Hey,

നമസ്കാരം

namaste | /ˈnaməsteɪ,naməˈsteɪ/

Jithu Varghese portrait
About me

I'm a self-taught product designer from Kerala, now based in Bangalore. 8+ years in, and the thing that still drives me is the same thing that started me: the distance between how a product works and how it should feel.

I've spent those years at companies where design either unlocked growth or was blamed for slowing it down. I've been on both sides. That experience is what shapes how I work now - fast enough to ship, thorough enough to get it right.

(How I Work)   I've seen what happens when design is an afterthought - products that confuse, frustrate, and eventually lose users. I've also seen what happens when design leads: products that feel inevitable, that users don't want to leave.

That gap is where I work.

(Quality over quantity)   I'd rather design one thing that works exactly right than five things that work mostly. I work closely with product, engineering, and data to understand what's actually at stake, then focus on the part that design can change.

I don't believe in design for its own sake. Every decision should be traceable back to a user problem or a business outcome. Preferably both.

What I'm
working on now

At Xoxoday, I'm leading AI-driven product design for Empuls - an employee engagement platform used by thousands of teams. The work is about making AI features that feel helpful rather than automated, and trustworthy rather than opaque.

Outside of product work, I'm thinking and writing about a question most designers are only just starting to ask: how do you design systems where the AI doesn't break trust? Not as a technical problem -as a design problem.

That question is where my energy is right now

Experience
Xoxoday / Sr. Product Designer
December 2023 – Present

Empuls - Led end-to-end redesign of Empuls (Web & Mobile). Rebuilt the visual identity, redesigned UX flows, and spearheaded AI-driven design features for an employee engagement platform at scale.

Compass - Redesigned and modernised Compass - Xoxoday's sales performance product - with particular focus on mobile experience consistency.

ACKO /Sr. Product Designer
August 2021 – October 2023

ACKO Health - Designed and launched a first-of-its-kind health insurance product - concept to first version in 3 months. Now at 200+ monthly sales.

Advance Cash - Redesigned the claims journey with a feature that provides upfront funds for medical treatment, reducing financial friction at the most stressful user moment.

ACKO app redesign - Revamped the end-to-end ACKO app experience - new design system, visual overhaul, and UX improvements that supported the company's growth phase.

MyGate / Product Designer
February 2019 – August 2021

Resident app redesign - Led a complete redesign of the resident-facing app - solving navigation and UX failures that had accumulated as the product scaled to millions of users.

MyGate Business - Designed and owned the B2B pod - a visitor management system for workplaces.

MyGate Passport - Research-led design project exploring how MyGate could create value for blue-collar workers. Designed and built an app addressing access and job-seeking challenges.

Netbramha Design Studio / UI/UX Designer
March 2018 – February 2019

Conceptualised, designed complex projects, collaborating with renowned clients like Infosys, Luminous, and Hero Moto Corp to achieve impactful outcomes through research-driven solutions.

Fliptango Global Solutions /UI/UX Designer
April 2017 – March 2018

Key player at a Dubai-based OLX venture, transforming property sales, preowned items, and job listings with enhanced user experiences and successful transactions

Waamos IT Solutions / UI/UX Designer
January 2013 – April 2017

Co-founder and Product Designer experienced in managing international clients from Australia and Germany, with expertise in digital marketing and website management.