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Bala

Driving UX Strategy, Design Excellence & Scalable Product Experiences Across AI, SaaS & Enterprise Platforms | Team Builder | Design Systems | Research & Innovation | Rakuten | ex-ThoughtWorks

Greater Bengaluru Area

9+ years of work experience

Independent Consultant
Jun 20265 moPresent

Bengaluru

Following my tenure leading design initiatives at Rakuten, I am currently available for consulting, advisory, and fractional design leadership engagements while exploring my next full-time Product Design Leadership opportunity. I partner with organizations to scale design practices, build design systems, shape product strategy, and create AI-powered experiences that balance business goals with user needs. If you’re building the next generation of SaaS, AI, or enterprise products, let’s connect.
Rakuten
Apr 20233 yrs 2 mosMay 2026

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

As Staff Product Designer and Head of Design for Rakuten SixthSense, I drive UX strategy, design systems, and product execution across AI-powered observability, enterprise SaaS, HR technology, and internal platforms used by global teams. I lead a team of designers in transforming complex observability challenges into intuitive, AI-powered experiences. My role combines strategic vision with hands-on leadership—establishing design excellence practices, scaling operations, implementing AI-assisted workflows, and championing human-centered design across products and teams. Beyond product ownership, I drive Design Excellence initiatives across the organization, establish scalable design practices, review frameworks, and collaboration models that strengthen design quality and delivery. Key Responsibilities & Impact • Lead and mentor a team of 5–7 designers through coaching, structured feedback, hiring support, and career development. • Define UX vision, experience strategy, and long-term design direction for Rakuten SixthSense, an AI-powered observability platform. • Partner with Product, Engineering, and Business leaders to influence platform strategy, product roadmaps, and design-led initiatives. • Drive end-to-end design across multiple enterprise products, including SixthSense, LMS, 360° Feedback Platform, Workforce Analytics Dashboard, WFO Governance Platform, and Employee Experience tools. • Built and scaled the SixthSense Design System into a shared source of truth, improving consistency, efficiency, and scalability across products. • Led major redesign initiatives that improved navigation, task discoverability, workflow clarity, and user experience. • Strengthened design-engineering collaboration through scalable component frameworks, documentation standards, and streamlined handoff processes. • Contributed to global Rakuten initiatives, including RTC, delivering event websites, digital experiences, branding systems, and communication for international audiences.
Rakuten
Jan 20221 yr 4 mosApr 2023

India

- Led complex UX initiatives across enterprise and internal platforms. - Owned end-to-end design execution for multi-module products. - Partnered closely with Product, Engineering, and Leadership on roadmap delivery. - Mentored designers and contributed to hiring and design quality standards.
Rakuten
Aug 20201 yr 6 mosJan 2022

India

- Drove UX design for core product workflows and internal tools. - Collaborated with cross-functional teams to translate requirements into scalable solutions. - Contributed to early design system foundations and UX best practices. - Supported junior designers through reviews and feedback.
BORN Group
Oct 20181 yr 10 mosJul 2020

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

- Experience design for projects starting from discovery, delivery and design evolution. - Designing user-friendly, aesthetic and elegant interfaces with keen eye for detail and color concepts - Close collaboration with technical program managers, software and front-end engineers during the product ideation and implementation phase 
Apr 20171 yr 7 mosOct 2018

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Platify.co
Jan 20173 mosMar 2017

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Building an app that behaves like a platform, with deep commerce and location aware services embedded or integrated.

Bala’s AI Stack

claude
claude
gemini
gemini
lovable
lovable
Adobe Firefly
Adobe Firefly
ChatGPT
ChatGPT
Figma Make
Figma Make

Education

Annamalai university

Master of Science (M.Sc.), Information Technology

Annamalai university

University of Madras

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Business Administration and Management, General

University of Madras

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Headline

Driving UX Strategy, Design Excellence & Scalable Product Experiences Across AI, SaaS & Enterprise Platforms | Team Builder | Design Systems | Research & Innovation | Rakuten | ex-ThoughtWorks

