About me
I'm Mitali (MiKiDe), a Service & User Experience Designer who helps organisations make confident decisions through research, prototyping, and human-centred design. With 10 years of experience across public sector, retail, banking, telco, energy, SaaS and marketplace organisations, I specialise in transforming complex challenges into meaningful solutions.
My superpower? Translating between C-suite vision and user reality, ensuring products and services work for everyone involved.
Strategic Design Leadership I guide product managers, senior stakeholders, and executive teams through digital transformation using customer research, prototyping, and collaborative workshops. My approach builds confidence in decision-making by making the abstract tangible.
Research & Discovery From large-scale digital transformation to focused usability testing, I uncover insights that drive meaningful change. I excel in environments that value pragmatic leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
Product & Service Delivery I've successfully delivered applications, research, and services for diverse audiences: consumers, enterprises, employees, and citizens. My work spans the full spectrum from strategic thinking to detailed problem-solving.
My values
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🧐 Curiosity
Beginner’s mindset to genuinely understand any thing or anyone
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⏳Persistence
Transformative change takes time and persistent efforts
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🎨 Creativity
Creativity comes from vulnerability, honesty and collaboration
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🌱 Adaptability
Maintaining a growth mindset while responding to changes
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🤝 Connection
Connection to ourselves, to others and to a purpose
How I work
I thrive in fast-paced environments where I can experiment with new approaches while maintaining focus on core objectives. My entrepreneurial mindset allows me to transition fluidly between strategic thinking and hands-on problem-solving.
My sweet spot: Pragmatic leadership environments where collaboration drives innovation and research informs decision-making.
What makes me different: I coach teams with heart, combining technical expertise with emotional intelligence to guide designers, researchers, and stakeholders towards better outcomes.
Background
Professional Journey
My service design journey began in 2014 through networking and freelancing. A pivotal moment came in early 2015 when I landed a corporate role at Telstra through a hackathon, where I spent over 1.5 years learning about emerging technologies, agile practices, and enterprise systems.
This experience opened doors to consulting roles across service design, UX research, and experience design, as well as strategic in-house positions.
Education
Master of Sustainable Design - Swinburne University, Melbourne (with focus on service design and business systems)
Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design + Graduate Certificate - Curtin University, Perth
Cert of Strategic Design Leadership 2022
Current Interests
Climate, agriculture, and health applications
Coaching designers and researchers in craft and communication
Inclusive design and accessibility
Customer experience education for organisations
Systems thinking and sustainability
Psychology and behavioural sciences
Organisational culture transformation
AI and design ethics
Beyond Work
The Story Behind MiKiDe
MiKiDe reflects my initials in Marathi, my mother tongue, a way of staying connected to my Indian roots while building my professional identity in Australia.
Personal Pursuits
When I'm not designing, you'll find me:
Sewing my own clothes (recently started and loving the creative process)
Training in Kathak, an Indian classical dance focused on storytelling
Freelancing in graphic design and event services, which keeps me grounded and energized
Thought Leadership
I regularly share insights through Medium articles and stay current by attending service design, UX, and technology conferences.