Hi! I'm Jai Sawkar (he/him), based in Brooklyn NY.
I am a UX Designer at Sonos Inc and a founding designer of Sonos Pro.
he/him
jaissawkar@gmail.com
I am a multidisciplinary designer with a proven track record of delivering new and innovative products to thousands of users. I thrive in a fast-paced environment, and I find excitement in bringing design and design research together to create powerful products.
Coming from a background 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 working mixed hardware + software experiences in multiple roles: architectural designer (BCRA), digital designer (GrowSquares), product manager (Sonos) and UX designer (Sonos Pro).
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 (maybe a bit biased). 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.
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, I like to keep myself busy. Most Sundays in the fall involve me watching the Seahawks, and most other days, I'm either roaming Central Park in search of some pickleball or finding different art galleries and movies to step into. You can find me at different typography lectures and workshops, and every day, I am annoying friends and family with random font tidbits and podcast knowledge I've accumulated 😎.
Below is a gallery of some work outside of UX design; for questions on these or more, reach out to me at jaissawkar@gmail.com.
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.
