My Journey
At PhonePe, I achieved my first official managerial role in product design after many years as an Individual Contributor. Prior to this, I made significant contributions across various design disciplines, spanning visual design, brand design, and brand marketing design.
I was the first to introduce motion graphic design at PhonePe in 2018-19, (and 3D design in 2020-21) pioneering dynamic animations and interactive experiences that elevated design standards, ultimately leading to the introduction of 'Motion Designer' as a formal job title.
This page highlights key moments of my journey, growth, and contributions as a manager at PhonePe.
Demonstrating Excellence and Readiness for Leadership at PhonePe
Beyond mastering the craft of design, I was also required to present qualitative data across each design competency, illustrated here in the diagram, to demonstrate readiness for the managerial roles and responsibilities.
According to PhonePe's growth philosophy, only when we consistently achieve exceptional ratings/performance (EP) in each of these areas over a sustained period are we considered for advancement to the next level.
DE Team A.K.A "Magic Team"
Between 2022-2023, as PhonePe expanded into new areas like shopping, stock trading, insurance, and app store services, the organization needed exceptional visual designers, illustrators, and motion designers to support these initiatives.
Leveraging my experience in UI/UX, visual, and motion design at PhonePe, I was given the opportunity to mentor and drive growth within the newly formed 'Magic Team,' known for bringing life and motion to product design—a team I was fortunate to lead.
Team Charter
The primary purpose of this team was to bring life to PhonePe's products—including Pincode, Share Market, IndusApp, PhonePe Credit, and Insurance—by working closely with product, UI and brand designers and leading the creation of icons, illustrations, 3D, and motion assets.
Apart from my role as a manager overseeing the team, I was responsible for spearheading initiatives to elevate product experiences by leading visual design efforts and contributing hands-on in 3D and motion design.
Empowering Team Growth through Learning
A key goal of mine was to mentor my team by developing their strengths and interests. To enhance their craft, I led "Learning Workshops" focused on tools like Blender and After Effects, sharing expertise aligned with the latest design trends and competitive insights. These sessions were open to the entire design team, inviting broader participation and skill-building.
Aligning Strengths with Business Impact
I proactively identified areas where business needs aligned with my expertise and the tools I was teaching the team by maintaining close communication with product and business teams. This approach created impactful opportunities for the team to leverage their strengths, refine their craft, and take pride in their contributions.
I oversaw project deliverables throughout the product design cycle and actively participated in collaborative, hands-on work.
DE Team Processes
As we established the 'Design Studio'—an initiative led by multiple leads to create a horizontal team within the design org—I was given the responsibility for the Design Excellence team’s charter on Illustrators and Motion Designers.
I developed SOPs to guide the DE team’s collaboration with other teams, detailing operational processes, feedback workflows, SPOC assignments, trackers and retrospective meetups.
Showcase Deck
I created the showcase deck—a slide deck compiling all projects completed by me and the team, with links to relevant files for design and development.
This deck served as a single source of truth for project records, asset delivery details, and was used for various purposes like publishing newsletters, sharing updates in design townhalls, and presenting during appraisal cycles.
This deck was made accessible to the entire design team, providing updates on the Design Excellence team's contributions and advancements in product design.
Team Growth Path
With illustrators and motion designers being new roles at PhonePe, I was tasked with defining a clear growth path for these designers. Through a detailed competency matrix, I established growth definitions from levels L3 to L7, outlining the skillsets, scope, complexity, and behavioral attributes expected at each level, helping to eliminate ambiguities around career progression.
I also contributed to the previous competency matrix by redefining the career progression path for the Design Studio's 'common bucket.' I led Q&A sessions in design townhalls and held 1:1 and team meetings to ensure clarity on growth and career progression.
Expansion of DE Team
I also had the opportunity to expand the team from 4 to 9 members, serving as the dedicated hiring manager, responsible for defining the interview panels with other panelists and conducting exploratory and technical interviews personally.
I was responsible for creating job descriptions, designing tasks for Motion and Illustration roles, and collaborating closely with the TA team to establish hiring SOPs. This expansion was essential to meet the demands of newly launched apps, each requiring its own dedicated SPOC designer.
My Evolution at PhonePe, 2017–Present
Since 2017, I’ve worn multiple hats as a designer at PhonePe, often stepping in to fill critical gaps when specialized talent wasn’t available. From branding projects where we refined our logo in 2018, to partnering with CoDesign for a full brand identity re-design in 2021, I’ve contributed to shaping PhonePe’s visual presence across major campaigns and product launches. Whether working on IPL, #I4India, PhonePe Switch, DigiGold, the 2020 UI and motion revamp, CRM or PhonePe Wealth, I’ve continuously adapted to meet evolving business needs.
As the company grew, I played a key role in early hiring decisions for creative designers, guiding them through onboarding and design processes while fostering their interests and professional growth.
Beyond my primary roles, I even jumped into HTML and CSS coding at one point—a wild, but rewarding experience that added to my versatility. These experiences equipped me to lead PhonePe’s design initiatives, and in 2023, I had the opportunity to head a horizontal team delivering icon, illustration, and motion work across multiple business units. Looking back, each role—no matter how unexpected—allowed me to support the team, evolve my skills, define team processes and help shape PhonePe’s design culture into what it is today.
Top Launches and Improved Efficiency
The DE team was instrumental in launching new businesses and products like Pincode, IndusOS, Credit, Insurance and ShareMarket apps. With consecutive launches, the team set foundational design directions, ensuring asset deliverables met and elevated PhonePe's design standards. All completed projects are detailed in the showcase deck I’ve maintained since 2022.
The streamlined process enabled product and business teams to collaborate seamlessly with the Design Studio, allowing deliverable requests via a simple Google form and providing detailed progress updates through email and Google Sheets.
Appraisal Cycles & Performance Reviews
As a manager, I was responsible for nurturing each team member's growth, conducting talent and performance reviews, gathering feedback from other leads and stakeholders, preparing promotion cases, and documenting them for presentations.
I also held periodic 1:1 sessions, maintaining a personal development document outlining each member’s growth path.
I conducted sessions for each team member’s strengths and key development areas, aiming to help them reach their full potential and work independently within their respective business units.
Anonymous Survey Scorecard
At PhonePe, anonymous surveys and 360 reviews are conducted to assess managerial effectiveness, with results compiled in the "Manager Effectiveness Index" on a portal for review cycles.
This index captures favorability scores from team feedback, reflecting response percentages. I scored 93%, offering valuable insights into my strengths and areas for growth as a manager.
With strong recommendations from directors and the head of design, I was selected to lead similar initiatives for Pincode’s growth. I pursued this role to gain deeper experience in product design, particularly in the e-commerce and offline retail space, recognizing the unique opportunities this industry offers to elevate my product design skills.
