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Hi, I'm Durva Gaikwad

Currently designing experiences @ Gone.com

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A product designer who blends structure, strategy, and scalability to craft experiences that make complex systems feel simple and human.

Industries worked in

AI

Enterprise

Telecom

Media & Entertainment

E-Commerce

Retail

Design highlights

Led UX for a $4M B2B platform
Built 0-to-1 AI hiring tool
Integrated GenAI tool in YouTube Shorts

Delivered . Enterprise . Design Systems

AI-Powered Hiring Platform

The goal was to design the first AI-powered tool that transforms the hiring process by enabling companies to assess and identify top product design talent faster

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GenAI . Customer Facing . Capstone Project

Gen AI in YouTube Shorts

The goal is to explore how Generative AI tools can be integrated into the YT Shorts creation workflow to enhance, not replace, the human creative process.

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Launched . Enterprise B2B . System Design

Transforming Complex Enterprise Workflow

The project aimed to centralize Vodafone’s communication solutions into a unified platform, streamlining deployment for global businesses.

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Delivered . Customer Facing . Responsive

Redesigning Masami Website

The goal was to elevate the brand's value, enhance customer satisfaction, and increase conversion rates by optimizing designs for various devices.

Delivered . Sponsored . Usability Study

Usability Study

This study aims to investigate GitHub's "Pull Request" feature and evaluate the transition from the old interface to the new alpha version of it.

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Don't just take my word

Sr. Designer @ Google Labs

Durva is an exceptionally thoughtful designer and joy to mentor. In our bi-weekly sessions, she consistently arrives prepared, bringing an open, curious mind and a willingness to take feedback and run with it. She handles complex design problems and a challenging market with resilience. She's a diplomatic and considerate collaborator, has a quiet strength in her focus on user needs, and a keen eye on product strategy. Durva thrives in environments that value high curiosity and open questions, and she will be a great teammate on any product design team.

Alekhya Yadavalli

Product Designer @ Microsoft

Working alongside Durva on our YouTube Shorts capstone project was one of those experiences where you quickly realize you're in good company. Her design craft is polished and precise, but what sets her apart is the thinking underneath it. Durva is one of the most strategic designers I have worked with, her clarity cuts through any complexity. She often asks the questions no one else thinks to ask, and in cross-functional settings, she holds her own without having to announce herself. I've witnessed a boldness to how she works that makes her someone you can genuinely rely on. Wherever she goes, the team would be lucky to have her.

Prateek Bhagdev

Product Lead @ Vodafone

I highly recommend Durva as a UX Designer, Researcher & Strategist. Her exceptional skills and expertise in customer-centric design have greatly contributed to the success of our products. Durva possesses a keen understanding of user behavior and seamlessly translates that into intuitive and compelling interfaces. Her ability to balance creativity with practicality is truly impressive. Durva is a collaborative team player, always eager to share ideas, provide valuable insights & leads with confidence. With her strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering high-quality work, Durva consistently exceeds expectations. I am confident that her talent and dedication will be an invaluable asset to any organization. She will be the super star that guides your product & team towards super success.

Product owner @ Vodafone

I highly recommend Durva, a UX Designer I had the pleasure of working with at Vodafone. During our time together, Durva consistently impressed me with her talent, dedication, and collaborative spirit. Durva played a pivotal role in designing and iterating on numerous B2B portals and enterprise applications, directly impacting business success and user experience. Her keen eye for detail and user-centric approach resulted in intuitive and efficient interfaces that simplified complex processes and boosted user engagement. Durva is a highly motivated individual with a passion for creating positive user experiences. I have no doubt that she will be an invaluable asset to any team.

Jared Bauer, PhD

Staff UX Researcher @ GitHub

I am pleased to recommend Durva Gaikwad, who completed a very successful project for our team at GitHub while she was a student at the University of Washington. During the project, Durva demonstrated a strong user-centered focus by designing and facilitating user testing cycles, creating tasks and scripts that effectively addressed developers' needs while aligning with both user experience and business goals.
Durva’s work showcased her excellent ability to employ various research methodologies, including heuristic evaluations and remote usability testing, which provided a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of user behavior. She was also a strong communicator and collaborator, ensuring that her research outcomes were actionable and impactful.
Moreover, Durva exhibited exceptional design craftsmanship by developing actionable design recommendations based on her research, ensuring that user-centered solutions were in line with our business objectives. She has been a valuable contributor to our team, and I am confident she will bring the same level of dedication and skill to her future endeavors.

Deepankar Chaudhary

Sr. UI/UX designer @ Vodafone

I had the opportunity to work with Durva at Vodafone, where we collaborated on the same project. From the beginning, she stood out for her curiosity, adaptability, and strong ownership mindset. Even in a fast-paced environment, she approached challenges with a thoughtful and user-focused perspective. What impressed me most was her ability to combine UX strategy with practical execution. She works collaboratively with teams, thinks deeply about user problems, and contributes ideas that align both business goals and user needs. She is quick to learn, open to feedback, and brings a positive approach to every project. I’d highly recommend her to any team looking for a skilled and dedicated Product Designer.

Product Designer @ Vodafone

I got to work closely with Durva at Vodafone and one of the nicest things to witness was how much she grew over time. She started as a junior designer and showed tremendous progress through sheer consistency, curiosity, and effort. Durva is incredibly creative and when she believes in something, she gives it her complete focus and sees it through properly. She’s also genuinely fun to work with. She brings good energy into the team, makes collaboration easy, and somehow keeps things light even during stressful projects. It’s been really nice seeing her evolve into such a strong designer and teammate.

Transforming ideas into impactful experiences? I would love to talk

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