"Design is to find a ray of hope while being immersed in ambiguity and
to mold that ray into existence."
Hello!
I am Saloni, an industrial designer pursuing my M.S degree with a human-centered design focus at MIT. As a designer at MIT, I am bringing together design, engineering, and empathy to build responsible products which find their way to the user.
I was born in India and spent my childhood in the culturally rich state of Rajasthan before graduating from the MIT Institute of Design's Industrial Design program.
I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most innovative companies and disruptive startups as an industrial designer to build impactful technological solutions.
When I am not designing or sketching, I like to bullet journal, do pottery, and explore a new skill. My time outside work brings a lot of inspiration and joy into my work.
Education
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)- Integrated Design & Management, Cambridge (USA)
MS, Engineering and Management, Human-Centered Design
2021- 2023
MAEER's MIT Institute Of Design, Pune (India)
Industrial Design- Undergraduate Degree
2012- 2017
Awards
James Dyson Award, National runner-up - USA: APT: Accessible pregnancy tests for people with vision impairments
Mathworks COVID-19 Design Challenge Winner 2020: A Space Divider for airplanes to limit the spread of COVID-19
MIT Grandhack 2020: Intersystems challenge winner: Track- Future of Aging
Lexus Design Awards Finalist, 2019
Pune Design Festival, 2016: Winner, Product Design Category: Resign of a Plunge Router
Patents
APT: Accessible Pregnancy test for people with vision impairment, US Provisional Application No. 63/338,304
Tableware Manufacturing Machine, Indian Patent application No. 202021014852
Tableware Manufacturing Machine, Design Application No. 328745-00
Automated Rice and Curry Maker, Indian Patent Application No. 201841014237
Work Experience
Loft Design studio, Providence (Rhode Island), US - Industrial Design, Summer 2022
Developed creative and viable design solutions in the space of consumer electronics, wearables, and healthcare with a team of designers and engineers.
Collaborated with the design team on projects for clients such as Fluidlogic, Sharper Image, Merchsource, Hayward, Hormona, etc. Worked primarily in concept ideation (sketching, brainstorming), 3D modeling, rendering, and secondary research.
Collaborated with the design team on projects for clients such as Fluidlogic, Sharper Image, Merchsource, Hayward, Hormona, etc. Worked primarily in concept ideation (sketching, brainstorming), 3D modeling, rendering, and secondary research.
REDX Innovation Lab, India (Mumbai) - Industrial Designer, 2018-2021
Developed an affordable tabletop manufacturing machine and methodology to make eco-friendly tableware out of leaves and edible glue. Tested various natural raw materials for sturdiness and ease of manufacturing. Researched the user needs & problems faced by stakeholders in the area of eco-friendly single-use product manufacturing.
Initiated a project to develop an inclusive, easy-to-access platform that can help individuals experiencing anxiety or mild to moderate depression to feel calm and soothe them down by using techniques like text/speech analysis, sentiment analysis, self-assessment, grounding activities, and other interventions.
Initiated a project to develop an inclusive, easy-to-access platform that can help individuals experiencing anxiety or mild to moderate depression to feel calm and soothe them down by using techniques like text/speech analysis, sentiment analysis, self-assessment, grounding activities, and other interventions.
Futuristic Labs, India (Hyderabad) - Industrial Designer, 2017- 2018
Research, design, and development of the kitchen automation product range.
Conceptualization, visualization, and CAD modeling of various products with detailing for easy manufacturability and a seamless user experience.
Defining a visual language and intuitive user flow for an automated rice and curry maker
Conceptualization, visualization, and CAD modeling of various products with detailing for easy manufacturability and a seamless user experience.
Defining a visual language and intuitive user flow for an automated rice and curry maker
LVP-MITRA, India (Hyderabad) - Industrial Design Intern, Summer 2016
Design Research, concept generation, and prototyping to develop an educational tool for the visually impaired with the rehab center of LV Prasad Eye Institute in collaboration with MIT Media Labs.
Validated prototypes and synthesized the findings.
Planned and conducted design ethnography.
Validated prototypes and synthesized the findings.
Planned and conducted design ethnography.
SELCO Foundation, India (Bangalore)- Industrial Design Intern, Summer 2015
Initiated a project on the health aspects in the tribal areas of Odisha. The work area covered:
Design research in the remote areas of Kalahandi
Product proposals for healthcare products in association with Swasthya Swaraj (NGO working for tribal healthcare)
Designed a water filter that can be produced by the locals with limited resources.
Design research in the remote areas of Kalahandi
Product proposals for healthcare products in association with Swasthya Swaraj (NGO working for tribal healthcare)
Designed a water filter that can be produced by the locals with limited resources.
In the News
Bringing Accessible Design to space
I conducted user research in Zero Gravity with a group of researchers and disability ambassadors to make Space explorations more accessible.
Read more about the host organization: astroaccess.org/
The NY Times article about how we made history with the first disability crew in zero gravity.
