A background in both mechanical engineering and industrial design, brings about a unique blend of creativity and practicality to every project!

Harshal Ambekar, our next pathbreaker, works as Product Design Engineer at Mayzon, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of home fashion and bath organization products.

Harshal talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The The Interview Portal about how small design decisions directly impact cost, durability, and customer  experience.

For students, try building things, even small ones. Break them, fix them, and learn from them. Every experience adds up and slowly builds your path.

Harshal, your background?

I was born in Nashik, but it was Mumbai that raised me. Growing up in one of India’s most vibrant cities, much of my curiosity came from my father, an engineer who was my very first inspiration. As a child, I couldn’t leave things alone. Toys, remotes, and small appliances were never safe from my wandering hands. I would pry them open and peer inside, trying to make sense of whatever was hidden within. I wasn’t causing mischief; I simply needed to know how things worked. School gave my curiosity two distinct homes: science and drawing. I loved unraveling the logic behind things just as much as I loved putting ideas down on paper. Most people treated the two as opposites, the technical and the creative, but to me, they always felt like two sides of the same thought. Years later, that combination became the foundation of my career as a design engineer.

What did you study for graduation and post graduation?

Since my father was an engineer, I had a passion for machines and wanted to understand them deeply. This passion made me pursue a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering

During my studies, I realized I was not only interested in analyzing systems but also in creating new products. That pushed me toward design.

To explore that further, I studied Product Design in Milan, Italy, and later continued my Master’s in applied engineering in the United States. These experiences helped me combine creativity with technical skills.

What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and uncommon career in Design for Manufacturing ?

The Engineering path was inspired by my childhood, whereas the design path was followed  by a very special project that I participated in during my undergrad – Experience of working  on a Formula SAE Race Car project for a competition. Building a full vehicle with a team  taught me how ideas turn into real systems under pressure.

Alongside my engineering education, I developed a strong interest in design thinking,  particularly how products can be engineered not just for function, but for meaningful user  impact. A pivotal moment in my journey was moving to Milan to study at Domus Academy.  That experience fundamentally reshaped my perspective, showing me that design extends  far beyond aesthetics, it is about solving real world problems through a balance of  creativity, usability, and technical feasibility. 

I began with a pre master’s program, which served as a critical foundation. It focused on  design research, user centered thinking, and building the core methodologies required to  approach problems systematically. This transition phase was especially valuable coming  from a purely engineering background, as it helped me develop the language and process  of design. 

Following this, I pursued a Master’s in Product Design, where I had the opportunity to work  on industry sponsored projects with companies such as Alessi, LG, PerDormire, and the  Municipality of Milan. These collaborations provided hands on exposure to real constraints, including manufacturing, cost, and user experience, while working in cross  functional, international teams. 

Domus Academy offers a range of design focused master’s programs, including product,  interior, and architectural design. Admission is primarily portfolio driven, with emphasis on  creative thinking, problem solving ability, and clarity of process. The school also offers  scholarships based on the strength of the applicant’s profile, including academic  background, portfolio quality, and overall potential.

Can you walk us through your career journey?

My career path after my first and second master’s reflects how broad and interdisciplinary  product design can be, especially in hardware. I have worked across startups, global  manufacturers, and consulting environments, which gave me exposure to very different  scales, users, and constraints. 

At Hive Home, I was introduced to connected consumer products and smart home  ecosystems. This experience helped me understand how mechanical design integrates with electronics and software, and how products are built not just as standalone objects,  but as part of a larger system. It was an important step in learning cross functional  collaboration early in my career. 

At Nilkamal, one of India’s largest furniture manufacturers, I worked on injection molded  consumer products at scale. This was where I truly understood manufacturing. Designing  for high volume production, optimizing rib structures, wall thickness, and tooling strategies  taught me how small design decisions directly impact cost, durability, and customer  experience. It was a strong foundation in Design for Manufacturing. 

At Fanfare Design, I worked in a more consulting driven environment, focusing on sheet  metal products for global markets. This role required fast iteration, adaptability, and  working across multiple product categories. I learned how to standardize design systems,  improve manufacturability, and think about scalability across different product lines. 

At Cambro Manufacturing, I focused on engineering validation and performance. I applied  FEA and engineering analysis to ensure products met durability and safety requirements.  This experience strengthened my ability to back design decisions with data and testing, not  just intuition. 

