Uma Vangapaty

Hi, I'm

Uma Vangapaty

product designer · startups + enterprise

I make complex enterprise tools feel simple, and help startups ship them fast.

I design across early-stage startups and enterprise systems, and I use AI to move faster through research, wireframes and prototypes. That leaves more of my time for the decisions that matter. Hyderabad → Seattle, by way of Iowa State.

  • Product Design + UX
  • Open to full-time roles
  • Based in Seattle
  • Research → prototype → test
  • AI-assisted workflow
  • Mobile & web apps · Design systems
Note 1

Welcome :)

Currently

Looking for my next team

Psst

There's a drawer below ↓

Selected work

2 projects · academic, Iowa State

a quick design review

Spot the 5 UX issues

This made-up enterprise screen ships on Monday. Click anything that looks wrong and I'll tell you what I'd change.

0 / 5 found

Orders

About

Hyderabad → Seattle → Iowa State

Illustration of Umathat's me, mid-critique

I make complicated things feel simple, whether it's a startup's first product or an enterprise tool with years of history behind it.

I came to UX through a bioengineering internship, watching how people actually used the equipment and software around them: where they hesitated, what they worked around, what nobody had asked them. I moved from Hyderabad to Seattle at fifteen and studied at Iowa State.

I use AI to speed up the slow parts of design: synthesizing notes, exploring layout options, drafting copy and building quick prototypes. That leaves more time for the judgment calls, and for checking the work with real users before anyone calls it done.

  • principle 1

    Less, but better

    If a screen needs explaining, it has too much on it.

  • principle 2

    Test with real people

    AI gets me to a testable draft faster. People tell me whether it works.

  • principle 3

    Design the small rewards

    A level-up after recycling is a small thing. It is also why people open the app again.

Things recruiters usually ask me

Short answers

When can you start?
Available now for full-time UX research or product design roles.
Where are you based?
Seattle, WA. Open to hybrid or remote, and to relocation for the right team.
What tools do you use, and where does AI fit?
Figma for design and prototyping, Mural and Miro for synthesis, HTML, CSS and JavaScript to build. AI helps me synthesize research, explore layouts and prototype faster, with Figma AI, ChatGPT and Claude.