I'm Ajay.
I like understanding the bigger opportunity, making sense of complexity, bringing different perspectives together, and turning an idea into something real.
My work sits across product design, intelligent experiences, enterprise systems, identity, and interactive experiences.
14+
Years in design
12+
Industries
8+
Enterprise experience
leadership
AAA titles
AAA titles and
fan-favorite games.
Design is how I think out loud.
7+
Awards
I started sketching when I was in school. Drawing was something I naturally gravitated toward, long before I knew it could become a career. Later, I discovered games and digital art, and became fascinated by the idea of not just drawing things, but creating the worlds, experiences, and ideas behind them.
That eventually became the foundation for how I work today.
Where I came from
How those experiences shaped me
Art
Taught me to see.
Games
Taught me to think in words, interactions, and systems.
Taught me to work with complexity, scale, technology, and real business constraints.
Enterprise
Design
Brought those experiences together.
Today, I don't see these as separate disciplines. They influence each other and help me approach problems from different angles.
How I think
Start with the opportunity
A brief is often only the starting point. I look for the problem behind it, the opportunity around it, and what could be better.
Think beyond the interface
Products live inside larger ecosystems of people, technology, workflows, and business decisions. Good design has to account for all of them.
I use strategy, prototypes, systems, visual design, and experimentation to turn possibilities into something people can see, challenge, and experience.
Make ideas tangible
Stay curious
Some of the most interesting ideas don't come from a brief. They come from asking what could be different.
Recognition
Stevie Awards
Best app design and user experience at TCS
GDCA
Game design for xcom game
Apple App Store
Editor choice "Best of 2015" for
Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade game
24FPS
6x nomination in best 3d animation film
Awarded to the apps and games I've worked on, as part of the teams behind them.
Also recognized internally at IBM Tech, IBM Design Champion Award, Award, and a few quarterly design awards and earlier with a state level design award in college.
How I contribute
Beyond product work, I explore problems that sit a little outside the brief from AI and productivity to the systems behind complex enterprise work.
I also mentor designers and colleagues, from fine-art fundamentals to product thinking, and regularly share what I'm learning through talks, internal sessions, and writing.
That feels much more like a senior designer describing a practice rather than listing activities.
Where I am now
I’m currently the design lead for IBM’s ELM (Engineering Lifecycle Management) portfolio, shaping product design, AI experiences, and innovation across the suite.
My work at IBM has also spanned Process Mining and Blueworks Live, including AI capabilities such as IQ and Automation Planner, as well as the TRIRIGA portfolio. Alongside product work, I contribute to design system evolution and lead innovation initiatives that explore new ways of solving complex customer and business problems.
Where I'm going
I’m drawn to difficult problems, ambitious ideas, and thoughtful teams especially where design can change what’s possible.
I’m still exploring what comes next.
Got something worth building?
Design leadership, AI product work, or a brand venture if it's ambitious, I want to hear about it.
Email: ajaybarad06@gmail.com