Kalim Chogle

🤯 Just blown away by the recent Gemini releases from Google I/O! As an Automobile UX Designer, I couldn't resist giving Veo 2 a spin. My simple prompt? "A Maruti Suzuki Car on Indian road in tight traffic condition." The result? Absolutely fantastic! ✨ (Check out the AI-generated video I'm attaching!) This got me thinking – the potential for tools like Veo 2 in the automotive UX industry is absolutely IMMENSE. 🤯 Imagine: Effortlessly demonstrating complex use cases without the logistical nightmare of on-location shoots and endless documentation. Rapidly prototyping new designs and seamlessly integrating them into AI-generated, real-world scenarios to showcase products truly in action. This feels like a total game-changer for visualizing and presenting the future of mobility! 🚀 What are your thoughts? How do you see AI video generation tools like Veo 2 transforming your industry or workflow? Let's discuss in the comments below! 👇 #GoogleIO #Gemini #Veo2 #AutomotiveDesign #UX #AI #Innovation #FutureOfMobility #DesignTech #AutomotiveInnovation

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#LifeLessons The other day, Karthi Subbaraman spoke about the importance of senior design leaders openly sharing their experiences - as open conversations at UxNow - what truly happens behind closed doors, so the next generation can learn, grow, and shape the future of design thinking and innovation. This resonates deeply with me because there are some hard truths that no one talks about, yet they can define the trajectory of a designer’s career. I’ve always had a strong work ethic, going above and beyond in every role. My managers repeatedly acknowledged my dedication. And yet, I was fired from multiple jobs. Each time, I asked myself why? For a long time, my family told me I wasn’t "practical" enough. That I needed to compromise, be a ‘yes man,’ and blend in. However, I approached every role with an ownership mindset, believing that my perspective would add value. However, the reality was different. Organizations often say they want independent thinkers, but many operate in ways that discourage ownership outside of predefined roles. Here’s what I learned from being fired: ✅ I was asked to work less - because exceeding expectations made others uncomfortable. ✅ I was told to stay within my role - offering help beyond my job description created insecurities among peers. ✅ I was even asked to pay back the company - because they felt they had taught me more than I contributed. ✅ I was told I wasn’t the "right culture fit" - because my mindset and values didn’t align with the company’s unspoken norms and the foundation that they were built on. I always worked as an advocate for the user, but I failed to see that organizations have other stakeholders. Empathy isn’t just for users; it’s also for teams and leadership. This was a hard lesson, but one that future design leaders must learn early. "A Call to Future Design Leaders" If you take one lesson from this, let it be this: Culture fit matters. And it’s not about compromising your values - it’s about finding the right environment or creating one where your skills, personality, and ethics can thrive. 1️⃣ Know your values. Define what matters most to you in a workplace - transparency, collaboration, autonomy, or innovation. 2️⃣ Assess culture early. During interviews, look beyond perks and mission statements. Observe how leaders communicate, how teams collaborate, and how decisions are made. 3️⃣ Lead with transparency. If you’re in a leadership role, be clear about your team’s values & culture so you attract the right people. 4️⃣ Build cultures, not just products. The best design teams aren’t built on process alone - they’re built on trust, inclusivity, & shared purpose. At the core of great design is the ability to create environments where diverse people can thrive. That starts with honest conversations about culture, leadership, and what it truly means to belong. Rituals define culture, and culture shapes the future of design. Let’s build it right. CE Group - Global Creative Venture Studio

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Designing for V1 is rarely about what you add - it’s more about what you unlearn. You unlearn pixel perfection. You unlearn the urge to build scalable systems too early. You unlearn the long rituals of deep research, because the real feedback is waiting on the other side of launch. I used to get caught up in "How will this scale?" Now I ask, "Can we ship this and test it this week?" Working with early-stage startups taught me that progress > polish. Your job as a designer in V1 isn’t to create the perfect product. It’s to reduce friction, get it in users’ hands fast, and learn from real behavior - not assumptions. Because the goal of V1 isn’t to look good, It’s to exist. ps: If you’re designing a V1 right now, just know - messy progress > perfect delay. #uxdesign

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Designers feel they are at the center of universe until they work in a startup. #designersego I have always felt that design and designers are at the center of building a product or service. The truth is it isn’t! We as designers only play lesser than 10% role in building a business. The rest are - Unit economics - Sourcing/Supply chain - Engineering/Tech - Human resource management - Financial management - Marketing/PR - Strategy If you are a fresher or just switching to a designer role, its better to work in a startup environment where that chaos will build a wholesome perspective of how business works. Let me know your thoughts in comments

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What if a brand tried to be as neutral as possible? For Generic, we reimagined the Generic Currency Symbol "¤" using simple geometric primitives: circles, squares. The result is a modular identity system built on clarity, logic, and balance.

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Designing your Portfolio right could be a gateway to a promising career. Spent Saturday with a group of bright design aspirants at Portfolio 101, hosted by Somaiya School of Design, riidl, Friends of Figma Mumbai, and Frelo—helping them refine their portfolios and get job-ready. What started as a portfolio review quickly turned into an interesting interaction about career choices, industry shifts, and the ever-growing influence of AI in design. Some students had already woven AI into their explorations, while some others weren’t sure whether it should make an appearance. Some were focused on making their portfolios stand out, while others were grappling with bigger, scarier questions—“Which of my skills should I lean into?” or “What direction should I take my career in?” Because the truth is, a portfolio is the sum of all the choices you make: what to include, what to leave out (often the hardest part), how to balance words with visuals, and most importantly, how to let your unique voice shine through. Also had the pleasure of hearing Shefali Desai share her journey from intern to entrepreneur in conversation with Priyam Doshi of NamePlaceAnimalThing—a reminder that the paths we take in design are rarely linear, and that’s what makes them interesting. Sharing a glimpse into the session. If you’re working on your portfolio—what’s been your biggest challenge? #design #careers #portfolio101 #designeducation #jobready #designinindia

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