I’m currently leading global design as Director of Design and Research across Pocket FM’s diverse product portfolio, including audio, novels, comics, and TV. Before this, I was at Meta in London, focusing on several key initiatives around Meta’s Workplace product, future-of-work and AR design system explorations.
My design journey began in 2011 as a self-taught designer, initially crafting UI experiences for clients in Canada and the US. Over the years, my curiosity drove me into broader creative territories, including identity design, graphic design, illustration, lettering, packaging, signage, editorial and book design.
While I pursued formal design education later, my foundational growth came largely from practical, hands-on experiences. This included helping a friend set up a design studio, collaborating with engineers at IIT Delhi, and tackling unique design challenges around digital adoption in India’s tier-three cities. Later, at Paytm, I contributed to India’s transformative journey towards digital payments. Subsequently, at Headout, I spearheaded a major rebrand and redesign of the core user experience, crafting a vision that resonated globally as part of the India to the world approach.
Typography has been the consistent thread throughout my career, becoming a central area of expertise. This passion led me to pursue a Master’s in Typeface Design at the University of Reading. Combining this typographic expertise with my enthusiasm for emerging technology, I began exploring AR and VR in 2017. This ongoing research evolved into creating XR typography guidelines, recognised industry-wide, and ultimately culminated in designing the first type family specifically optimised for augmented reality headsets.
Today, my work continues to blend thoughtful design, rigorous research and innovative technology, creating experiences that are both deeply human and forward-looking.
//Education
Master of Arts, Typeface Design
University of Reading, United Kingdom
Bachelor of Design, Communication
National Institute of Fashion Technology (New Delhi), India
Media// Publications
//Featured in
Proto-typography: how type is dictated by the surface it’s written on
by Harry Bennet
It’s Nice That
The era of spatial typography is here
by Hunter Schwarz
Fastcompany
Typography in Augmented Reality
The Hard Copy
Typography classification in Augmented Reality
UX Collective
Are we ditching keypads for good in AR/VR?
UX Collective
UX Collective
The current state of the text in Augmented Reality
AR/VR Journey
UX Collective
Understanding display techniques in Augmented Reality
Prototypr
Preparing for the better typography in Augmented Reality
UX Collective
//Published in
Designing Immersive 3D Experiences: A Designer’s Guide to Creating Realistic 3D Experiences for Extended Reality
by Renee Stevens
ISBN: 9780137282838
Pearson Education (US)
Page Magazine (Germany)
May 2021
Page Verlag
YOU’RE INVITED!
ISBN: 978-3-89955-920-0
Gestalten
Fashion Packaging Now
Edited by Chris Huang
ISBN: 9781864706802
Images Publishing
Early journey
I was born in Dehradun, India, in 1992. From an early age, I gravitated towards co-curricular activities, driven by a keen curiosity about how things worked beyond typical classroom studies. I actively represented my school in quizzes, art competitions, and science exhibitions.
Growing up in a small town with limited career exposure, I initially pursued mechanical engineering after completing school. However, upon discovering design as a professional path, I decided to follow my passion and shifted my trajectory. During this transitional period, in 2011, I established myself as a self-taught UI designer, working on projects for clients in Canada and the US.
In 2012, I joined the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, to broaden my understanding of design across new domains. Choosing NIFT, primarily known as a fashion school, over conventional design institutions was intentional; it allowed me to study in India’s vibrant capital city, engage directly with established studios and high-profile clients, and secure a bachelor’s degree, an essential step my plan to pursue international research opportunities later in my career.
My time at NIFT was markedly different from typical college experiences, as I simultaneously managed major freelance projects. By my second year, I balanced two demanding roles alongside my coursework: working as a design consultant at Inchwork design studio and as a UI designer for the startup FormZero.
My schedule was packed: college from 9 AM to 2 PM, the studio from 2 PM to 5 PM, and the startup from 5 PM to 9 PM. This intense period taught me invaluable skills in time management, multitasking, and efficient project handling, often traveling between cities to manage client engagements.
My internship at 2×4 Inc. in Beijing profoundly impacted my professional growth, inspiring influential projects like #IndiaThroughType and Finding Design. More importantly, my experience in China deepened my understanding of cross-cultural design, significantly influencing my approach to creating meaningful user experiences. These insights became pivotal in my subsequent work at Paytm.
Throughout my career, I’ve embraced diverse design projects spanning UI design, user experience, branding, packaging, editorial layouts, and signage systems. Typography consistently emerged as the connecting thread across these varied disciplines, motivating me to further specialise. This led me to pursue advanced study at the prestigious Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading, UK, renowned globally for its typography expertise. There, I embarked on pioneering research into typography tailored specifically for augmented reality interfaces.