Apoorva is a Brooklyn-based neuro-divergent experimental researcher working on grassroots innovation, bridging the mismatches in people’s capabilities and the environment/product/platform they interact with. She has professional experience as a UX researcher and Accessibility SME, for clients like IBM, TSB, and MetLife. She has a B.Des in Human Centered Design(HCD) and an MPS in Interactive Telecommunications(NYU ITP) and, has gained badges and led workshops and trainings in Accessibility and Corporate Design Thinking Frameworks. ITP led her to ‘experimental research’, A research design practice that involves ‘making’ as rapid and iterative low-scale prototyping’ to collect, test, and synthesize information for actionable insights.
Contact for collaboration and coffee chats (or chai) at-
Email · Resume · LinkedIn · Google Scholar · GitHub
Skills /
Research
UX Research, Unmoderated and Moderated Usability Studies, Qualitative Research, Surveys, Diary Studies, Field Studies, Interviews, A/B Tests, Tree tests, Card Sorting, Click Tests, Qualitative Research, Literature study, Research Synthesis, Quantitative Research and Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Research Protocol, Survey Design
Design
UX Design, UX Strategy, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Service Design, Accessibility, Prototyping, Heuristic Evaluation, UX Evaluation, Journeys, Affinity Maps, Rapid Iterations and Testing, Feasibility Prototypes, Low-fidelity and High-fidelity Wireframes. Mock-ups, Storyboard
Tools
Figma, Framer, Sketch, XD, Illustrator, Photoshop, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, R, XMind, UserTesting, UserZoom, Stark, Wave, Axe, IBM accessibility, VoiceOver
Soft skills
Cross functional collaboration, Mentoring, Facilitations and Sprints, Design and Accessibility Training, Workshop facilitation, Presenting Insights
Blog /
A little back story
I was born in New Delhi, raised in Mumbai, attended university and worked in Bangalore, and currently based in NYC. My parents come from the small towns of Jamshedpur and Trichy in India.
I used to travel 4 hours back and forth in the city of Mumbai for my dance training. I passed through tiny houses to billionaires’ properties and wondered why some had to cook on the streets, whereas others had an in-house chef. I saw people buying plastic bottles on the train, while I saw the only river in Mumbai filled with bottles and bags. Every time I wish something around me were different, my mind immediately starts plotting every observation and planning possible frugal or expansive solutions.
Coming Into a Designer
For the longest time, I wondered how the ideas in my journal could make real-world impacts. The first time I observed confidence in my ability to change the world was at 16 when I started my own social organisation, Dance2Konnect. We ran with the motto of ‘spreading smiles and connecting with the underprivileged of society through the medium of dance.’ I have always thought of social good as one’s moral responsibility as a community citizen, but I was naive to assume one’s privilege and disadvantage. I needed a place to shape these thoughts, which I finally got when I later joined the undergraduate school.
I have a bachelor’s in B.Des Human Centered Design from Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology and an MPS master’s in Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU.
Panic Disorder and Chronic Pain
I was 19 when I was diagnosed with a panic disorder, but I’ve lived with it my whole life. Where I grew up, there weren’t (still largely aren’t) any social systems set up in schools or outside to diagnose and help children with mental disorders, until they grow up and try to find answers themselves(if they’re lucky). My panic disorder causes temporary mobility impairment in my limbs, and that gets me stuck in all sorts of places, such as sidewalks, cafes, buses. I had no way to call for help or help myself other than wait for 2 hours to regain my strength or have someone call for me. Voice interactions changed everything for me, and saved me in many instances.
I live with chronic pain due to endometriosis. Unsurprisingly, this is also under-diagnosed and it took 16 years to finally get a diagnoses the reassurance for the pain.
My Practice
We have definitely utilised the power of data to predict and even proactively trigger one’s actions. Unfortunately, subjectivity is seen as unpredictability in today’s data-driven world and even discarded as an outlier in a generic system. But we are surrounded by subjectivity. For example, should one take the same route to travel to the hospital vs. the park beside it? If individuals have unique identities, isn't expecting identical behavior patterns not humane but robotic? I aim to expand from generalising experiences and embrace the subjective, empirical, and qualitative aspects of decision making, human-human connections and experiences.
I am focused on the humane-centered development of technology and society by humanising technology and not mechanising humans. At the same time, I believe, design can’t progress unilaterally among people who can access and afford it. Design can make lives easier, and I want to ensure design is not discriminatory. I intend to use design to bring a tangible change towards the social uplifting of the underprivileged: elderly, disabled, children, women, and ones from poor communities by surfacing unheard voices and bridging divides.