About

I am a UX Design Leader with 20+ years of experience building products, platforms, and digital experiences that simplify complexity and create measurable business impact. My journey spans advertising, branding, enterprise software, SaaS products, and AI-driven platforms, giving me a unique perspective on how design connects business strategy, technology, and human behavior. Currently at Rakuten, I lead product design initiatives across AI-powered observability platforms, employee experience products, and enterprise-scale design systems. I have led end-to-end UX programs—from discovery and research through strategy, design execution, validation, and optimization—while mentoring and growing high-performing design teams. My expertise includes: • UX Strategy & Experience Vision • Product Design Leadership • User Research & Usability Testing • AI & Enterprise Platform Design • Design Systems & Scalable UX • Design Thinking, Lean UX & Agile Practices • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Team Building, Mentorship & Design Excellence Throughout my career, I have partnered closely with Product, Engineering, Business, and Executive Leadership teams to shape product direction, improve customer experiences, and deliver solutions that scale. I am passionate about building design cultures, elevating design quality, mentoring future leaders, and creating products that solve meaningful problems. Specialties: Product Design Leadership • UX Strategy • Enterprise UX • AI Products • SaaS Platforms • Design Systems • User Research • Interaction Design • Accessibility • Team Leadership • Design Operations

Location

Greater Bengaluru Area

AI stack

claude

gemini

lovable

Adobe Firefly

ChatGPT

Figma Make

Work experience

Independent Product Design Consultant at Independent Consultant, Jun 2026 - Present · 5 mo, Bengaluru, Following my tenure leading design initiatives at Rakuten, I am currently available for consulting, advisory, and fractional design leadership engagements while exploring my next full-time Product Design Leadership opportunity. I partner with organizations to scale design practices, build design systems, shape product strategy, and create AI-powered experiences that balance business goals with user needs. If you’re building the next generation of SaaS, AI, or enterprise products, let’s connect.

Staff Product Designer at Rakuten, Apr 2023 - May 2026 · 3 yrs 2 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, As Staff Product Designer and Head of Design for Rakuten SixthSense, I drive UX strategy, design systems, and product execution across AI-powered observability, enterprise SaaS, HR technology, and internal platforms used by global teams. I lead a team of designers in transforming complex observability challenges into intuitive, AI-powered experiences. My role combines strategic vision with hands-on leadership—establishing design excellence practices, scaling operations, implementing AI-assisted workflows, and championing human-centered design across products and teams. Beyond product ownership, I drive Design Excellence initiatives across the organization, establish scalable design practices, review frameworks, and collaboration models that strengthen design quality and delivery. Key Responsibilities & Impact • Lead and mentor a team of 5–7 designers through coaching, structured feedback, hiring support, and career development. • Define UX vision, experience strategy, and long-term design direction for Rakuten SixthSense, an AI-powered observability platform. • Partner with Product, Engineering, and Business leaders to influence platform strategy, product roadmaps, and design-led initiatives. • Drive end-to-end design across multiple enterprise products, including SixthSense, LMS, 360° Feedback Platform, Workforce Analytics Dashboard, WFO Governance Platform, and Employee Experience tools. • Built and scaled the SixthSense Design System into a shared source of truth, improving consistency, efficiency, and scalability across products. • Led major redesign initiatives that improved navigation, task discoverability, workflow clarity, and user experience. • Strengthened design-engineering collaboration through scalable component frameworks, documentation standards, and streamlined handoff processes. • Contributed to global Rakuten initiatives, including RTC, delivering event websites, digital experiences, branding systems, and communication for international audiences.

Senior Lead UX Designer at Rakuten, Jan 2022 - Apr 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos, India, - Led complex UX initiatives across enterprise and internal platforms. - Owned end-to-end design execution for multi-module products. - Partnered closely with Product, Engineering, and Leadership on roadmap delivery. - Mentored designers and contributed to hiring and design quality standards.

Lead UX Designer at Rakuten, Aug 2020 - Jan 2022 · 1 yr 6 mos, India, - Drove UX design for core product workflows and internal tools. - Collaborated with cross-functional teams to translate requirements into scalable solutions. - Contributed to early design system foundations and UX best practices. - Supported junior designers through reviews and feedback.

Lead Designer at BORN Group, Oct 2018 - Jul 2020 · 1 yr 10 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, - Experience design for projects starting from discovery, delivery and design evolution. - Designing user-friendly, aesthetic and elegant interfaces with keen eye for detail and color concepts - Close collaboration with technical program managers, software and front-end engineers during the product ideation and implementation phase

Independent Design Consultant at Open for new challenges, Apr 2017 - Oct 2018 · 1 yr 7 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Head Of Design at Platify.co, Jan 2017 - Mar 2017 · 3 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Building an app that behaves like a platform, with deep commerce and location aware services embedded or integrated.

Education

Master of Science (M.Sc.), Information Technology, Annamalai university

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Business Administration and Management, General, University of Madras

Public links

behance.net: https://www.behance.net/baladeziner