We were lucky to catch up with Pragya Srivastava recently and have shared our conversation below.
Pragya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
As the Principal Designer and Founder of Yugen Space, one of my most impactful contributions was leading the design and research for a cutting-edge educational facility as part of a UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development) initiative. The project was a bold vision to create a 21st-century school for children with learning differences, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, within the broader scope of an “Intelligent Global Hub for Digital Pedagogies”.
This ambitious initiative included a centre of excellence for learning science, an incubation center to support startups building EdTech products, and a school for differently-abled learners. Working directly with UNESCO MGIEP’s international consultant, I led the entire design scope for the school, encompassing:
Master Planning and Layouts: Designing layouts that prioritize accessibility, inclusivity, and adaptability for children with diverse learning needs.
3D Prototyping: Creating interactive 3D prototypes for both internal and external spaces, ensuring a seamless and inspiring environment for students and educators alike.
Furniture and Fixtures Planning: Selecting and arranging furniture and fixtures optimized for ergonomic comfort and learning, while keeping sustainability at the forefront.
Detailed Budgeting and Feasibility Analysis: Providing actionable pricing and feasibility plans for implementing the school on a multi-acre campus.
This project was part of a strategic partnership between UNESCO MGIEP, the Education Ministry of Andhra Pradesh, and the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board. It aimed to position Vizag, India, as a global hub for digital education and inclusive learning. The project garnered international recognition, with coverage in esteemed publications like The Hindu and The Times of India.
Impact and Innovation
This initiative stands out not only for its ambitious scope but also for the innovative principles that guided the design:
Inclusive Design for Learning Differences:
The school’s architecture and layout were tailored to support children with learning disabilities, integrating spaces that facilitate multisensory learning and reduce cognitive overload.
Sustainability and Adaptability:
Natural lighting, Sustainable materials and designs were incorporated to create an eco-friendly campus while ensuring adaptability for evolving educational technologies and teaching methods.
EdTech Integration in Design:
By aligning physical spaces with digital pedagogical tools, the design supports UNESCO MGIEP’s mission of leveraging technology to transform learning.
This project reflects my commitment to leveraging design for social impact, blending physical and digital environments to create inclusive, sustainable, and future-forward solutions. It remains a defining moment in my career and a testament to the transformative power of user-centered design in architectural and educational spaces.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
From a young age, I demonstrated both academic excellence and a love for creativity. Sketching and doodling were my passions, and I even served as the Fine Arts Secretary of my school, winning several school-level and national awards for creative sketching. While I initially pursued engineering, as many Indian students do, I found myself yearning for a field that nourished my creative side. That’s when I discovered architecture, which led me to a 5-year Architecture program where I gained a deep appreciation for the principles of design, research, and collaboration.
My career began with roles at large multinational corporations and startups in architecture, where I worked on diverse projects. I eventually co-founded Yugen Space, a partnership firm with a fellow architect, where I began exploring digital design. It was through this exploration that I encountered UX design—an exciting fusion of architecture’s research-driven, iterative approach and the limitless possibilities of the digital realm. I realized that UX design allowed me to extend the principles I loved in architecture to a broader, more impactful domain.
Architecture provided me with invaluable skills:
Research and Process-Oriented Design: The ability to conduct thorough research and use iterative processes to refine designs.
Big Picture Thinking: Balancing a macro perspective with an eye for detail, ensuring designs are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Sustainability and Accessibility: As a LEED Green Associate, I worked on several LEED-certified architectural projects, where I honed my passion for sustainable design. Today, I apply these principles to digital products, focusing on reducing the digital carbon footprint and creating accessible, inclusive experiences.
Transitioning into UX design felt like a natural evolution of my skills and interests. After gaining hands-on experience in UX projects through Yugen Space and freelance opportunities, I decided to deepen my expertise by enrolling in a UX certification program. This program, guided by a skilled industry mentor, sharpened my design principles and prepared me for the tech industry. I worked with several pre-seed startups before landing my current role as a Senior UX Designer with Occidental Petroleum through Apex Systems, where I design enterprise solutions in the Oil and Gas sector.
Looking back, my journey reflects the adaptability, empathy, and problem-solving mindset that I inherited from my parents and nurtured through my diverse experiences. Today, I’m proud to integrate architectural design principles, a passion for sustainability, and a user-centered approach to create impactful solutions in UX design.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
As a Senior UX Designer, founder of Yugen Space, and President of IxDA Houston, I’ve always embraced opportunities to lead, mentor, and inspire others within the design community. My leadership journey has been driven by a desire to uplift others and foster meaningful connections that drive innovation and growth.
Mentorship and Career Development
Mentorship is a cornerstone of my professional life. As an Advanced Mentor on ADPList, a global community of over 30000 mentors, I’ve had the privilege of guiding designers worldwide, helping them refine their portfolios, enhance their skills, and navigate career transitions. One of the most fulfilling aspects of mentorship is seeing mentees land their dream jobs or make significant strides in their careers.
Leadership at IxDA Houston
As President of IxDA Houston, I’ve focused on revitalizing the local design community by organizing impactful events such as speaker series, monthly socials, and skill-building workshops. These initiatives have created opportunities for designers to learn, collaborate, and share ideas.
Leading Impactful Projects
Beyond mentorship and community-building, I’ve led several significant projects that demonstrate the impact of thoughtful design. A notable example is my work on a task tracking and alarm management system in the Oil and Gas industry, where my designs improved operational efficiency by ~30% and enhanced user satisfaction by 35%. Leading this project not only showcased the power of UX in enterprise applications but also inspired my peers to think creatively about solving complex industry problems.
Inspiring Through Advocacy
I’m passionate about advocating for inclusive design, sustainability, and the interdisciplinary nature of UX. Whether through my leadership roles, mentoring, or speaking engagements, I strive to inspire others to approach design with empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to making a positive impact.
By blending mentorship, community leadership, and impactful design work, I aim to create a ripple effect that empowers others to succeed and drives the design industry forward.
Have you ever had to pivot?
As the founder and principal designer of Yugen Space, my journey into UX design began unexpectedly in 2017 when we decided to invest resources into redesigning our company website. It was my first introduction to the world of digital design, and the experience piqued my curiosity as a designer. I began exploring why certain websites performed better than others and discovered the fascinating principles of UX design.
What struck me most was how similar UX was to architectural design in its emphasis on research, iteration, and user-centric thinking—but with an added layer of emotional and psychological depth. UX design resonated with me because it sits at the intersection of people, technology, and business. I was captivated by the idea that good UX, grounded in thorough user research, could significantly improve not only user satisfaction but also drive measurable business value.
Our first experiment with UX principles proved to be a turning point. After redesigning our company website with a focus on user-centered design and intuitive navigation, we saw a 7x increase in visitor traffic and a noticeable rise in client inquiries. Prospective clients frequently commented on how easy it was to find the information they needed and how seamless the experience felt. This success affirmed the power of good UX design in an age of limited attention spans and overwhelming options—it became the distinguishing factor in attracting and retaining clients.
Inspired by these results, my partner and I began taking on more UX challenges. We expanded our services to include website design for other architectural and construction firms and offered UX consultations and design audits for startups. It was incredibly rewarding to see how applying UX principles could transform not just digital products but also the businesses behind them.
That pivotal project ignited my passion for UX design and set me on a path to explore its potential beyond traditional architecture. It solidified my belief in the importance of user-centered design as a means to solve real-world problems and deliver meaningful experiences. Today, I strive to bring that same blend of curiosity, creativity, and research-driven problem-solving to every UX project I undertake.
