Harsh Wardhan
I consider myself an empathetic human and a technology enthusiast who loves connecting the dots and telling compelling stories. My superpowers include- a robust user-centered approach, strategic thinking, and a big-picture vision with an eye on the details.
Read the story of my professional journey on this page or download the detailed resume below.
Design Thinking Expert | Innovation Leader | Experience Strategist
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Cross-Functional Leadership
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Project Strategy and Planning
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Stakeholder Management
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Systems Design
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Customer Insights
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User Experience Strategy
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Design Thinking
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Prototyping
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Public Speaking
Experience
GOOGLE, SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA
SEP 2021 - PRESENT
Innovation Manager, Google Cloud
I’ve had the privilege of driving innovation with C-suite and enterprise leaders from Fortune 500 companies, designing 50+ co-creation workshops that delivered $1B+ in commit value and $500M+ revenue growth.
By scaling a Design-Thinking program with a 98% customer satisfaction score, conducting customer research to uncover pain points, and leading AI-driven initiatives like GenAI and LLM roadmaps, I’ve aligned solutions with strategic goals to deliver measurable success.
Collaborating across regions and teams, I’ve translated insights into actionable strategies, fostering alignment and enabling impactful, user-centered outcomes.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY, DEARBORN,MI
AUG 2019 - JUL 2021
Design Stategist, Product Design Team
As a car enthusiast, it was a milestone to work in the automotive industry. By synthesizing user research and feedback, I shaped end-to-end customer journeys and product concepts that helped secure over $3M in funding for a new line of business and drove actionable strategies for innovative product launches.
I led workshops with executives and stakeholders in virtual, hybrid, and in-person settings to align product strategies and champion user-centric design.
Collaborating with strategic, marketing, and engineering teams, I delivered prototypes and service concepts, refining processes that enabled cross-functional success.
FINABLR (WIZZFINANCIAL), CHICAGO,IL
MAR 2019 - MAY 2019
Design Research and Strategy Consultant
Collaborating with senior leadership, I led research to uncover stakeholder challenges and crafted a stage-gate, human-centered innovation program for digital product innovation. As a part of this outcome, I delivered prototypes for a tracking system to enhance operational efficiency and elevate stakeholder satisfaction.
CONVENE, NEW YORK, NY/CHICAGO, IL
JAN 2019 - FEB 2019
User Experience Strategy Consultant
I collaborated with strategy teams to design future-of-work concepts that aligned business opportunities with user needs. By facilitating workshops, I informed digital product strategies and evaluated the user experience of existing offerings.
Partnering with human-centered design teams, I helped launch Convene Chicago, leveraging user research insights to optimize customer engagement and deliver impactful solutions.
Previously
SCRA2CH MEDIA PVT. LTD., INDIA
User Experience Lead
SEP 2016 - JUN 2017
TEEPOT DESIGN STUDIO, INDIA
Founder, Experience Designer
MAY 2015 - JUN 2017
11 MONKS PVT. LTD., INDIA
Interaction Designer
OCT 2012 - DEC 2014
Leadership
OPEN INNOVATION ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER,
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
2024 – PRESENT
BOARD OF ADVISORS MEMBER,
FRONT END OF INNOVATION, INFORMA
2023 – PRESENT
WE SPEAK INNOVATION
FOUNDING PARTNER, WE SPEAK INNOVATION
2020 – PRESENT
Education
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL,USA
2020
Professional Certificate
Disruptive Innovation
IIT INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, CHICAGO
2019
Master of Design
Design Thinking & Innovation
BIRLA INSTITUE OF TECHNOLOGY, INDIA
2015
Bachelor of Architecture
Architectural Design
Notable Engagements
TRANSFORM RURAL INDIA FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI, INDIA
JANUARY 2023
Advanced Design Workshops for CBC, India
Led design thinking workshops for bureaucrats from the Ministries of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Labor in collaboration with Harvard D-Lab and the Capacity Building Commission, hosted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration
HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, BOSTON, MA
DECEMBER 2021
Designing for Conserving Futures Workshops
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Delivered advanced design workshops for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, United States.
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Participated in a research initiative to enhance human-behavioral connections for organizations to adapt to evolving demographics, public interests, climate, biodiversity, and zoonotic disease threats
ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE OF DESIGN, CHICAGO, IL
OCTOBER 2021
MDM deep dive
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Coached and guided a team of Master of Design Method students on experience design methods and user experience in a series of three-day in-person working sessions.
Achievements
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Earned 30+ formal recognitions for exceptional collaboration, stakeholder management, and design leadership.
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Consistently sought-after thought leader to represent Google at executive briefings on the topic of innovation a human-centered design.
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CEO Recognition for the Future of Icons Strategy Project, awarded by the Chief Strategist of Ford Icons Group.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
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Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), accepted in 2024.
ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS
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Honored as a GSDC Knowledge Advisor for exceptional contribution.
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Recognized for setting a benchmark in knowledge advisory.
GLOBAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
Volunteerism
MENTOR
DESIGN
LEADERSHIP
ADPLIST
MENTOR
DESIGN RESEARCH
Think Design Collaborative
VOLUNTEER
UXDC
Rosenfeld Media
