Syqi | साइकी

Snippet of a product launch shipped by the team last week.

Hiring alert at @syqi_ops Design Manager: 3+ yrs exp, knows AI processes, ready for case studies & building fintech AI brands/products. 2 Design Interns: Journalists who get AI, eager to build nice things. We're client-focused + launching R&D dept. Small team, growing brick by brick. Fully remote. Write or DM if you're game!

We’re hiring 3 sharp Product / UX Designers (2–3 yrs). Work on real problems for India’s largest private bank. High ownership. Strong mentorship. No fluff work. Please DM!

New Case Study in collaboration w/ @PineLabs! behance.net/gallery/239741…

Some people are great designers. Some become great thinkers. @ghate is both. I’ve always admired people who don’t hide behind fancy design vocabulary - and Narendra is one of the sharpest, most honest thinkers I’ve ever spoken to. His journey is unusual: a mechanical engineer who spent 25 years at @tataelxsi, travelling around the world “selling software by doing projects,” and eventually leading design at @HDFC_Bank. What I liked the most was how critical he is - not in a harsh way, but in a way that forces you to understand the real depth of design. He’s someone who has topped every organisation he’s worked at, not because of skill alone, but because of the way he thinks about problems. This episode became one of those rare moments where I found myself asking questions I usually think twice before asking. And his answers were direct, unfiltered, and delivered with this calm clarity that instantly makes the room smarter. We spoke about the “hyper-specialist” myth, why designers should think like a family doctor, the art of selling a future instead of a portfolio, and how behaviour design starts with something as simple as dimming the lights. And his current mission at HDFC - simplifying finance for millions of Indians - might just be one of the most meaningful design problems of our time. The episode with @ghate is live now.: Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4q20nI… YouTube: youtu.be/F6SYPR9ulkA?si…

Some in-house AI explorations while we build the visual language for a spiritual music gathering.

Type of a creative business culture we’re collectively trying to build at @syqi_ops: trust > tactics, consistency > hacks, long-game > loud-game.

@dipaqsyqi @GffFintechfest @PineLabs 🔥🧨

Some wins feel bigger than the work itself. Last month at the @GffFintechfest, we quietly pulled off some of our best work with @PineLabs - and watching them ring the bell at their IPO made it hit different. We’ve been deep in the trenches with their team for a while now… design ops, product communication, the tiny things that look invisible from the outside but actually move a business forward. It’s surreal when the work you do behind the scenes ends up shaping how a company shows up at a global stage. This little compilation captures a tiny part of what went into it - the real magic is always in the chaos you can’t see on video 😄 And fun timing too - Pine Labs just hit their IPO milestone a couple of days ago. Seeing a partner win at that scale (even in a tiny way if we've contributed) is a different kind of high. Makes the work feel like it actually matters. Also, @syqi_ops completes another year on the 14th of November (Truly a children's day celebration). Four years of figuring things out, messing up, fixing things, scaling processes, and slowly earning the trust of people building real companies. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. Shoutout to the folks at Pine Labs! If there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s this: “Every successful project looks effortless from the outside. On the inside, it’s chaos, clarity, and a team that refuses to drop the ball.” Every good thing about Syqi comes from the team.

Shipping some top stuff with the amazing @PineLabs

Had our podcast booth at SAP’s The Impulse - their global design festival. Didn’t expect so many real takes on enterprise design, leadership, and creative culture. Turns out big orgs are thinking sharper than most startups. Total credit to the top team!

