Kartick Hari : Augmenting The Design Industry By Integrating With Emerging Technologies
Kartick Hari
CDO
Today, design plays a strategic role in shaping brand identities, driving innovation, and influencing consumer behavior across industries. At the heart of this evolution are a handful of modern-day design leaders like Kartick Hari, who leads UI/UX design & development agency EXDERA.
Kartick is on a mission to develop world-class products that address complex business communication challenges. By integrating emerging technologies such as deep tech AI, AR/VR, and data analytics, the company is pushing the boundaries of what design can achieve, making it a powerful driver of business success in an experience-led world.
An Electronic Media graduate, he brings nearly two decades of entrepreneurial experience in experience design, technology strategy, and digital product innovation. He has consulted with diverse clients, including Redington Group, Max Healthcare, BigBasket, HCL, IIT-Madras, Toyota, and Airbus. We are pleased to engage Kartick in this exclusive interview on design leadership and innovation.
As a leader in the design industry, what are the challenges you are currently up against?
While designing solutions for businesses, the key is understanding that every company has a unique journey. Even if someone wants to build an Amazon like platform, they start from a place with distinct challenges. The key lies in understanding those specific challenges and aligning our solutions accordingly. The real challenge lies in focusing on mapping the ideal journey, identifying what's realistically achievable, and planning how to adapt when changes arise along the way.
Since each project brings a new set of circumstances, we follow an adaptive approach rather than
fitting it to the template. When ever we face major roadblocks, especially on the client side, our response is always collaborative. Whether it's a startup or a large enterprise, we work closely with them to co-create solutions, ensuring long-term value rather than just quick fixes.
How do you find your past experiences beneficial in providing design expertise to organizations?
I began my career at a regional advertising agency, building a strong foundation in branding, including naming, voice, style, and identity. I then joined Cognizant as a graphic designer, where I worked on research and learning solutions for enterprise clients. This experience deepened my understanding of enterprise systems and team dynamics. Later, I took on a more entrepreneurial role at a tech company called Sybrant, helping transform it into a designled technology organization.
I consulted for brands like HCL and Big Basket, designing their mobile app and collaborating closely for nearly two years during BigBasket’s early growth phase. Throughout my journey, design has always taken a leadership role, shaping user experiences across digital products, e-commerce, and enterprise platforms. I bring a design driven mindset into every engagement, embedding strategy and innovation to deliver scalable, business aligned solutions that truly drive impact.
How do you keep yourself up to date with the ongoing industry trends?
For me, design is something that stems from understanding how the world works. At its core, my perspective has always been rooted in a deep understanding of technology. Over the past two decades in the industry, I’ve witnessed an enormous shift from floppy disks to fully cloud-based ecosystems shaping how I think about design. Design today isn’t just about visuals or trends; it’s about adapting to and working with evolving technology.
The design lacks impact without a strong grasp of the current and emerging tech landscape. Good design isn’t just aesthetic—it’s logical, research-driven, and aligned with the technology it serves. In my view, strong design leadership starts with technological awareness. In my team, I prioritize intellectual curiosity, people who understand the intersection of business, technology, and design and can create solutions grounded in that understanding.
How do you find your past experiences beneficial in providing design expertise to organizations?
I began my career at a regional advertising agency, building a strong foundation in branding, including naming, voice, style, and identity. I then joined Cognizant as a graphic designer, where I worked on research and learning solutions for enterprise clients. This experience deepened my understanding of enterprise systems and team dynamics. Later, I took on a more entrepreneurial role at a tech company called Sybrant, helping transform it into a designled technology organization.
I consulted for brands like HCL and Big Basket, designing their mobile app and collaborating closely for nearly two years during BigBasket’s early growth phase. Throughout my journey, design has always taken a leadership role, shaping user experiences across digital products, e-commerce, and enterprise platforms. I bring a design driven mindset into every engagement, embedding strategy and innovation to deliver scalable, business aligned solutions that truly drive impact.
Good design isn’t just aesthetic—it’s logical, research-driven, and aligned with the technology it serves
How do you keep yourself up to date with the ongoing industry trends?
