Design can be used as an effective tool by organizations to bridge the gap between strategic vision and execution !
Ruhi Dholakia, our next pathbreaker, Chief of Staff at Wipro, as part of their Industry Cloud and Digital Practice, helps with strategic initiatives, team coordination, and cross-functional collaboration.
Ruhi talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about the impact of design based thinking and approaches not just on business outcomes but also on global issues like sustainability and climate change.
For students, follow your curiosity. Focus on developing skills you enjoy using and find roles that align with your values.
Ruhi, Can you share your background with our young readers?
I grew up in Kochi, in a family that runs a tea export business. I wasn’t initially interested in the family business, but now I find it fascinating. In high school, I focused on science subjects – Physics, Math, Biology, and Chemistry but I also loved extracurricular activities like swimming, dancing, painting, drawing, recitation, and organizing events. I was a national-level swimmer, which taught me discipline and perseverance from an early age.
What did you do for graduation/ post-graduation?
I completed my bachelor’s in UX Design from Symbiosis Institute of Design in Pune. Later, I pursued a dual degree in the US, earning a Master’s in Design and an MBA from Illinois Tech referred to as the Institute of Design (ID) at the Illinois Institute of Technology, focusing on Service Design and Innovation.
What were some of the influences that led you to a career in Service Design?
I was drawn to UX and Service Design because it blends creativity with problem-solving. During my undergraduate studies, I realized design isn’t just about making things look good—it’s about understanding people and their needs. My mentors and professors encouraged me to explore research and strategy, which made me passionate about designing meaningful experiences. Service design felt like the perfect fit because it allows me to improve experiences for both customers and employees.
Tell us about your career path
My career path has been a mix of curiosity, learning, and networking. I did many internships from the Kochi Biennale, PeepalDesign, Philips, Bajaj Finserv Health – all of them as a UX designer.
At the Kochi Biennale, I worked as a graphic design intern. Here I helped the team create ID cards for a wide range of stakeholders like students, artists and support staff, I also designed venue banners and artist proposals.
At PeepalDesign, I was a UX research intern. I worked on a project where the client was an e-commerce giant. They had a sale ongoing and our job was to figure out if their mobile app made people buy their products or not. We did this by conducting over 25 interviews with people who used the app regularly. The set up was cool – one way mirror between the interview room and the notes room. We used eye-tracking tools to see what the user looked at first and for how long. These insights were shared with the client so that they could make changes on their app to increase sales.
At Philips, I was a UX design intern. I designed an epilepsy management desktop app from scratch. I began by reading research papers and conducting interviews with Neurologists, patients with epilepsy and primary care givers. Once I had insights on what problem I was trying to solve, I started making ideas on what the solution could be. I created sketches, wireframes, designed the style guide (meaning the fonts and colours to use, icon styles, etc). I designed the final user interface (UI) that someone could actually use on Figma. At the end, I tested the app with neurologists to see what was not working and made some changes.
At InfoEdge I worked as a Product Designer. Here I created designs for a job-seeking portal for the blue-grey collar sector. I would conduct interviews with job seekers and recruiters to understand their pain points. Based on insights I gained from research and metrics from the product team, I would build user interface designs on Figma. I also worked alongside the engineering team to implement the designs. This was very fulfilling as the work I was doing really helped people find a job during Covid.
All these experiences helped me understand things I didn’t enjoy doing. After working at InfoEdge, I realized I loved understanding the bigger picture and influencing decisions, which led me to pursue a dual master’s in design and MBA. 2 degrees in 2 years – one in design, the other in business from separate schools at Illinois Tech. I chose this because from the Master of Design, I wanted to unlock design’s true potential – not just making everything look better – but using it for everything so that it could be leveraged as competitive advantage for a business. The MBA helped me speak the same language as business leaders in order to start bridging the gap.
During my master’s I got the chance to work as a service designer for ID Academy, the educational arm of ID. Here we conducted workshops for clients to help them use design thinking at their jobs. For this I worked on improving the whole experience from when we first spoke to the client and understanding their needs, to conducting the workshops and payment schedules. It was so much fun! We used big charts and lots of sticky notes.
Ashwattha is a micro-resort in the ayurveda wellness space. Here I was able to help build the brand from scratch – from logos, to choosing the fonts and colour schemes, telling the brand story, and many other assets. I had more freedom here to what I wanted but with tighter deadlines.
I learned from mentors, attended events, and connected with industry professionals, which helped me transition from design into a Chief of Staff role. I focus on aligning work with my skills and values rather than just job titles.
How did you get your first break?
My first break came after graduation during the 2020 COVID pandemic. Jobs were hard to find with massive tech layoffs. A friend gave me a referral where she was already working remotely. Initially, I had dismissed it, but I gave it a shot and realized it was a great fit. That opportunity helped me kickstart my career.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
One challenge I faced early on was the perception that design is only about aesthetics. This limited my involvement in strategic decisions. To overcome this, I pursued a dual master’s degree to bridge design and business, which allowed me to take on more impactful roles.
Tell us about your current work
I currently work at Wipro as Chief of Staff to a senior leader in the Industry Cloud and Digital Practice. I help with strategic initiatives, team coordination, and cross-functional collaboration. The role requires strong communication and the ability to look at the bigger picture but also zoom into details. A typical day includes attending leadership meetings and shaping projects in collaboration with internal teams. I love that my work allows me to influence strategy and create impact at a larger scale.
Design plays a big role in my current role, and is directly applicable to my current job. It has taught me to be more empathetic and attentive to details. I am able to prioritise what is important as I know what the business goals are (zooming out), but at the same time I also have to work on content strategy for say emails to senior leadership and I am able to create this as well (zooming in). Facilitation is another skill I picked up as a service designer. Many times the challenge is in getting stakeholders to align so that they can make a decision. At design school I learnt the art of facilitating great meetings. I learnt tools like asset mapping, different kinds of ice breakers, setting up the space so that everyone feels like they can contribute. It also helps that I can design really good presentations! To convince anyone of anything, the story you tell matters. At design school – I had a course called storytelling which I also refer to from time to time.
How does your work benefit society?
My work benefits society by improving processes and experiences for both employees and customers. Good design makes systems more efficient, inclusive, and user-friendly. It can also drive sustainability and ethical use of technology, helping people interact with products and services in positive, responsible ways.
A memorable work?
During my master’s program, I worked on a project with our university farm, which had been neglected and wasn’t being used. Many stakeholders were involved like the department of sustainability, student volunteers, and the cultural department, and everyone had different goals. Since no one “owned” the farm, no decisions were being made, and it was basically going to waste.
We interviewed all the stakeholders, brought them together, and designed a workshop to help them see each other’s goals and assets. We mapped their skills, knowledge, and resources, and showed the current state of the farm with photographs to make the situation clear. Then, we facilitated discussions to identify causes for the problems and guided them to ideate solutions together.
By the end of the workshop, all stakeholders had shared their visions, worked together, and created a plan for the farm. This project was very close to my heart because it showed me how a small, well-facilitated discussion can bring different groups together, solve problems, and create impact. Even on bigger issues like sustainability and climate change.
Your advice to students?
Follow your curiosity. Focus on developing skills you enjoy using and find roles that align with your values. Don’t worry too much about job titles. Look at the actual work and how you can contribute. Networking, being curious, and continuous learning are key to building a meaningful career.
Future Plans?
I like to keep my future plans flexible. I want to focus on exploring opportunities that align with my skills and values. My goal is to continue growing, making an impact, and doing work that excites me.