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Uday Barla

About

I left engineering to understand people. I kept the systems thinking.

I studied computer science through a BTech and an MTech, then joined a product company as a backend software engineer. A year in, I started questioning whether I wanted to spend the next four decades in that seat — so I stopped, and went looking.

Human-centricSensibleMinimal

01Computer science → backend engineering

Learning how systems actually work

Years of computer science and a year of backend engineering taught me to think in structures: data, states, constraints, edge cases. I still design that way — I can read a system, ask engineers precise questions, and understand what a decision costs to build.

  • Logical thinking
  • Technical understanding
  • Systems thinking

02The pause → the mountains

Solo trekking, and 20 strangers a week at a time

After leaving the job I went trekking in Himachal Pradesh. Each trek meant walking with 15–20 people I had never met, for a week at a time. I am an introvert; talking to strangers was the exact thing I found hard. The trails made it ordinary — I got comfortable asking questions and, more usefully, listening to people's stories.

  • Curiosity
  • Communication
  • Listening

03Design → product

Design as the way I solve problems

UX gave the two halves somewhere to meet: understanding people, then structuring a solution. It also taught me that not every problem needs a solution — some need a clearer question. I now design product experiences in SaaS and healthcare, and I am building toward AI products in SaaS.

  • Problem solving
  • Human understanding
  • Simplification

Where I'm headed

Moving toward AI product design in SaaS.

Healthcare and SaaS are where I have worked; AI products are where the same skills — reading systems, reducing cognitive load, designing for trust — matter most next.

Product Thinking

  • Problem framing
  • Requirements & constraints
  • Prioritising what matters
  • Insight → action

UX & Research

  • User journeys & flows
  • Friction mapping
  • Information architecture
  • Behavioural insight

Interaction Design

  • Complex workflows
  • Configuration patterns
  • States & feedback
  • Prototyping

UI & Visual Design

  • Data-heavy interfaces
  • Hierarchy & readability
  • Responsive design
  • Brand-led UI

Design Systems

  • Reusable components
  • Pattern consistency
  • Documentation of decisions

Analytics-informed Design

  • Product analytics
  • Segmentation logic
  • Engagement measurement

Technical Collaboration

  • Working with engineers
  • Feasibility awareness
  • Design handoff & review

What I'd like to be remembered for

A solution-oriented designer — someone who can sit with complexity and come back with something clear.