Hi! I'm Jai Sawkar, based in Brooklyn NY.
he/him
jaissawkar@gmail.com
I'm a multidisciplinary designer with a track record of bringing new products to life — from early concept to the hands of thousands of users. I thrive in fast-moving environments where design and research are inseparable, and where the best solutions come from deeply understanding the people using them.
My foundation was built across disciplines, majoring in human-computer interaction and architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. My design background was built in and out of the studio and further actualized through designing mixed hardware + software experiences, followed by roles spanning architectural design, product management, and UX.
Through this multidisciplinary background, I have work featured in The Verge, Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo, CMU EX-CHANGE, and the Seattle Design Festival.
During my time at Sonos Pro, I have thrived in a startup-like environment within a leading sound company. I've juggled multiple roles in doing so, working on everything from roadmap planning, and conceptual work, and designing everything from a design system to user invoices.
At Aladdin Wealth, I design for wealth managers at dozens of banks across every major financial market — professionals responsible for the portfolios of ultra-high net worth clients.
I lead design for Actions, Oversights, and Campaigns for all of our clients— the core of how advisors monitor client portfolios, stay ahead of compliance and regulatory requirements, and act on opportunities surfaced by their own financial experts. The work is about bringing clarity to some of the most complex, high-stakes workflows in finance.
Through my career, I have delivered multiple market-ready products and features by deeply understanding user needs and iterating through research-driven experiences.
I love to utilize the knowledge I have and can gather about intertwined business & design strategies to create and own a seat at the table to drive innovation and create powerful user experiences for everyday users.
Outside of work, most fall Sundays you'll find me watching the Seahawks. The rest of the year I'm brainstorming woodworking plans, wandering art galleries, catching films, and annoying everyone around me with font trivia and podcast recommendations I'm convinced they need to hear. 😎
Below is a gallery of some work outside of UX design; for questions on these or more, reach out!
Work from my time in Architecture
Joinery
Fundamentals of Computational Design - 2019
Tasked with designing and constructing a scalable shelving structure using modular design schematics and friction jointry.




Saco Wellness Center
Architecture Studio - 2019
Tasked with designing a bathhouse for the mountains in Saco Lake, New Hampshire.


Scansio
Architecture Studio - 2019
Tasked with a design-build project of creating an accessible greenhouse for Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA.



Spring Garden Hostel
Architecture Studio - 2018
Tasked with repurposing an existing facade shell to create a hostel and community center for East Allegheny, Pittsburgh.


