System Design and User Research Projects


Peregrine LogoPeregrine: Social walking through interest matching

Aim: To develop a social walking system with web and phone components.

We developed a social walking system that uses blind-yet-intelligent matching for walking groups, walking paths, and destinations, taking the interests of the involved walkers into account- thereby creating small, local, communal adventures. The goal was to utilize the knowledge of frequent walkers to motivate the other segment. An iPhone application was delivered.


CraftsmanConceptualization of an Instant Craft Transaction network using Mobile Technology

Aim: To link remote craftsmen directly to the market.

After understanding the present business cycle of craft items, a system which takes care of the profit made by underpaid (in the existing system) craftsmen was proposed. The system was designed considering the literacy and remote habitat of the user. Field testing of the prototype was also conducted.


Mobile AdMobile as a Futuristic Advertising Medium in India

Aim: To explore the potential of mobile advertising in India.

After analyzing the present advertising scenario and mobile reach in India, a new mobile advertising system was developed that will be profitable and effective for new market investors. Small screen advertisements for 28 companies were developed along with heuristics for the small screen advertisements.


Smart WardrobeSystem Design of a Futuristic Wardrobe

Aim: To conceptualize, design and prototype a smart wardrobe.

Through this project, aim was to understand the practical application of System Design. We tried to get insights into retail clothes shopping and working of retail cloth shops. We tried to make the garment shopping more interactive & responsive. We came up with a concept of a wardrobe that was smart enough to suggest its user which dress to wear, when and how he/she will look in it.


Logos of various franchisesRecommender System for Franchise Business

Aim: Recommending Franchises to the client on the basis of his available resources.

As the human life is quickly shifting towards the virtual side of the world, it has become important to assess and utilize the reputation system in virtual world. The reputation could be of any specific user on any social network site or on an ecommerce website. A detailed report describing the design, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the system (including potential attacks), and explaining the design choices that were made was submitted.


Job SearchReputation System for the job portals

Aim: To design a reputation system to be used by the third party job portal for other job portals.

As a final assignment for our course SI 683, we were supposed to develop a reputation system for a specific domain. A detailed report describing the design, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the system (including potential attacks), and explaining the design choices that were made was submitted.


Ozone House LogoAnalyzing and streamlining acknowledgement process at Ozone House

Aim: To reduce the turn around time of ‘Thank you’ letter from 15 days to 5-7 days.

Ozone House is a nonprofit agency that provides shelter and counseling for local, high-risk youth and their families. To streamline in-house communication and Information flows to expedite the process of sending acknowledgment letters to Donors. Currently, the process by which these letters are generated takes around fifteen days; Ozone would like to reduce the time to five days or less.

User eXperience and User Interaction Design projects

Fair Isaac LogoUser Experience Engineer at FICO (formerly Fair Isaac)

Aim: To excel Fair Isaac Product's Usability and User Experience.

As Usability founder at India location, assisted in compilation of UI patterns library, UI specifications and usability heuristics for a new product development. I worked for the redesign of an Application Suite, which brings all major Fair Isaac legacy products under a common architecture and common look and feel.


Old lady on mobileOlder adults’ user experiences with mobile phones

Aim: To develop guidelines for GUI of mobile screen for geriatric users.

This research addressed how older adults interact with mobile phones in their everyday lives and how mobile phones could be designed to best meet their needs. Two studies were conducted using a mixed-research method to identify representative user clusters and to understand user experiences. An application was developed based on the findings.


foresee results logoUsability Evaluation of client portal of B2B Technology Company

Aim: To evaluate the usability, usefulness, and acceptability of the system.

The company helps its clients measure and improve online customer satisfaction. Clients access this analysis and the quantitative and qualitative survey data through this portal. As the primary data communication source, this portal must be easily navigable and present relevant information to clients in an effective, usable manner. Our task was to analyze the various aspects of this system using different evaluation methods.


accessibility logoDeveloping Accessible Website for Ann Arbor Center for independent Living (AACIL)

Aim: Redesign the old website of AACIL using CMS to make it accessible.

The AACIL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the success of children, youth and adults with disabilities at home, at school, at work and in the community. So it is very important that the target audience of the organization should be able to access all the information without any hindrance. A team of web accessibility expert, developer, and designer were made to redesign the present HTML & CSS based website in 4 months.


World of MapsDatabase Optmimization and design of UI for Smithsonian NMNH

Aim: To develop a web interface for the 'World of Map' project and reduce the time of search query.

There are over 30, 000 maps in various research Departments of the National Museum of Natural History dating from the 1830s to the present. A project has been underway to organize the maps, create images of them and enter data about them into a database. This project, 'World of Maps', was going to be made public by May, 2010. So a web interface was required that would meet the template requirements of the Smithsonian UI patterns. Along with the interface, it was important to optimize the database entries and reduce the search query time considerably.


UE-Management websiteDeveloping, Testing and analyzing an accessible website

Aim: To develop an accessible web portal for UE-Management.

Collaborated with consultants on the concepts of Web Accessibility, Validation, Visual Architecture and Implementation, which involved user testing, prototyping, data management and Brand-analysis. Project achieved AAA conformation from W3C


Retail showUser Experience impacting the Retail Revolution in India

Aim: To analyze role of retail design in this revolution.

Developed case studies of some major market players like Reliance, Planet M, Amul. The design strategies that were being offered by them with respect to experience and services were analyzed and compared. An important aspect of retail i.e. rural retail was also focused.


Xerox MachineDesigning control panel for Xerox machine

Aim: To design, build and test digital UI of a photocopier machine.

After analyzing the current interface of a photo copier machine, we incorporated a linear design methodology of design-build-test. As it was a touch interface, it was important to understand constrains and requirements of our target user. Personas and Scenarios were created for testing our concepts.


Papers and Presentations

Messenger logosResearch paper titled‘Evaluating Interface of website for east and west’ in Indo-Danish Research Symposium, May 2006.

Aim: To understand the cross cultural issues in GUI.

In this paper we presented various factors and features of website, software and operating system interfaces that make them well-suited to the users belonging primarily to eastern (Indian Subcontinent) and western culture (Europe & US) have been studied.


Navigation PatternsComparing navigation pattern prevalent in Asian Countries

Aim: To understand the cultural impact on user interaction.

It started with analyzing the primary and secondary factors that forms an important aspect of site navigation. To make this study more focused, only sites offering free email service to their users were evaluated. The study evolved some important issues like navigation style, menu pattern, and color palette and task flow.


Communication StructureCommunication Structure in a Group

Aim: To understand the psychology of an individual in a group.

We used sociometric methods to find out the structure and conducted personal interviews to plot the effective links between all the members. It was important to find out who communicates with whom officially and unofficially in a group. Channel of communication in a group often reflects its structure.


Communication Design Work

Mapple ConnectGraphic Design and Communication Design

My interest in graphics design always motivated me to work in this field. As a designer and coordinator for my college newsletter, website and magazines, I did a lot of work in this field. I worked freelance for companies to conceptualize their brand identity.


Product Design Work

Headlight for DipbahanDeveloping prototypes, dealing with materials and processes.

To improve my prototyping skills, I enthusiastically worked on some product design projects. I applied Ergonomics/Human Factors in real life products to make them more usable. I have showcased some of my products like lamp, corn removal tool, redesigned table and headlight for a cycle rickshaw.