ARTIST | RESEARCHER

Hi, I’m Spandita, a Human-Centered User Experience Researcher. I graduated from NYU last year with a Master’s in Integrated Design and Media, building on my undergraduate degree in software engineering. But, honestly, I’ve always been an artist at heart. I’ve been painting since I was six years old, and that love for art has shaped so much of who I am.

My interest in human research and accessibility really took off during my first internship at IIT Guwahati, where I worked on a hand gesture recognition system for people with fine motor impairments. Testing it with real users opened my eyes to just how inaccessible so many everyday experiences are. That realization hit me hard and made me think about my love for art—it’s such a visual medium, and that in itself can make it inaccessible to so many.

Determined to dive deeper into this, I moved to New York for my Master’s and worked with several nonprofits, especially art-focused ones, to better understand the gaps in human experience and development. One thing became clear: nothing can truly be accessible or inclusive unless we involve the people we’re designing for. The idea “It’s not for people; it’s with people” inspires me!

The idea of universal design really excites me, and I’m passionate about doing user-centered research to help close the gap between what’s being built and what people actually need.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• Featured in Riverhead Local for collaboration with a non-profit ‘Johanna’s Hope’

• National Award for Design Thinking from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, India, awarded by Mr. Kapil Sibal (HRD Minister 2009-2012)

• Winner of the Oracle Student Space Scientist Program, organized and awarded by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

• Google Doodle Champion in the year 2015