Data driven UX Research assists engineers and scientists in developing solutions that drive innovation, problem-solving and advanced future technologies!

Namrata Panchumarti, our next pathbreaker, works as User Experience Researcher at MathWorks (Boston), a company that develops mathematical computing software for engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and researchers. 

Namrata talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about how HCI (Human Computer Interaction), in the broader context of responsible design, can help solve problems not only in digital spaces but also extend beyond that to address more significant real-world issues.

For students, it’s okay to try 10 different things and not like anything. Each experience will guide you closer to identifying your strengths and interests.

Namrata, Your background?

I was born and raised in Hyderabad, India, and it has been my home for most of my life. With a doctor mother, a software engineer father, and the presence of my loving grandmother, my childhood was rich in diverse experiences that profoundly shaped me.

During my formative years, my father’s work took us to places around the world, providing me with the opportunity to travel and live in different countries for extended periods, exposing me to different cultures, ethnicities, and environments. On the other side, I also frequently accompanied my mother to the hospital, where I observed healthcare from a very close lens, fostering empathy from a young age. These early exposures sparked a lasting fascination with human interactions and relationships; however, it wasn’t until much later in my life that I recognized this as my strength.

At school, there was always a healthy balance between academics and extracurricular activities, fostering the development of multiple interests. However, with limited awareness of alternative successful paths, I initially chose to pursue engineering. It was only much later, through some trial and error, that I discovered the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

What did you do for graduation/post-graduation?

I did my BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering, GITAM University, Hyderabad and Master of Science ( Human-Centered Design and Engineering) from the University of Washington, Seattle

Can you talk about some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career?

Although the journey to uncovering HCI was incredibly challenging, once I found it, there was no turning back. Throughout my journey, there have been various related and unrelated experiences that have shaped me and prepared me to choose a career in HCI and UX Research specifically.

Post-starting my engineering, very early on, I knew it wasn’t a profession I was going to enjoy pursuing beyond the walls of a classroom, so I had always been in constant search to find my true passion. So, I started experimenting and exploring different areas of interest alongside my engineering studies.

With my interest in human behavior, I started my exploration with the idea of whether anthropology or psychology would be a good fit for me. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to intern with the Centre for Economic and Social Studies in Hyderabad, India—an institute that undertakes research projects sponsored by the government and international agencies. There, I spent my summer studying the relationship between students and teachers in low-income middle schools to understand why so many students dropped out. I had the chance to sit in classrooms and observe students and teachers closely. From my research, we learned that the middle school teachers were from other states, which meant they had different linguistic backgrounds from the students, creating a communication barrier. As the students lacked the ease of asking questions in their mother tongue, their academic performances suffered, along with their motivation to pursue further education. It was fascinating to discover that what appears to be a small dynamic can lead to such a significant ramification. From this experience, I learned that I enjoy studying human interactions; it’s something I could pursue. However, I missed analytical problem-solving. Nevertheless, this experience has also created an interest in me to work towards education in marginalized communities.

Over the next summer, I decided to be experimental. I wanted to try something completely new to me, something I had no prior exposure to. This decision led me to attend finance and marketing classes at the University of California, Berkeley. Although, in the end, neither were subjects that interested me in pursuing my career, the entire experience of studying there with some of the brightest minds from around the world was a turning point in my life. It was motivating to be surrounded by people who were passionate and driven in life, subconsciously setting my mind to work towards my interests in the years to come. The most significant lesson I learned from this experience was the importance of surrounding myself with the right people and putting myself in the right environment to succeed.

As I experimented with new subjects, I was also actively involved in various volunteering activities, with a significant one being my role as a member of the Hyderabad Youth Assembly—an organization that addresses various socio-economic problems. My responsibilities included creating sustainable solutions for issues related to rural primary education and women’s empowerment, in particular. These years helped me channel my knowledge to make an impact on the community around me and learn problem-solving in different contexts.

Simultaneously, while in college, I also started working at a start-up, Native Diva, with the mission of creating employment for women by connecting them to millions of people who seek custom clothing options at their doorstep. People claimed they loved the customization of clothes as they wanted to differentiate their style, but at that time, it was difficult for them, given the cost and the time involved. However, when we created an online platform that solved that very problem, we failed, as the concept of buying clothes online was relatively new and a low-trust industry in India back in 2016. Moreover, for most people, feeling the fabric as well as visualizing clothes on their bodies was significant compared to convenience back in the day. That’s when I realized an essential aspect of building any product is being able to replicate the user’s needs offline to be addressed online in order to create a user-centric product. Although the start-up failed, this led me closer to what I wanted to pursue.

Over the years, I have learned that I do not have a singular interest like most. I have always enjoyed being a Jack of all trades, learning different domains, doing various things—sometimes being creative, sometimes analytical, and sometimes just being empathetic. For the most part, people around me felt I struggled with determination and consistency to work toward a specific area of interest.

Towards the end of my college years, although I was actively searching and reading about different professions and subjects, surprisingly, it was during this time that I first heard about HCI in a conversation. When I looked it up, I finally knew where I belonged, and that’s how my career in the field of HCI began!

