Design Journeys 101: A Rendezvous with Sandeep Mulay
Meet Sandeep Mulay, Interaction & Graphic Designer at Monsoonfish. He has been with Monsoonfish since its inception, designing interfaces and graphics for numerous projects that include mobile apps & games, websites, dashboards, packaging for commodities, marketing collateral, social media creatives, and lots more. As we sit down with him for yet another interesting entry in our blog series, he shares details regarding his career journey as a designer, what inspires him, his style of work, and a varied set of interests beyond. Let’s get started!
Q: When did you realize you wanted to become a designer? Take us through the days when you made that decision.
Sandeep: I used to draw and paint right from my high school days. Over the years, those skills showed improvement. I aced the intermediate drawing exam with Grade A and pursued art at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya in Pune. That’s where I learnt sculpture design (clay modelling). I made Ganpati idols for the Ganesha festival in addition to working on the pandal decor, the proceeds from which I utilized for my education.
In 1997, I got my first (part-time) job as a multi-tasker. This meant I had to fulfil the roles of a junior artist, illustrator, visualiser, and office boy. Back then, computers weren’t prominent, so all the artwork was hand-drawn. I learnt print processing and how to operate a computer during the next few years. With no internet connection and software tools to facilitate the design process, I had to rely on bookish references first before working on the computer. The computer itself was viewed as something sanctified in those times, with extremely limited access. I can say all these experiences contributed to making me who I am today.
Q: As one of the original members of the Monsoonfish team, how has your style of work evolved over the years?
Sandeep: I joined the Lokusdesign team back in 2010 when it was a lot smaller. In the initial years, I worked on projects that involved product, packaging, communication, and museum design. When Monsoonfish was established to explore and tackle UX/UI projects, I took it as an opportunity to learn more about its processes. Siddharth (CEO, Monsoonfish), Rohan (Projects Lead), and Anish (Interaction Designer) guided me on various projects. I like to refer to design as my passion and learning as my hobby. Both go hand-in-hand. I believe both Siddharth and Shekhar (Founder Director, Lokusdesign) are design visionaries who played a major role in shaping my design career.
Q: Mention some of the challenges you faced as a designer.
Sandeep: Hailing from a graphic design background, I was initially unaware of UI/UX and its nuances. Concepts (and terms) like wire-framing, style guides, navigation bars, icons, and mobile/desktop screens were totally new to me. I had to get acquainted with all these terms in the design world, gain practical experience alongside, and grow as a designer.
While those were the challenges, I’m glad I ventured into UI/UX as I managed to learn so much in the process which helped accelerate career growth. I’d say learning never ends for a designer. Each day, each project offers a new and interesting set of challenges and I look forward to them.
Q: What kind of projects have you enjoyed working on mostly?
Sandeep: If I were to mention names, the list includes NPAV (Cybersecurity), Ascent (HCM Software by Eilisys), Binary Flux (I.T), DCM (Fintech), TransUnion CIBIL (Credit Reporting), SpaceWarp and Pinball (game design for Touchmagix). In fact, the actual list is much longer. I got to do a lot of UI/UX design exploration as part of these projects.
Q: In your opinion, what can be improved in terms of the work we do?
Sandeep: In an extension of the earlier answer, I believe designers should always be hungry to learn new things and evolve. As such, we need to stay focused and adapt to new developments quickly. I also like to think that we produce some of the best design work in the entire country. Personally speaking, I need to work a little on my design presentation skills and communicate seamlessly.
Q: Did the recent pandemic impact your work in any way? If yes, how?
Sandeep: I should say I’ve gotten used to working in a virtual environment. My creativity and productivity are still on par with how they used to be before the pandemic. However, since catch-ups do not happen face-to-face, the amount of personal interaction has gone down. I’d also like to get a hang of the UX side of things as this would help me tackle UI easier, faster, and better. This will obviously require a lot of planning, strategizing, and guidance.
Q: How do you keep yourself updated with the latest developments in the design field?
Sandeep: The internet, especially social media, keeps me updated on most things. I also connect and converse with designers from other fields, helping me broaden my horizons and expand my knowledge.
Q: Mention a few favourite brands of yours from a design perspective.
Sandeep: Google is an all-time favourite. The market is now saturated with too many brands that occasionally leave an impression but very few manage to do so in the long-haul.
Q: Tell us about your other spheres of interest. What keeps you going?
Sandeep: Sculpting and painting are two things I indulge in when I’m not working. I’m inspired by the works of Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and J.M.W Turner. As I mentioned earlier, making clay sculptures is something I find great joy in. I still make clay sculptures for the Ganesha festival every year.
With a vibrant team of 40+ designers, Monsoonfish specializes in Product Strategy, Design, UX and UI. Team Monsoonfish works on various mobile applications, web applications, software, applications, and websites across multiple domains where they’ve added value in terms of user-relevant product features, seamless user experience (UX) design, and stunning graphic (UI) design.
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