about me
I'm interested in the weird little systems people build to survive their lives - workflows, playlists, food maps, group chats, rituals, shortcuts, dashboards, and forms that absolutely should not exist.
01 · who i am
So, who is Dhwani?
Professionally
A UX researcher and designer who likes messy, operational problems. Right now that means leading end-to-end UX projects at the University of Michigan's Division of Public Safety & Security—everything from intelligence platforms to fleet systems.
Academically
Master's in UX Research & Design at the University of Michigan School of Information. Before that: a psychology degree at Michigan State, finished in three years, with eye-tracking research on high-stakes decision-making along the way.
Personally
Singing, campus events, celebrating every festival from home, and planning trips with too many museum stops. Community-oriented to the core—I like making people feel seen.
02 · how i work
Four things I bring to every project.
01
Psychology first
I design from how people actually think and decide, not how we wish they did. The psych degree wasn't a detour—it's the foundation.
02
Workflow before interface
The biggest design decisions happen before any screen exists—in how work, information, and responsibility move through an organization.
03
Honest tradeoffs
Every decision costs something. I'd rather name the tradeoff out loud than pretend there isn't one.
04
Prototype early
A working prototype in front of a real user beats a perfect deck. I build fast so honest feedback arrives early.
03 · the lore
The lore.
BANGALORE — origin file
Learned that context is everything.
MSU PSYCHOLOGY — behavior lab
Got obsessed with the gap between what people say, what they do, and what systems make possible.
COMMUNITY + HR ROLES — people systems
Learned that people problems are usually design problems wearing a cardigan.
UMSI — current build
Turning psychology, research, and product thinking into actual interfaces.
DPSS TECH OPS — field notes
Realized I love messy, high-pressure workflows where "just make it pretty" is not a strategy.
04 · strong opinions
Things I have strong opinions about.
EXHIBIT A
Tiny gray text is not a personality.
EXHIBIT B
"Intuitive" means nothing unless someone tested it.
EXHIBIT C
Chai is a valid research method.
EXHIBIT D
Internal tools deserve good design too.
EXHIBIT E
Cute things should still be functional.
EXHIBIT F
A good empty state can save someone's whole mood.
EXHIBIT G
A playlist order is information architecture.
EXHIBIT H
If the user has to guess the system's logic, the system is being rude.
05 · off the clock
Outside the Figma file.
DJ-ish Mode
Currently in the "Spotify playlists as preparation" era.
Vegetarian Food Investigator
Will find the good vegetarian option. This is a public service.
Microinteraction Goblin
Notices hover states, loading screens, and the exact animation that makes something feel expensive.
Cute Robot Defender
Mascots are only acceptable if they do real work.
International Student Lens
Deeply aware that institutions are giant UX tests with paperwork.
Chaos-to-Structure Reflex
Give me messy notes and contradictory opinions. I will produce a framework against everyone's will.
Okay, but where am I from? + where have I been
A normal bio felt boring. So here’s a map. Guess the places that made some version of me; every right answer unlocks the actual story.
A city known for gardens, traffic, technology—and apparently me.
06 · how my brain runs
Personal operating system.
INPUTS
Messy notes, interviews, screenshots, rituals, group chats, broken workflows, weird user behavior.
PROCESSING
Psychology, pattern recognition, IA, prototyping, spicy opinions, "wait this makes no sense" energy.
OUTPUTS
Systems maps, sharper questions, clean workflows, prototypes, tiny interactions, useful chaos.
ERROR STATE
"Can you just make it prettier?"
07 · if you're hiring
What I'm looking for
UX research and design roles where the problems are messy and operational—I do my best work turning fragmented workflows into systems people actually adopt.