About - Amid Moradganjeh

Hi, I'm Amid, a product and interaction designer with twenty years of experience working with different teams across industries and around the globe.

I currently work as an independent consultant for established companies and startups, most recently on driving experiences at Volvo Cars. Before that, I was at IDEO in San Francisco, Google in Mountain View, and Microsoft in Seattle.

I started as a mechanical engineer, then earned an M.A. in Interaction Design at Umeå Institute of Design, a shift that still shapes how I think.

I've also built my own products, notably Peek Calendar.

Teaching has been one of my passions too. I co-founded Velvet Academy, and later built and led IxD.ma, a new Interaction Design M.A. program at EKA. And for fun, I once put together a little booklet about design, kittens, and space.

Amid Moradganjeh, product and interaction designer

Logos of Google, Microsoft, Samsung, Bosch, Nissan, Volvo, Visa, H&M, News Corporation, Schneider Electric, Comcast, Telia, and Toyota

Some of the companies I've had the chance to work with over the past 20 years

How I Can Help

I work at both the strategic and hands-on ends of product design. I help teams shape product vision, uncover opportunities, make complex problems clearer, and turn ideas into real products. I'm comfortable leading a team and defining a direction, and I enjoy sitting with developers and engineers to work through the details down to the last pixel.

Strategy & Innovation

Helping startups and established organizations shape product visions, define what to build, uncover new opportunities and find a clear direction forward.

Research & Insight

Uncovering people's values, motivations and unmet needs through research, and turning what I learn into meaningful opportunities and better product decisions.

Design Leadership & Practice

Building and supporting design teams, establishing practical ways of working, and helping organizations create the conditions for better design. This can also mean stepping in as an interim Head of Design when needed.

Hands-on Product Design

Designing products end to end, from early concepts and interaction design through prototyping, testing, visual and motion design, systems, and detailed execution.

Storytelling

Using storytelling, video and imagery to make ideas easier to understand, create excitement and bring people along.

Hands-on, Regardless of the Role

I've been designing for more than 20 years, but I've never wanted to move away from the craft. I still want to be in the work - exploring ideas, designing interactions, prototyping, testing and working through the details that make a product feel right.

Over the years, I've worked in many different roles and capacities, from designing products and shaping visions to building teams and leading design. I've never been particularly interested in titles; what matters to me is the work, the people I work with and the impact we can make together.

For me, leadership and hands-on design aren't opposites. The best work often comes from moving between the two.

Experience

Consultancy

As an independent consultant, I work with teams around the globe, from the U.S. to Asia and Australia, on projects ranging from healthcare and education to finance and e-mobility, and, more recently, AI.

Volvo Cars

I've been part of Volvo's driving experience team, defining assisted and automated driving for future products. Cars have always been one of my passions, and I decided to work with Volvo to learn from an industry that approaches experience design very differently than a typical digital product.

IDEO

In 2010, I moved to the Bay Area to join IDEO for a six-month internship, where I worked with clients such as Visa and Samsung. I decided to return to IDEO after graduation and be part of an inspiring community creating impact through design. Some of the other clients I worked with during my time at IDEO include Toyota, Bosch, News Corporation, Comcast, and Verizon.

Google

In 2014, I joined the Android Design team in Mountain View, where I worked primarily on mobile experiences. After leaving Google, I continued my collaboration with the team as a contractor, working on multiple projects with Google AI, Pixel, Workspace, and the Creative Lab in London.

Microsoft

I had the opportunity to join Microsoft on two occasions, first as an intern at the Microsoft Design Studio in Seattle, and later as a contractor with the Bing team, working on Bing's future product concepts.

Velvet

I have had the opportunity to be part of the Velvet team as a creative advisor and strategic design consultant. Together with Velvet, we initiated Velvet Academy, published a book, and ran experiments on design and innovation.

IxD.ma

In 2016, I was asked to develop a new M.A. program in Interaction Design in Estonia. Over the three years of my involvement as program lead, I was responsible for developing the curriculum and vision, establishing partnerships, and leading the program, before handing it over in 2019 after the completion of its development.

Mentorship

I have advised startups around the world and mentored in various startup programs and events. This has been a great learning experience for me, and an opportunity to meet many inspiring and talented people.

Engineering Experience

Before design, I worked as a mechanical engineer in the car industry and in heavy machinery. In Australia, I helped design equipment for agriculture, including front-end loaders.

Planet Earth

I have lived on four continents, and this is probably the most valuable experience I have had in my life.