Aparna Sanaka is a user experience leader and innovation leader based in Virginia. She was born in Secunderabad, India and raised in major cities around India such as Kolkata, New Delhi, and Mumbai. She currently works at the International Finance Corporation in Washington DC, where she has held roles including user experience lead, senior manager of projects, and customer experience team lead. She specializes in applying human-centered design principles and design thinking to enterprise applications, websites, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. She has industry experience across sectors including banking, telecommunications, health, and government.

1. Aparna Sanaka
Hello, I am

2. I was born in Secunderabad.
Raised and studied in major cities
around India.
Kolkatta
New Delhi
Mumbai
I currently live in Virginia
Work @
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
in Washington DC.

3. Generating
ideas…
Take
leaps of
faith
FAITH
Holistic
Thinking
My unique perspective…

4. So, what do I do? …
My present and past roles include User Experience Lead, User Experience Consultant, Senior Manager - Projects,
Associate Usability Consultant, Senior Information Architect, Customer Experience Team Lead and Content Manager
I am a
User Experience Leader
Innovation Leader
Design thinker
UX Mentor/Coach

5. How do I do, what I do? …
HUMAN
CENTERED DESIGN
PRINCIPLES
DESIGN THINKING
INNOVATION
MENTORING
A P P L Y
• Enterprise applications
• Rich Internet applications
(Business Intelligence tools,
Project Management tools)
• Intranets
• Portals
• Interactive maps
• Web applications
• Mobile applications
• Simplified web forms
• Print Media – Online and
Offline branding, Newsletters,
Mailers, Pamphlets/handouts
Project work related to…
E M E R G I N G
T E C H N O L O G I E S
• Emotional-Driven Design
• Data-Supported Design
• Experience Outcome (XO) Design
• Intuitive Design
• Design Thinking Applied
• Integrated Design
• Mentoring team members,
interns
• Currently part of the UXPA
Washington DC chapter
Mentorship program 2020
• AI/ML
• Data Analytics
• AR/VR
• IoT
• 5G
• Cybersecurity
• Smart villages
• Championing UX
• For Proof of values (PoVs)
• Scaled projects

6. Leading the way in the UX space…
• Banking and Finance
• Multi-lateral development
organization
• Private sector for developing countries
• Insurance
• Telecommunications
• Health
• e-Learning
Industry Experience in…
• Government
• Manufacturing

7. SYDNEY
MUMBAI
FORT WAYNE
SAN JOSE
WASHINGTON DC
NYC, NEW JERSEY
DELAWARE
Gathered experience working in Mumbai, India, then moved to the US in 2007. Since then I have worked in
several locations across the globe.
Global experience …

8. My inspiration…
Podcasts, audiobooks,
Blinkst & more…
Audio
Meetups, Tech huddles,
conferences, webinars,
Linkedin connects & more…
People
Envisioning Information,
Knowledge is beautiful,
Designing digital
voice experiences &
more…
Books
To gain exposure
to interactions
Harvard Business Review,
Medium, Blinkist,
TED talks, LinkedinLearning,
Percipio & more…
Apps, websites

9. Patterns
Color Nature
Fibonacci
Texture Food
What intrigues me?…
Pottery,
Painting
on plain
white
bisques
and more…
Interior
Design
Gardening
I Enjoy…
Doll
Making,
Polymer clay
Miniatures

10. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnasanaka
Thank you