How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path

In 2017, when I discovered HCI, the industry was relatively new in India, with only a handful pursuing it. I honestly did not plan much on how my career would progress in the future; I was confident that it was something I would enjoy doing, and I was determined to learn what it would take to break into the field. So, I dived right into it without any formal education.

I started my career with UXReactor, a Design consulting firm based out of San Francisco and Hyderabad. I was fortunate enough to have received mentorship from Prasad Kantamneni and Satyam Kantamneni, the co-founders, to build a problem-solving mindset from a design thinking perspective. After a few months of training, I began as an interaction designer. 

As an interaction designer, my responsibilities involved crafting user experience workflows based on research on user behavior, creating wireframes, and developing low-fidelity/gray-scale prototypes that depict the interactions between users and products. After the design phase, these concepts would undergo a visual design iteration and usability testing before advancing to the actual product development phase.

However, with my interest in human behavior, I gradually transitioned into a User Experience Research role. In this position, I was responsible for conducting various types of research studies to understand user needs through direct interactions with end-users. These involved conducting interviews, observing different tasks the users perform, and sketching ideas with the user to understand their problems. I would also analyze various types of quantitative data, such as analytics on clicks and user flows, to decode their behavioral patterns. My research outcomes would range from helping inform design strategy to identifying the best designs that meet user needs.

During my three years there, I had some amazing and challenging opportunities to work with companies ranging from Fortune 500 to start-ups, and solving unique business problems through design. These years helped me build the depth and breadth of skills I would need to succeed not only as a researcher but also to develop an understanding of how businesses work and the role of design.

Most of what I was learning was on the go at work. After gaining a better understanding of User Experience Design, I wanted to take a step further and broaden my knowledge in HCI. So, I decided to pursue a master’s specializing in HCI subjects. By this point, with a clear understanding of what I wanted to learn based on past experiences, I applied to specific programs at colleges that would help me achieve those goals.

As I was preparing to start my master’s, I also wanted to experience what it was like to work in a product firm. I wanted to work on the end-to-end solution and observe how the product develops based on my research unlike a consulting firm where you go in as an expert, conduct research, report, and close the project with no connectivity to what happens next. This desire led to me working briefly for Hewlett-Packard (HP) via Mphasis.

At HP, I had the opportunity to conduct various studies, addressing questions such as the ease of use of their print subscription flow in their app, evaluation of ergonomics and usability of printer components such as buttons, and understanding how people use their large format prints to better cater to their needs. Ideally, these would be conducted in a lab where the researcher would observe how the user would use and feel as they interact with the printer. 

Post this, I started my master’s program in Human-Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington. For me, this was a truly magical place! The environment, the people, and the professors significantly shaped the way I think with experiences in and out of the classroom. As much as I enjoyed learning various new topics such as designing for Virtual Reality, Experimental Research Methods, Service Design, and Information Visualization, something that deeply resonated with me was Responsible Design. As I progress now in my career, it’s something I look to practice with deliberation — helping create Design solutions that create a positive impact and take into account the repercussions of their design.

Apart from coursework, I also tried to continue working so that I could actively apply what I was learning. This led to me interning with Intuit, where I got to work on research around their internal products i.e how their employees use their internal tools and what are their areas of inefficiencies.

For my master’s capstone (a coursework spanning over 6 months, where you work with an industry sponsor on a real-world problem), I had the opportunity to work with Johnson & Johnson MedTech. During this time, we designed a hypothetical solution by collaborating with surgeons. Our solution leveraged data to help novice surgeons improve their efficiency during robotic surgery through goal-setting, contextualized learning, and feedback. (More on this here: https://sites.google.com/uw.edu/hcde-capstone-2023/all-projects/17-scrubsmart?authuser=0)

After graduation, I began working with MathWorks as a Senior User Experience Researcher. My interest in the AI space, coupled with my background in engineering and design, motivated me to take up this role.

How did you get your first break?

My first job in User Experience happened by chance. I learned about the first company I worked at, UXReactor, from one of my mentors, and I wrote to the CEO expressing my interest. I went through several rounds of interviewing, where I was fortunate to have been judged based on my enthusiasm to learn, more than the knowledge I already had, which led to the start of my first job and the beginning of my career.

Post gaining this experience, it was relatively easier to transition to different roles in India. However, later, when I moved for my master’s to the US, I had to rebuild my credibility from the ground up. 

Looking for an internship and a job were both challenging. My only strategy was to apply early and get a referral when possible. For Intuit, I applied on LinkedIn, and went through their interview process. For MathWorks, I got a referral, and they were looking for someone with a background as mine in specific, so it matched, which helped me land an interview.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

Challenge 1: Finding what I’m passionate about.

Often, it is very challenging to identify what truly might interest you. Sometimes, a subject might seem interesting, but when you dive deeper, you might not find it as you might have expected. And sometimes, what you initially might have thought was not your area of interest might actually be the best fit for you. For a few, like me, it might take years to identify, and for a lucky few, they just know it. I think exploring related and unrelated areas helped me understand what would be a good fit for me when the opportunity came.