What ties all these experiences together is that product design is not just about creativity  or engineering alone. It is the combination of design thinking, mechanical engineering,  manufacturing knowledge, and real world constraints. For students, this field may seem  niche, but it is actually very broad. You can work on anything from furniture to EV  infrastructure to consumer electronics, as long as you build strong fundamentals and stay  curious about how products are made and used. 

After that, I moved to Milan for design studies, which helped me improve my creative  thinking and global perspective. 

Later, I worked in the United States on high-fidelity products, including EV charging  systems and consumer products. I worked closely with engineering, design, and  manufacturing teams to take products from concept to production. 

However, as I started working on real products, I realized that to build a long term career in  product design, especially in hardware, I needed to go deeper into engineering rigor,  manufacturing systems, and large scale product development. That is what led me to  pursue a second master’s in the United States.

The US offers a very different advantage. It is one of the best environments for engineering  driven product development, especially in consumer hardware, industrial design  integration, and new product introduction. I wanted exposure to how products are actually  brought to market at scale, including working with global supply chains, validation  processes like DVT and PVT, and cross functional collaboration between mechanical,  electrical, and industrial design teams. 

So in a way, the two degrees complemented each other. Italy helped me build the design  mindset, creativity, and user centric approach. The US helped me strengthen engineering  depth, manufacturability, and execution at scale.

How did you get your first break?

During my time in Milan, while actively searching for an internship, I reached out to  designers I deeply admired, sharing my online portfolio and seeking honest feedback on  my work. What began as a pursuit of guidance quietly opened an unexpected door. One of  those designers happened to be looking for an engineer with a design sensibility, someone  with experience working across cross-functional products. My profile caught their  attention, and just like that, what started as a request for feedback turned into my very first  interview. 

Getting my first break after my second master’s was challenging, especially as an  international student on a visa. I realized I needed to position myself differently by  highlighting the combination of design thinking from my experience in Italy and engineering  execution from my US education. Instead of presenting myself as only a designer or  engineer, I focused on showing how I could take products from concept to manufacturing. 

I approached the job search with consistency and purpose by refining my portfolio,  networking with industry professionals, and learning from every interview experience. I  focused on roles where I could contribute to real product development challenges and  stayed persistent through the process. For students facing a similar journey, building a  strong portfolio, communicating your unique value, and developing meaningful  connections can make a significant difference

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

One challenge was moving from pure engineering to design. Engineering focuses on logic, while design requires creativity. I had to train myself to think differently through practice.

Another challenge was learning how to design products that actually get manufactured. A design that looks good on the screen is not enough. I had to learn about materials, cost, and production processes.

Moving between countries like India, Italy, and the United States was also challenging. Each place had a different way of thinking and working. But it helped me grow personally and professionally.

Where do you work now and what do you do?

I currently work at Mayzon in the United States as a Product Design Engineer.

At Mayzon, I design products sold in major retail stores. Mayzon is a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of home fashion and bath organization products. Formed in 2022 by the merger of three companies (Maytex, Zenith Home Products, and Decolin), the company produces items like shower curtains, medicine cabinets, laundry tubs, and storage furniture. It is very rewarding to see products I work on become part of everyday homes.

My work involves taking ideas from early concepts all the way to production, working closely with design, engineering, and supplier teams.
 
Mayzon: https://www.mayzon.com/

What skills are needed for your job and how did you develop them?

This job needs a mix of creativity, problem-solving, and technical knowledge.

I developed these skills through my education in mechanical engineering and product design, but most importantly through hands-on projects, internships, and real product development experience.

What does a typical day look like?

A typical day includes designing parts in CAD, discussing ideas with my team, solving engineering challenges, and coordinating with suppliers to make sure designs can be manufactured properly.

Every day is different because each product brings new challenges.

How does your work benefit society?

I design everyday products that are used by customers across the United States in their daily lives. Many of these products are part of homes, storage systems, and consumer environments.

That is what I find meaningful. Someone might be using a product I worked on without knowing it, and that quiet integration into people’s lives is what makes the work impactful.

Can you share a memorable project?

One of my most memorable projects was an EV charging system that moved from concept to real-world deployment across multiple states in the U.S.

Being involved from the early design stage to production and then seeing it actually installed and used by people was a very fulfilling experience.
 
Project: https://lynkwell.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/E-LW101-AC48-SS-121224-D.pdf 

What advice would you give students?

Do not wait to have everything figured out. Start with curiosity.

Try building things, even small ones. Break them, fix them, and learn from them. Every experience adds up and slowly builds your path.

What are your future plans?

I want to continue working on meaningful physical products and grow into a leadership role where I can guide teams and help build products that solve real-world problems at a larger scale.