Nodes of Design#98: Designing for Innovation by Deepak Menon

Deepak Menon is Vice President at Microsoft India, leading the Product Experience, Design and Research teams across products in the Experience & Devices (E+D) and Security, Compliance, Identity and Compliance (SCIM) divisions at Microsoft India. They include products like Windows, Teams, Office, Edge, Search, Bing, OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, and Loop. Deepak’s team helped define the enquiry around ‘What is productivity for billions of mobile-only users’, which has led to product innovations like Kaizala and Microsoft Office – mobile products that help businesses connect with their value chain to collaborate and complete consumer and business workflows. Deepak was also responsible for designing and defining the Ribbon interface for Microsoft Office. He was also the driver for the Microsoft Centre for Information work, which reimagined the future of productivity and won the IDSA gold reward in 2003. Deepak has worked at Google leading User Experience teams in India and Seattle. He was also the Chief Product and Customer officer at Myntra, leading teams across multiple functions. Deepak completed his B.Arch. from REC. Trichy, his M.Arch. on a fellowship and M.F.A. from The Ohio State University. He loves sports and lives in Hyderabad with his wife, Ashwini, two sons, Adhvai & Prathyai and his dog Dash. Join us as we delve into the pivotal role of design in driving innovation within organizations. Deepak shares a compelling project Kaizala, where design proved crucial in fostering innovation and illuminated the powerful impact of design thinking on transformative outcomes. In this episode, we explore the indispensable roles of diversity and empathy in the design process when aiming for innovation. Deepak unravels how embracing diverse perspectives and empathetic approaches unlocks the potential for groundbreaking solutions and user-centric experiences. Discover the art of balancing practicality and creativity in the quest for innovative design. Learn how to cultivate a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment where design seamlessly integrates with engineering, marketing, and product management functions. We unveiled effective strategies for nurturing innovation through harmonious cross-functional collaboration. Get insights on approaching emerging technologies and trends in design innovation. Deepak gives invaluable tips on staying ahead of the curve, leveraging cutting-edge advancements, and navigating the ever-evolving landscape of emerging technologies to drive innovative design solutions. Embark on a journey of technological promise as our guest unveils their excitement for emerging technologies and trends driving innovation in design. Discover the transformative potential of groundbreaking advancements and explore the untapped possibilities that lie ahead. Please tune in to our podcast, Designing for Innovation: Unleashing Creative Brilliance, as we engage in thought-provoking conversations with Deepak Menon, uncovering the transformative power of design in driving innovation. Book Recommendation by Deepak Menon Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive, and Others Die - Chip Heath Guns, Germs And Steel - Jared Diamond  Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger - Peter Bevelin Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.