Leadership Insights Chapter 3: Megha Kumari, Director Of Design, GeekyAnts
Megha is not just the Director of Design but also one of the visionaries who founded GeekyAnts. She plays an active role in the pioneering app development organisation where she heads a team of designers who have come up with some distinctive UI/UX designs. As a tenured designer, she has contributed to the success of GeekyAnts both through her technical expertise as well as her managerial skills.
In this conversation with Megha, we witness her growth as a designer right from how she delved into the design realm and how she has progressed along the years to her current standing where she heads a team of 10+ designers.
The following Q&A has been edited to deliver ease of understanding and clarity.
1. Shed some light on your journey as a founder of GeekyAnts.
2011 was when we started out with this venture and since then, our vision has always developed around the central idea of assembling top-notch and innovative products, regardless of the end-user. As the only female founder of the company, it really did come across as daunting as it may seem and I was solely responsible for UI/UX implementations of web apps. What did really help me in my journey was the constant support of my fellow co-founder and partner, Sanket, who patiently walked me through the world of designs and how an eye-to-detail really pays off, ensuring that every outcome is tasteful and user-friendly. That was only the beginning and now the design team at GeekyAnts is a fellowship of 10+ UI & UX planners who are visionaries in their own standing.
2. How did you get introduced to the world of Design, UI & UX? What kept you there?
My interest in creative design was piqued as a youngster and that is where my endeavour started. Later on, while studying a certification course at Arena Multimedia, I studied the various facets of web design and development, learning new concepts and honing my skills to prepare me for my journey in the field. My never ending creative passion and my love for design has led me to constantly build and innovate resulting in unique UI and UX designs over the years, and it is the same passion that drives me everyday.
3. The designs created by GeekyAnts have been revered by people in the past and they continue to do so. What is your philosophy behind great UI/UX?
To conceptualise a great design, it is important to understand the core idea behind the product. We can do this by determining two important things: the problem and the intended audience. By understanding these two factors, we can derive a fair idea of this product and customise it for the target market. Apart from this, it is also important to have a deep understanding of design, knowledge of the latest UI/UX trends and a creative flair. I also think that it is important for designers to have a natural eye for aesthetics and the adaptability to create a product that is truly user-friendly.
4. You lead a team of multiple designers @ GeekyAnts. How do you keep the creativity flowing between them?
Innovation is the key to design and I feel that, as a team, it is important for us to collaborate, brainstorm and have healthy discussions, wherein we exchange ideas about the newest trends. As a community, GeekyAnts provides an open platform where all ideas are welcome and this has helped to constantly build and improve our skills and ideas. Luckily, we have been blessed with a team that is as passionate about design as I am. We follow a linear work arrangement where designers have their work reviewed and ideas are collaborated in order to come up with a unique design.
5. Building UI/UX is an art form and is subjected to a lot of discussions and creative disagreements. What is your approach towards keeping everyone on the same page?
Very true. Creative disagreements arise due to all of us having different perspectives, and such differences in the way we think about design are always welcome at GeekyAnts, as they help us understand our users in terms of their interests, needs and behaviours. Research about the product helps us make better decisions, as there are always stories behind designs created, which in themselves originate from there being different opinions about projects and thereafter, making mutual decisions depending on stakeholder interests, interviewing different users to understand their needs and providing aggregated solutions to them using colour psychology based on the type of products that we build. So, on the whole, I’d say that it’s a set of UX phases that help us implement designs which eventually satisfy our customers.
6. What does the future hold for the Design Department at GeekyAnts?
In a fast changing world, where new digital trends are replacing the old at a moment’s notice, I feel it is important to keep up and ensure that we are learning and adapting incessantly. At GeekyAnts, we promote an atmosphere that is receptive to new ideas. We constantly research the newest design trends and are in touch with all the top-of-the-line design systems. Our creative ways of thinking and solving design problems have helped in bringing out state of the art designs in the past and will continue to do so.
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