A designer par excellence

I have worked with a lot of designers, but during my stint at Walmart I managed to launch products going through extensive cycles of design with ease like I was writing the PRD with my right hand and designs were generated by my left?

With a nod to all the designers I have worked in my career, I need to talk about a designer who refused to listen to the Product folks, who needed no validation, no direction and most importantly had a vision for the user experience! Varsha Patil was my office soul mate who I first met during a call for designing reports for Walmart's Auto Care center.

Our entire career of great collaboration was online, thanks to COVID. I remember Varsha waiting on my zoom, and I would apologize for making her wait. Her simple response was if we were working in Walmart office, I would be sitting on your desk waiting for you! Sometimes I wonder if it was this attitude that helped me with the launch of soo many products at my short stint at Walmart.

Another instance that comes to my mind - While I was mentoring a junior PM, I got him to work with Varsha and their collaboration style shocked me. So looks like I was needed to churn out products together with Varsha and I was part of the important recipe. I would never forget Varsha's reaction to the ask of a heat map from the PM, she called him out by "clarifying" does you user understand what a heat map is! Several times, the Product folk think of the best design and cutting edge experience but how this is important when we do NOT understand our own user base..

Apart from her stellar delivery focus, and no-nonsense attitude, Varsha's relentless focus on delivering the best design for the user (I remember how she would ask me and the user in-depth questions to understand their deepest desires!! :) was what made her stand apart. It was a true pleasure working with Varsha, and delivering stellar products in record time..

Like a match made in heaven ❤