Riyaz Ali
Product Designer · India

Hello, I'm Riyaz Ali,
A Product Designer

Hands-on design leader with 13+ years experience passionate about solving user problems and driving business success.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Current and previous employers.

Current

Freshworks, Senior Staff Product Designer

Jan 2014 - Current | 11+ yrs

At Freshservice (A key product at Freshworks), I handle Design Ops, streamline the Dew Design System to boost designer adoption and reduce GTM time, ensure smooth design processes, and act as the gatekeeper for all design solutions.

Previous

Endeavour Software, UX/UI Designer

Jan 2012 - Jan 2014 | 2 yrs

As an UI designer at Endeavour, I handled challenging and interesting design projects of global customers in Banking, Insurance, Healthcare and E-Commerce industries.

RECOGNITION

Achievements

Recognized for achievements in building Freshservice Product at Freshworks.

Achievement Award Achievement Award Achievement Award Achievement Award Achievement Award

CAPABILITIES

Skillset

Expertise in various design disciplines, ideal for comprehensive projects. Versatility allows tackling any challenge with precision and creativity.

Product Design Thinking

Proficiency in design thinking methodologies to understand user needs, define problems, and generate innovative solutions.

UI/UX Design

Strong understanding of user interface and user experience design principles to create intuitive and engaging digital products.

Interaction Design

Knowledge of interaction design principles to create seamless interactions between users and digital interfaces.

Information Architecture

Understanding of information architecture principles to organize and structure digital content effectively.

Technical Skills

Basic understanding of front-end development technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to collaborate effectively with development teams.

Leadership

Strong leadership skills to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams, including designers, developers, and product managers.

Design Process and Toolset

I believe great design is achieved through simplicity, efficiency, and thoughtful aesthetics.

Process

  • 🎯
    Discovery

    Define the problem by aligning user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints.

  • 🔍
    Generate

    Explore a wide range of ideas and potential solutions through research, creativity, and design thinking.

  • Evaluate

    Validate concepts using user feedback, data insights, and informed design decisions.

  • ✏️
    Refine

    Iterate and enhance solutions to improve usability, accessibility, and overall experience.

  • 🚀
    Launch and Learn

    Launch with confidence, measure outcomes, gather insights, and continuously improve through future iterations.

Toolset

Research and Ideation

ChatGPT Gemini Claude

Prototyping and Design

Figma Cursor Claude code Figma Make

Collaboration

Slack Jira

Images / Illustrations / Icons

Design System library

ENDORSEMENTS

This is what people say about me

A few lines from people worked with over 12+ years

"Riyaz is one of the best people I've worked with, easy to work with and quickly became a friend. He sincerely cares about teamwork and gives 100% to every task. Helped us set up Design System for Freshservice. Working together for almost 5 years - always a pleasure! Smart, organized, great idea person, quick to compliment, not afraid to challenge. A joy to have in any design team."

Senthilnathan Shanmugam

Senthilnathan Shanmugam

Global Head AVP @ Birdeye

"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Riyaz since my very first initiative together at Freshservice in 2022 , and it’s been an incredible journey. Riyaz is not just a great designer—his deep understanding of user experience is matched by his ability to think strategically and deliver results that move the needle. What sets him apart, though, is how grounded and approachable he is as a manager. He brings a calm and collaborative energy to every interaction, making it easy for cross-functional teams to align and execute effectively. His strong domain knowledge in ITSM has been invaluable, especially when making product decisions that truly resonate with our users. Riyaz consistently keeps the product’s success at the forefront, and his result-oriented mindset is inspiring to work with. Anyone would be lucky to have Riyaz on their team—he’s a true asset to any product organization."

Sheik Mohaideen

SanthanaGopalan Varadharajan

Senior Manager, Product Management @ Salesforce

"I've had the pleasure of working with Riyaz for over six years across multiple projects, and I can confidently say he's one of the most talented UI/UX designers I’ve collaborated with. His design skills are exceptional, but what truly sets him apart is his ability to empathize deeply with users. He takes the time to understand their pain points and consistently translates that insight into thoughtful, intuitive solutions. Riyaz is not only a skilled designer but also a strong leader. He sets a high bar for quality and inspires those around him to do their best work. Despite his expertise and accomplishments, he's incredibly humble and approachable—a rare combination that makes him not just a great teammate, but someone everyone enjoys working with and learning from. Any team would be lucky to have him!"

Sundararajan Srinivasan

Sundararajan Srinivasan

Product @ Tableau Next, Salesforce