[ About Me ]
Designing with heart & hex codes
I’m a New York–based independent design director bridging research, strategy, and design execution. From early chaos to the messy middle, I help teams find focus, build momentum, and ship with confidence, grounded in insight, not guesswork.
Early on, I saw how thoughtful design can quietly make life better, a lesson that’s shaped every career pivot since — blending sharp aesthetics with everyday function that lasts.
I love meeting new people. Let’s connect over coffee and swap stories.
[ My Design Philosophy ]
My designs are rooted in curiosity, care, & inclusivity.
I love untangling complex problems, getting leaders on the same page, and building teams that ship big, meaningful products. I design systems that turn vision into something real — balancing strategy, craft, and business impact.
Curious
& Courageous
I navigate complexity by questioning, reframing, and challenging assumptions in service of bold, future-oriented strategies.
Purpose
& Craft Driven
I design at the intersection of human behaviors and technology, crafting solutions that enrich people’s lives and drive business forward.
Authentic
& Inclusive
I create environments where teams feel heard and trusted, enabling open dialogue that drives clarity and sparks innovation.
Advocacy
& Ownership
I build design collaboration to align diverse perspectives, amplifying design’s impact and creating shared ownership.
Testimonials
“Payal provides structure in a white-space area like business travel in its scaling stages where testing and learning are critical, guiding next steps and grounding them in the “why” through business results and data.”
- Sr Product Manager, Capital One
“Payal strikes a strong balance of business practicality while still pushing for the right design when it matters. That’s precisely why I never hesitate to involve her in conversations with senior leaders.”
- Sr Product Director, Capital One
“In response to business team push on a payment idea that was financially valuable but compromised customer experience, Payal quickly mocked up iterations and ran user testing. The customer feedback was a great education opportunity for the business team and ultimately led to a more customer friendly design.”
- Product Director, Capital One
Payal keeps stakeholders and partners closely involved in the design process and is not afraid to have hard conversations. She always comes at it from an angle of doing the right thing for the benefit of the business and customers - steering the team towards risk-minded decisions”
- Sr. Marketing Manager, Capital One
“Building this business means solving big and small problems daily. Payal embraces the “scrappy is happy” mindset, partnering with us and scaling designs from ideal MVPs to ones that achieve core goals.”
- Sr. Product Director, Capital One
“Payal is an empowering manager, attuned to the many moving parts in the portfolio and always seeking ways for her team to grow and reach their goals. She was fundamental in bringing me into travel work, which created valuable opportunities to learn and grow as a designer.”
- Principle Design Associate, Capital One