Hello! I’m Mugdha Patil.
I am an experienced user researcher and designer who bridges research and design to critically examine complex systems across sectors. My work turns theory into action through insights, frameworks, and design interventions that create meaningful impact.
पार्श्वभूमी | Background
अनुभव | Experience
कौशल्ये | Skills
प्रकाशने | Publications
प्रशिक्षण | Education
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow in Design & AI
2021- 2025
PhD track at TU Delft & Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands.
M.Des in Design Innovation & Citizenship
2019-2020
The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland. Graduated with distinction.
B.Des in Furniture & Interior Design
2014- 2019
The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India.
भाषा | Languages
I am fluent in English, Marathi, and Hindi.
Currently at a B1 level in Dutch, with ongoing learning to reach full professional proficiency.
अनुभव | Experience
DCODE Research Fellow in Design & AI
2021- 2025
PhD track at TU Delft & Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands.
Focus: Futuring, Critical Design-thinking for AI.
Developed alternative design methodology and framework for imagining decolonial AI futures through workshops/modules at HvA & TU Delft. Created tools to identify colonial biases and patterns in complex AI systems and propose future job profiles to help mitigate them in collaboration with Industry partners Open Futures, AMS Institute, and Clearbox AI, as well as academic collaborators from the University of Umea, Edinburgh, and Copenhagen.
Design Research Associate
2021
Quicksand Design Studios, REACH Network, Bangalore, India.
Focus: Speculative+Service Design, User Research.
Designing for Feminist Humanitarian Futures: Developed a theory of change for feminist responses to humanitarian crises and forced displacement with experts for the Women’s Refugee Commission.
Designing for Organisational Collaboration: Created user journey maps and service solutions that improved knowledge sharing and collaboration within the Asian Development Bank.
प्रवाह | My workflow
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I think of research as a way of listening — to systems, stories, and silences.
I’m drawn to what lies beneath the surface — the quiet patterns that shape how systems behave. To uncover these, I combine critical reflection with hands-on inquiry: creating new methods, mapping systems visually, conducting fieldwork, and engaging with people through interviews, observations, and co-designing using qualitative and quantitative data.
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I think of reimagination as a practice of world-building — a way to question dominant narratives and propose new ones.
For me, reimagination begins where the familiar ends. It’s a process of conscious unlearning, of noticing what has been excluded, or rather, who/what has been excluded in the research, and daring to envision otherwise. Using critical, decolonial and hauntological tools, I explore how we might rebuild our future worlds with care — worlds that acknowledge the ghosts of their pasts, and make room for many ways of being. A hauntological framework is one that I proposed as part of my PhD trajectory and hope to continue implementing & exploring in my future work.
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I think of design as a way of asking questions through making.
Design as a process allows me to translate insights from research into tangible forms — frameworks, workshops, UI/UX interventions, service blueprints, and speculative interventions that challenge existing systems to achieve the reimagined worlds. For me, this step is more than creating finished objects; it's about shaping conversations, revealing possibilities, and transforming ideas into lived experience. The ways I bring ideas to life differ depending on context, and that is what I offer: the ability to adapt my approach and create diverse, meaningful outputs.
Research skills
1. Qualitative & Contextual Inquiry
Interviews, observations, ethnographic fieldwork, and contextual research
2. Systems & Critical Analysis
System mapping, pattern identification, and critical theory (coloniality, power, ethics)3. Method-Making & Experimental Approaches
Creating and adapting research methods, participatory tools, and co-design processes for diverse contexts.4. Sensemaking & Insight Development
Synthesizing complex data into clear insights, frameworks, problem spaces, and strategic directions.5. Futures & Speculative Research
Designing future scenarios, speculative worlds, and critical provocations
कौशल्ये |My Skills
Design skills
1. Service & Systems Design
Designing services, user journeys, system blueprints, and multi-stakeholder experiences grounded in research evidence.
2. Strategic & Conceptual Design
Translating insights into frameworks, design directions, design principles, and actionable strategies.
3. Speculative & Futures Design
Creating speculative artifacts, future scenarios, and narrative worlds that challenge assumptions and explore alternatives.
4. Workshop & Facilitation Design
Designing and leading workshops, co-creation sessions, and participatory processes for diverse audiences.
5. Interaction & Experience Design
Structuring flows, wireframes, interactions, and UX design
6. Visual & Communication Design
Visualizations, presentations, diagrams, and storytelling materials
Software skills
1. Design & Visual Tools
Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Adobe Photoshop
2. Research & Analysis Platforms
Dovetail, Miro
3. Prototyping & Experience Design
Figma, InVision
4. Documentation & Productivity Suites
Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite
Transferrable skills
1. Communication & Facilitation
Clear storytelling, workshop facilitation, stakeholder communication, and presenting complex ideas simply.
2. Strategic Thinking & Problem Framing
Identifying core problems, reframing challenges, and connecting research insights to actionable directions.
3. Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
Working across disciplines, navigating multi-stakeholder contexts, and aligning diverse teams around a shared vision.
4. Project & Process Management
Planning, organizing, scoping, and driving projects from research to delivery with structure and clarity.
5. Critical & Systems Thinking
Understanding broader contexts, recognizing patterns, and assessing the long-term impact of decisions.
6. Adaptability & Cross-Cultural Sensitivity
Working effectively in varied cultural, sectoral, and organizational environments — with awareness of power, ethics, and equity.
Publications & Outreach
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Publications & Outreach ~
Papers
Workshops
Hunting for Ghosts of Pasts & Futures - Society 5.0 Festival, 2023. Amsterdam. Presented with Dr Maria Göransdotter
Sensing in the wild; DRS Labs, Bilbao, June 2022.
Patil M., Cila N., Redström J., Giaccardi E. In Conversation with Ghosts: Towards a hauntological approach to decolonial design. CoDesign Special Issue.
Turtle G.L., Guerrero Millan C., Özçetin S., Patil M., Bendor R. Sensing in the Wild: a more-than-human approach to distributed urban sensing. DRS2022.
Presentations
Modules
How to converse with Ghosts
An elective module at Communication & Multimedia Design, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Podcast
The Politics of Values, DCODE Network.
NORDES 2023 Conference; Nörrkoping,
SwedenFood for thought sessions; HvA, Amsterdam.