For me, design is something that stems from understanding how the world works. At its core, my perspective has always been rooted in a deep understanding of technology. Over the past two decades in the industry, I’ve witnessed an enormous shift from floppy disks to fully cloud-based ecosystems shaping how I think about design. Design today isn’t just about visuals or trends; it’s about adapting to and working with evolving technology.
The design lacks impact without a strong grasp of the current and emerging tech landscape. Good design isn’t just aesthetic—it’s logical, research-driven, and aligned with the technology it serves. In my view, strong design leadership starts with technological awareness. In my team, I prioritize intellectual curiosity, people who understand the intersection of business, technology, and design and can create solutions grounded in that understanding.
How do you balance these trends, design solutions, business objectives and customer needs?
Many companies question the need for an external design team but often miss gaining insights on objective, fresh perspectives from internal teams. When an extended design team handles design, the creative blind spots can be overcome by offering unbiased, research-led insights and industry best practices. As CDOs, our role goes beyond execution, embedding ourselves into the client’s strategic thinking.
Leading companies often rely on external design partners because true innovation frequently comes from outside their immediate environment. This collaboration enriches both internal and external teams, aligning solutions with user needs and long term business goals. With open collaboration and purpose-driven creativity, we bring design leadership that enables growth, drives clarity, and helps businesses stand out in a competitive landscape.
What is your future roadmap going forward?
We operate as a design office that accelerates product teams. Our focus lies in delivering AI-driven design tools and solutions, particularly for deep-tech sectors such as healthcare and aerospace. I started this company six years ago, sparked by a friend's comment: 'India isn't known for design companies.' I saw that as a gap and an opportunity to build a world class design organization from India.
Today, we are proud to be recognized as one of the top UX design agencies specializing in designing and developing large-scale products and platforms, not just small interfaces but systems with real complexity and scale. Looking ahead, the future is undeniably AI-driven. Our vision is centered on designing with AI and integrating it meaningfully into product experiences. We're committed to building tools and platforms that make AI integration seamless, purposeful, and transformative.
Kartick Hari, CDO, EXDERA
A seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the design industry, Kartick guides the product design teams of Scale-ups and Large Enterprises as CDO. He also leads UI/UX design & development agency Exdera. He holds an M.Sc. in Electronic Media from Anna University, Chennai.
•Hobbies: Fitness and Music
•Favorite Cuisine: South Indian
•Favorite Travel Destination: Beach and Hiking
•Favorite Book: The World According to Karl - Karl Lagerfeld
Many companies question the need for an external design team but often miss gaining insights on objective, fresh perspectives from internal teams. When an extended design team handles design, the creative blind spots can be overcome by offering unbiased, research-led insights and industry best practices. As CDOs, our role goes beyond execution, embedding ourselves into the client’s strategic thinking.
Leading companies often rely on external design partners because true innovation frequently comes from outside their immediate environment. This collaboration enriches both internal and external teams, aligning solutions with user needs and long term business goals. With open collaboration and purpose-driven creativity, we bring design leadership that enables growth, drives clarity, and helps businesses stand out in a competitive landscape.
What is your future roadmap going forward?
We operate as a design office that accelerates product teams. Our focus lies in delivering AI-driven design tools and solutions, particularly for deep-tech sectors such as healthcare and aerospace. I started this company six years ago, sparked by a friend's comment: 'India isn't known for design companies.' I saw that as a gap and an opportunity to build a world class design organization from India.
Today, we are proud to be recognized as one of the top UX design agencies specializing in designing and developing large-scale products and platforms, not just small interfaces but systems with real complexity and scale. Looking ahead, the future is undeniably AI-driven. Our vision is centered on designing with AI and integrating it meaningfully into product experiences. We're committed to building tools and platforms that make AI integration seamless, purposeful, and transformative.
Kartick Hari, CDO, EXDERA
A seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the design industry, Kartick guides the product design teams of Scale-ups and Large Enterprises as CDO. He also leads UI/UX design & development agency Exdera. He holds an M.Sc. in Electronic Media from Anna University, Chennai.
•Hobbies: Fitness and Music
•Favorite Cuisine: South Indian
•Favorite Travel Destination: Beach and Hiking
•Favorite Book: The World According to Karl - Karl Lagerfeld