands, including Tipplr, Lulu Mall, and Lil' Goodness. It sharpened my skills in marketing, design tools, content strategy, moodboarding and storytelling across platforms all while collaborating in a fast-paced agency setup.

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February 2020-22

Tipplr Logo

Part-time

I joined as a design intern and grew into a hybrid role spanning client servicing, UI design, brand decks, and event collateral. Helped deliver 10+ web and branding projects laying the foundation for how I navigate client relationships and cross-functional teams today.

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AS OF TODAY...

I am researching about how AI tools have disrupted the hiring markets for my capstone, actively brining in industry talks for exposure and seeking for internship opportunities to collaborate on designing meaningful systems+products to solve complex problems and create real value while learning through the process.

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS FOR TALKS + COMMUNITY GROWTH

Sourced partners and alumni to produce high-value career events, authored reflection blogs, and ship weekly careers newsletter that consistently filled rooms and sparked discussion across the program.

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Partnership 4

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Talks Delivered

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Newsletter open rate

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Increase in Traction

WHEN I'M NOT DESIGNING...

by the way, amidst all of these a walk by the waterfront with my playlist is always the best during sunrise & sunsets :)

Surfing
Badminton
Pickleball
Communities
Reading

Note: Almost all images are from Pinterest, but I love surfing, playing badminton and pickleball, exploring local communities and the countryside, and reading a book on a rainy day with a cup of coffee.

Thank You for visiting!

Please contact me if you'd like to share feedback, explore internship opportunities or just want to talk design futures. Always happy to connect.

© 2025 Ananya