Influential Woman · UX researcher

Ankita Deshmukh

User Experience Designer, Humanitarians AI

Boston, MA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Degree Master's degree in Interaction Design from Northeastern University

Her Story

About Ankita

My journey into UX research began during my bachelor's degree in electronics and telecommunication engineering. While studying engineering, I always loved creating designs, sketching, and learning about human psychology. By my third year, I really wanted to find a field that combines all three things - something creative, something related to psychology, and something where I could apply my technical knowledge. I did some research and discovered UI/UX design. I started learning about it online through YouTube videos, then did projects on Figma, and I liked it so much that I decided to pursue post-graduation in it. After working for a year as a UI/UX intern back in India, I came to the United States to do my master's in interaction design at Northeastern. I have worked on multiple different products ranging from physical products to kiosks, mobile applications, and websites, and I'm truly grateful for that. Currently, I work as a user experience researcher at a startup where I conduct surveys and interviews with people, collect data, design products, and create prototypes. My typical day varies depending on what I'm working on - it might range from conducting interviews with people to doing user journey scenarios, creating wireframes, meeting with the team to discuss and categorize collected data, using Figma to create prototypes, testing those prototypes, and sending them to the development team.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Ankita

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

I think the best career advice I've ever received is don't be shy to ask questions or to start a conversation with someone, because that really creates good connections. I feel like once you have good connections in any field, you would have the best guidance. Things that you don't know, you can learn from other people's experience, and there are people who are really willing and want to help you. It's just that you have to go and ask them.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say start with doing your own research, start with creating your own project, and then move on to getting a degree if you like. Getting a degree is not necessary, but if you like to, you can. This field is open for anyone from any background, so don't think that it has to come from a technical background. It's open to all. Anyone who is a bit more empathetic and understands how people think and what their needs are can be a UX researcher and designer.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The challenge is, as an international student, to manage the timelines and the restrictions on finding opportunities that are suitable to my background. The opportunities that I see are learning at each step of the way and meeting new people, also learning about the products that they are making and the ideas that they have - that's the best part. I have so far worked on multiple different products, ranging from physical products to kiosks, mobile applications, and websites, and I'm truly grateful for that.

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