iRecycle
A recycling app that turns sorting into a game: scan an item, learn where it goes, and climb a level.
Uma Vangapaty
UX researcher and product designer, from Hyderabad and Seattle. I talk to people before I draw a single screen.
CyHobby
An app that helps new Iowa State students find a hobby club and the people in it.
About me: Less,better
The person behind the screens. I make websites and apps that work as well as they look, and I can show you the research that says so.
More about Uma
Design philosophy
Looking good is the easy part. I design for the moment someone has to use the thing, and I check that moment with real people.
My approach
Surveys and interviews give me the facts. Personas and a journey map turn them into one story the whole team can follow and test.
What drives me
Less, but better. If a screen needs an explanation, it has too much on it, so I cut until every step does one job.
The experience
People remember how an app made them feel. I design the small rewards, like a level-up after recycling, that bring someone back tomorrow.
Work Itake on
Six kinds of project. Each one starts by talking to the people who will use it.
UI/UX design
Research, flows and screens for a product, tested with the people who will use it.
Interactive and motion design
Transitions and small animations that show people what just happened and where to go next.
Mobile and web app UI/UX
App screens for phone and browser, drawn from one set of components.
Website redesign and optimisation
A fresh look at a site you already have, starting with the places visitors get stuck.
Brand identity and design systems
Colour, type and components written down, so a team can build without guessing.
Web design and development
The site designed in Figma, then built in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.