Clubbing art and intelligence for start-ups, Avantika Agarwal makes a mark in product design

With newer technologies and artificial intelligence, product designing is set to take a new leap. Avantika Agarwal is excited to embark on this new journey.

Is design an art, or science? This timeless debate is unlikely to settle anytime soon. Ask Stanford-alumnus and product designer Avantika Agarwal and chances are that answering it is not easy. Trained in both engineering and art, she convinces you that design is much more than the blend of the two.

After all, a design has many more elements including science, psychology and art. As the world is turning more complex and consumers discerning, the task of a product designer is now far more challenging than earlier. Mere aesthetically pleasing design is not sufficient in many cases. (Also read: Every girl should aspire for the top office: Navya Naveli Nanda and Samyak Chakrabarty)

Avantika, who loves to work with early-stage startups, however, seems aware of the challenges and geared up to take them on. While her experience of working with prestigious projects comes handy in understanding the need of customers, the accolades in the journey so far remains a big motivating factor.

“I’ve been working with startups ranging from nascent pre-launch to more established, and always relished the experience. There’s a certain magic to helping bring a founder’s idea to life, and a feeling of being in the trenches together to ensure success and survival that I find very gratifying. It’s a privilege to be able to partner with early stage founders and companies to help realise their ambitions,” she shares excitedly.

Harbouring the dream of becoming a product designer since childhood and having developed an interest in healthcare during high school, Avantika, equipped with a master's in design products from the Royal College of Art in London, started focussing on creative product designs that offered practical solutions in the healthcare segment. Be it a sanitary pad with a disposable pouch or a sleep apnoea wearable that uses micro vibrations to treat congestion from allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, using Indian Yogic techniques, she has tried it all and is now set to spread her wings in the fast-emerging AI (artificial intelligence) industry.

"My work with start-ups has allowed me to collaborate at the cutting edge of emerging technologies. Most recently, I designed the brand for a new Artificial Intelligence company, Fixie, that announced a $17M seed funding round this month. It was a fascinating challenge to create a brand in such a nascent and topical industry that’s currently in the spotlight, as the multitude of companies being launched every week, makes it hard to stand out," says Avantika.

"We chose a very simple and classic brand aesthetic, with bold geometric imagery inspired by tangrams, the children's puzzle-game where complex shapes are made of different geometric blocks. As Fixie is an AI platform that brings together disparate technology into one powerful hub, we thought this metaphor was the perfect fit," she says talking about her latest design.

As the technology moves forward with more AI-powered solutions on the anvil, the creativity in the product design field knows no bounds.

“I see AI as a tool to help us do what we do, not as a replacement for designers. Of course, basic and simple design needs could probably soon be met with emerging AI software, but I think there will remain a market for design thinking through thoughtful user research, and appropriate use of these new technologies, to develop brands and design concepts that are differentiating in the industry, not merely tablestakes,” says Avantika.

Various elements that go into design have seen a marked change as the years go by and Avantika feels the process has evolved for the benefit of the end customer.

“I think the biggest difference over the last few years has been the emergence of design thinking as a methodology and approach to solving design problems. Having an iterative approach, grounded in user research and challenging previously held assumptions, and using those inputs to redefine problems and craft solutions that can be rapidly prototyped and tested, has led to a better substantiated design process, delivering improved outcomes for end customers. The importance of putting the customer at the center of what we do can’t be overstated,” says the talented designer.

World Health Day is round the corner and the theme is achieving ‘health for all’. Avantika feels that the day provides the perfect opportunity to put mental health in focus and working on it the right way.

“Mental Health has been increasingly in the spotlight the last few years, and rightly so. I’ve worked with several players in the space, taking a variety of approaches to addressing mental health. Calm, for instance, is one of the world’s largest players in the digital mindfulness space, having recently raised funding at a $2B valuation. Working with them further highlighted to me the life-changing impact they’re having on their customers, and how important it is to take care of one’s own mental health,” concludes Avantika.