Apoorvaa Balasundaram | Product Designer and Experience Researcher

Curious by Nature. Strategic by Practice.

My first experience with design wasn’t in a studio, it was in MS Paint when I was 8 years old. I used to create six-frame comic strips, trying to tell full stories with simple shapes and lines.

Making them consistent was difficult but conveying emotion with minimal detail was harder. But when my younger brother was amused by something I had drawn, I understood something early:

Design works when people don’t have to think about it but the creators behind it absolutely do.

Two children making funny faces, one with tongue sticking out, standing in front of a light-colored wall.

Young woman speaking passionately at a podium with her hands gesturing.

This idea still anchors how I work.

Today, I design products that reduce hesitation and clarify decisions. I focus on identifying where users pause, where teams disagree, and where systems create friction, then structuring solutions that make the next step feel natural.

What I bring to the table

Structure in ambiguity.
When goals are fuzzy, I create clarity by defining problem statements, framing tradeoffs, and aligning stakeholders around outcomes.
Ownership with collaboration.
Over time, I’ve grown into a facilitator, setting direction while trusting others to contribute meaningfully. High standards while having a shared responsibility.
Calm momentum.
Deadlines, pivots or even stakeholder pressure, I bring steadiness to the team through clear documentation, thoughtful facilitation and strong follow through.
Designing with AI as a material.
I prototype with AI systems, explore alternative interaction patterns, and evaluate how these behaviors shape trust, accessibility, and user understanding.
Strategic execution.
I balance vision with practicality. I think long-term, but I deliver incrementally.

What it's like to work with me

It was fantastic to have Apoorvaa as our UX Intern in the Museum Experience and Digital Media department at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.. she is easy to work with and has a great foundation in product design and UX research. She takes feedback well, while also standing her ground when the research warrants it. She would be a great asset to any UX team or project!
Lynne Venart
Senior UX Researcher at USHMM
It was a pleasure collaborating with Apoorvaa on the IU Studio Practice project for Deal Meridian. She made important contributions to our field research, and her ability to deeply understand the Indian Real Estate market context was valuable. Apoorvaa's dedication, sharp analytical skills, and collaborative approach were a great addition to the team in designing a user-centered CRM solution.
Galen Simmons
CEO at Accolade
I had the pleasure of working with Apoorvaa and she is a quick learner who consistently delivers clean, organized work. She excels in stakeholder communication and is an active participant in discussions, always contributing valuable insights. Her dedication, creativity, and professionalism make her a standout UX designer.
Siva Kumar
Product Manager at Merkle
Apoorvaa is a hardworking person.
She is organized and articulates her thoughts well. I have witnessed her Journey, going from a fresh Graduate to a UX Professional (UX Designer). She is a team player and shows openness to learning. She has worked across different domains and platforms, and brought positive outcomes at all stages like Research, Design and Reviews.
Aditee Gaikwad
UX Lead at Merkle

Some things I do when I'm not designing

Innovating at the intersection of what can be built and what should be felt.

Resume