Her Story
About Sushree
My career journey has taken me through diverse fields before landing in UI UX design. I started with architecture, which gave me early exposure to understanding users and becoming their advocate - a principle that guides my work today. While practicing architecture, I discovered my skills in graphic and visual communication and worked for a branding company back in India, doing some UI UX work as well. I then moved into coaching and design education, spending almost 5 years as a teacher and mentor while simultaneously freelancing in UI UX. During that time, I also worked on editorials and syllabus development, along with product work on websites and research projects. I even worked on conservation projects with the Public Welfare Department (PWD) in India. After coming to the US, I completed my master's at NYIT in one year, then worked as a graduate assistant on voice user interface (VUI) projects, which sparked my interest in chatbots and AI. Following an internship at a startup, I landed my current role as a UI UX designer, where I have been working for 2 years with Deloitte as my end client throughApolis. In my current position, I do not just design - I work on strategy, deal with the business side, and focus on what aligns with the user, coming up with products and strategizing plans. My philosophy is simple: as a designer, you have to leave your ego outside and listen to people to understand their problems and find the best solutions. I am bridging users with technology, carrying forward the advocacy role I learned in architecture.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sushree
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the value of leaving your ego outside when you are a designer. You are not thinking for yourself - you are thinking for what works best for the one who would be using that product or technology. I want to listen to people, I want to listen to their problems, and I want to know what is the best solution. That comes from the idea that it is not for me. I have to leave my ego aside, and I have to listen to the people. That value helps me out in everything I do.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is that it is always about the leadership. It is not the company, it is not even the team or anything, but what really matters is leadership. I learned this from being a mentor and being a coach - when someone above you is there for you, that is what makes the difference. Talent and everything is there, but you need great, good leadership. That is what matters at the end.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women that it is never too late to learn. I did my master's really late in time - I feel I could have done it early, but when I did it, I realized that it is never too late. So, whenever you are, and wherever you are in your career, if you want to learn something, just learn. Just go for it. Do not think about the fact that now you are working, so you do not need to learn. Learning is important, no matter where you are in your journey.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say one of the biggest challenges is that tech is always changing and emerging. Understanding user behavior and not having biases is also challenging, because we are human after all, and you have to take that role and understand people. The emerging tech means you have to keep learning so that you understand the industry well. Apart from that, I feel there has to be more collaboration - more ideas, more hackathons. You have to have people coming all together to support each other. I think that is something which can be worked on as well.
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