Akshaya Rao
With 2+ years of experience of leading cross-functional projects, from initial concept to final implementation. Adept at balancing creative problem-solving with strategic thinking, that align business goals with customer needs.
- Role
Product Designer
- Years of Experience
11.5 years
Skillsets
- UX Research
- wire-framing
- Behavioural design
- Brand & identity
- Google Suite
- Business Strategy
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Figma - 3 Years
- Visual Design
- Accessibility
- User Testing
- User Flows
- Prototyping
- Interaction Design
- Illustration
- ethnography
- Data Visualization
Professional Summary
11.5Years
- Oct, 2025 - Present 6 months
Product Designer
Capillary Technologies - Jun, 2025 - Feb, 2026 8 months
Fellow
Sitara Akka - Oct, 2024 - Apr, 2025 6 months
Product Designer
GyanGrove - Jul, 2023 - Sep, 2023 2 months
User Experience Designer
Descrypt - Sep, 2023 - Apr, 2024 7 months
Product Designer
Descrypt - Apr, 2024 - Sep, 2024 5 months
Product Designer
Stealth Startup - Jun, 2023 - Apr, 2024 10 months
Product Designer
Descrypt - Feb, 2023 - Jun, 2023 4 months
Volunteer
Sitara Akka - Jan, 2023 - Jun, 2023 5 months
Digital Designer
Skyculture Volunteer
Blue Cross UK- Jun, 2022 - Jan, 2023 7 months
Digital Designer
Go Native
Work History
11.5Years
Product Designer
Capillary TechnologiesOct, 2025 - Present 6 months
Fellow
Sitara AkkaJun, 2025 - Feb, 2026 8 months
Product Designer
GyanGroveOct, 2024 - Apr, 2025 6 months
Designed and optimized end-to-end product flows for web and mobile platforms, improving task completion rates by 30% in usability tests and contributing to a 20% reduction in support tickets. Collaborated with product managers, engineers, and marketing teams, reducing design-to-development turnaround time by 25% and ensuring on-time delivery. Built wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes, validated with 30+ users in usability studies, uncovering key usability issues that improved overall product adoption.
Product Designer
Stealth StartupApr, 2024 - Sep, 2024 5 months
Product Designer
DescryptSep, 2023 - Apr, 2024 7 months
User Experience Designer
DescryptJul, 2023 - Sep, 2023 2 months
Product Designer
DescryptJun, 2023 - Apr, 2024 10 months
Led the redesign of key fintech modules, increasing monthly active users by 18% and reducing churn by 12% over 6 months, while aligning product, engineering, and compliance teams. Collaborated closely with product and marketing teams to refine features and prioritize customer needs, influencing the product roadmap for initiatives like crypto taxation and loans against diverse investments (Mutual Funds, bonds, intangible assets). Streamlined user flows that increased user retention by 15% for high-value financial tools, improving user experience and reducing churn.
Volunteer
Sitara AkkaFeb, 2023 - Jun, 2023 4 months
Formulating science Teachers Instruction Kits and making education accessible, inclusive using local languages for visually impaired children from underserved communities.
Digital Designer
SkycultureJan, 2023 - Jun, 2023 5 months
Conceptualized & illustrated children's storybooks, integrated textile-based designs increasing product engagement by 25%. Developed a culturally rich series featuring Indian folk stories, showcasing traditional art forms like Madhubani, Gond, & Warli, increasing product sales by 20%.
Digital Designer
Go NativeJun, 2022 - Jan, 2023 7 months
Collaborated with a multilingual team to create inclusive educational content for visually impaired students. Designed user interfaces for E-commerce platforms & print materials, enhancing brand visibility & driving a 25% growth in online engagement. Led product photoshoots & curated design catalogs, improving product presentation & sales for multiple client accounts.
Volunteer
Blue Cross UKOrganized an activity as Secretary of ESSE club with fellow club members for painting and revamping the OT for animals at Blue Cross Madras.
Major Projects
1Projects
Inclusive Educational Content
Feb, 2023 - Jul, 2023 5 months
Collaborated with a multilingual team to create inclusive educational content for visually impaired students. Gained deeper understanding of accessibility by engaging directly with stakeholders and applied accessible design principles to real-world challenges.
Education
B.Des Communication Design
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai (2022)