Dark patterns or design ethics? At scale, designers become guardians-not just creators. When you sit down with someone who’s leading design at @myntra, a platform serving millions every day, you expect insights on scale. What you don’t expect is how refreshingly honest Shayak is about the realities of design leadership in India. From his beginnings in architecture to co-founding one of Bangalore’s earliest UX agencies, Shayak’s journey is a crash course in building, scaling, and protecting design in consumer tech. Some things we dove deep into: - Why 80% of e-commerce design is Amazon-inspired—and why that’s not a bad thing. - The ethics of design at scale: dark patterns, compliance, accessibility. - Gen Z beyond the stereotypes: not gentrified experiences, but solving their real needs like affordability. - His 4-stage framework for AI in design—from boosting efficiency to eliminating workflows altogether. - The future of designers: moving from craftspersons to “pseudo-mathematicians”, orchestrating design systems instead of single screens. - Why India needs to build our own creative worlds and narratives, not just borrow from the West. - This one’s not just about e-commerce or Myntra-it’s about what design in India looks like when done at scale, with integrity, and with an eye on the future. Tune in to the full episode: YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=zKV5Id… Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/7wqyMt…

The best teams don’t need hierarchies. They need trust. Top takeaway from the conversations for this week's #Groundbreakin. Over a breakfast almost a year ago, I had my first conversation with Ekta - and our conversation about design and the ecosystem has stayed with me since. Guess we had to do a podcast together :D From starting as a graphic designer to now co-founding everything.design, a multidisciplinary studio, Ekta has built something amazing and rare: a design business that’s as rooted in trust and collaboration as it is in craft. In this episode of hashtag#Groundbreakin, she shares: // Why B2B branding is no longer optional - but essential. // How her team avoids free pitches and built an advisory-first model. // The culture of flat hierarchy and collaboration that fuels their work. // Her take on AI, and why strategy + business acumen will be the real differentiators. // The importance of authenticity and ethics in building a sustainable practice. Honestly, there’s so much to grasp from the way Ekta moves things forward - not just as a designer, but as a founder shaping the future of B2B branding. Tune in to the full episode: YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=Fr50m7… Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4zg203…

Designers should measure impact, not applause.

Making art is sacred. Selling it is a system. Learn both, and you’ll never feel powerless.

The best design studios don't show portfolios anymore. They sell clarity. Harish and I first connected at @adplist_blr, where we both spoke to 100+ designers. What struck me about his approach wasn't just the work - it was how differently he frames problems. Just had him on Groundbreakin, and our conversation confirmed what I've been seeing in my own studio work: "Most clients come asking for a rebrand. What they actually need is to figure out who they are." This mirrors exactly what we experience at @Syqi daily. Here's what resonated from Harish's 10-year journey with frontrunner Become®: //The ₹500 revelation: His first college poster taught him what we all learn eventually - clients don't buy design. They buy the feeling that someone gets them. //Portfolio paradox: He closes high-ticket projects without showing past work. Same here. The best sales happen when clients say "nobody's ever asked us that before." //The positioning pivot: Frontrunner evolved from design studio to "clarity consultant that happens to design." Their startup clients have raised $75M+ because investors finally understand what they do. My favorite exchange: When we both admitted we spend more time helping clients unlearn their assumptions than actually designing. "The logo is easy. Getting the founder to let go of their baby - that's the real work." Here's what's clear - in 2025, we're all choosing between: Competing on aesthetics (crowded space) Or becoming the person who helps clients think The studios thriving? We're therapists with Figma licenses. Find the podcast link in the comments!

New Case Study on Behance: behance.net/gallery/229776…

50+ conversations with creative rebels. 1 massive learning curve. Before my presence on X - We were running a podcast with 10k+ average listeners. It's called "Groundbreakin" After 15+ months of hiatus, we're launching again. Key lessons from hosting 50 creatives: Building Creative Business -- Revenue isn't boring -- Systems beat talent --Market first, create second Relationship Currency -- Give before you ask -- Show up consistently -- Lead with curiosity Brand Consistency -- Small details = big trust -- Visual rhythm matters -- Every pixel tells your story The fun stuff we learned: • Creative rebels hate boring questions • Best insights come after minute 35 • Everyone started exactly where you are The best conversations aren't interviews. They're just curious people geeking out. Dive into the full case study in the comments ↓ (Long time coming) [lnkd.in/gKEGr7bK] P.S. NEW SEASON DROPS THIS MONTH! Different format. Deeper insights. Same spirit.

New Case Study on Behance: behance.net/portfolio/edit…

okey, this is nice

Tech + Storytelling! Case Study Coming Soon...