Challenge 2: Lack of guidance

Although my family was supportive in helping me explore and experiment, I struggled to find someone on a similar journey as mine. One thing I could have done if I were to start again was to network and connect with people pursuing different areas of interest to broaden my perspective and understanding of the possibilities, rather than jumping into things and trying things myself every time.

Challenge 3: Starting a career in design with no formal background

The first year was hauntingly challenging, to change my mindset into a design thinking mindset. In my case, I was fortunate to have mentors very early in my career who guided me at every step.

Where do you work now? 

I currently work as a Senior User Experience Researcher at MathWorks, a company that develops mathematical computing software for engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and researchers. 

I lead UX research for areas around their Experiment Manager (EM) app and functions supporting Data Science and I/O within MATLAB. 

To illustrate how Design and Research influence MathWorks’ products, consider the example of Neena, a data scientist at a car manufacturing company. Let’s assume Neena wants to explore the fuel efficiency of various car models, considering factors such as engine types, driving conditions, and maintenance practices to enhance the manufacturer’s engines.

Neena can set up a series of experiments with different combinations of input and output variables, and execute them using MATLAB’s EM. This facilitates simulations, enabling her to visualize and analyze factors affecting the fuel efficiency of different car models.

In my role as a researcher, I aim to understand Neena’s needs and behavior both within and outside the app. Inside the app, my focus is on evaluating if the workflow in the tools aligns with her approach to simulating and analyzing experiments, testing whether user interactions are intuitive, such as whether users know where to view visualizations. Outside the context of the product, I aim to explore broader user needs, interactions, and workflows based on industry, user roles, and emerging technologies, to provide insights for planning features in future releases.

Following this, technical solutions and limitations are identified in collaboration with the development team. Ideally, a designer would then be responsible for designing these interactions—the interface that users like Neena would see. After development, researchers, such as myself, run usability studies to ensure the product functions as expected before launching to larger audiences.

What is a typical day like? What are skills required for your role?

My typical day involves collaborating with the development team to understand new features for testing, creating research plans, conducting cross-collaborative UX sessions for idea generation, running various types of user research studies, sharing insights with stakeholders, and collaborating on cross-functional initiatives within the UX group.

In terms of skills, ideally, a good foundation in Design and Research, along with an understanding of engineering contexts, would be helpful to transition into a role like mine. 

However, specifically at MathWorks, there are also many folks with research backgrounds in various fields of study who have transitioned into UX research roles. For those in early careers with no HCI background, MathWorks has an Engineering Development Group (EDG) program that helps individuals explore different areas of interest such as UX, development, document writing, quality engineering on rotation, post which, few have had an opportunity to transition into UX roles.

How does your work benefit society?

In a broader context, HCI has embedded in me the approach of Design Thinking, which I believe will not only help solve problems in digital spaces but also extend beyond that to address more significant real-world issues – ultimately my goal. For example, how do we improve healthcare accessibility for patients with varying technological literacy? How can we create self-sustainable retail models for women in rural areas to generate revenue? How can we enhance the educational model to reduce student dropouts from schools?

For now, I’m excited about helping build products that will assist engineers and scientists in developing solutions to drive innovation, problem-solving, and advance future technologies. These tools have a broad range of applications, from building rockets to tracking climate change, making a positive impact on various aspects of society.

Your advice to students based on your experience?

  • If you are unsure of what you want to do, you will never know unless you dive deep and experiment. It’s okay to try 10 different things and not like anything. Each experience will guide you closer to identifying your strengths and interests.
  • Some areas of study are not conventional. College course catalogs can be very helpful in helping you understand the possibilities. Consider picking the best colleges in the world, go through their courses, make a list of all the courses that might interest you, and start reading and watching YouTube videos on them. I wish I had done this sooner.
  • Surround yourself with highly motivated individuals. Aim to put yourself in the right environment to help you learn and stay curious.
  • Network with people in different domains. Share your ideas and learn from their experiences and perspectives. I learned about Design through a conversation.
  • Once you find what you love, in the initial stages, find a job where you can have a mentor rather than a job that pays you more. It can accelerate your career by years.
  • For design, starting in consulting offers the opportunity to explore diverse industries, solve varied problems, and collaborate with different people and companies. This will expose you to a range of design and research methods quickly, in contrast to a product firm where you may work on the same problem within the same domain for extended periods at a much slower pace.
  • Be involved with society. Volunteer and contribute when you can. It humbles you and also motivates you in many ways.

Future Plans?

From a career perspective, I hope to transition into Design leadership positions in the years to come, where hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to mentor people like me as well as help companies build their Design functions.

Apart from that, as I stated earlier, I also want to do my part in creating responsible Design. Currently, AI ethics is one of my areas of interest. I’m hoping to dive deeper into this area both at work and outside work to help create more responsible and reliable AI algorithms and interactions.

My eventual end goal is to leverage all my learnings and apply my Design and Research knowledge to solve real-world problems, especially in the areas of education, healthcare, and women empowerment in marginalized communities.