Chandni Naidu Deadwyler
Design + Research
Strategy for futures with AI,
supported by multi-disciplinary insights
and a deeply human perspective
About me
I specialize in blending craft excellence, systems thinking, and research-informed strategy in building great products and businesses. I’ve founded and scaled an EdTech startup (acquired) and led design on global product teams shipping mission-critical digital experiences that users trust and love.
My process is evidence-based, responding creatively to real user needs and business goals.
Previous:
Led design teams at Aspire (fintech, $15B TPV)
Founded Tactopus, an award-winning EdTech startup (acquired)
Led research & strategy on financial inclusion in Indonesia at Quicksand’s venture studio
I have a Masters degree in Human-computer Interaction Design from IIT Bombay and a MicroMasters in Data, Economics and Design of Policy from MIT’s Department of Economics.
Side project: Building AI-driven productivity tools for K-12 educators to make content accessible
Featured Work
Select product design and strategy projects
Product Design at Aspire, YC W’18
Designing Scalable Products for a SME Banking Platform
Led design strategy to simplify complex financial workflows, enabling faster onboarding and boosting customer retention in Southeast Asia’s competitive fintech market.
Founding Tactopus: Inclusive EdTech for Children with Disabilities
Tactopus – Inclusive Educational Experiences
Built an award-winning multisensory learning platform, driving accessibility and inclusion in early education. Successfully scaled and acquired by an industry leader.
Product Strategy for Financial Inclusion in Indonesia
Led a six-month foundational research study on technology and fin-tech challenges in the informal retail networks of Indonesia. Conducted mixed-method research including foundational inquiry, preference surveys and product analytics from a database of 20,000+ orders over 12 months of operations. Developed product strategy for effective growth in South East Asia’s informal markets.
Product Design and Research
Includes early-stage startup projects, learning design, and HCI research.
Dialectic Data Lab: Information Design and Storytelling
Design studio for data-driven product and research with data visualisation and information design services. As a design consultant, I’ve worked on climate resilience planning, library analytics, and a novel data-querying interface for a data science product team.
Plug-and-play Augmented Reality for Furniture Businesses
FeelXR is a Canada-based startup that enables Augmented Reality for B2B Furniture Businesses. Can simple AR tools help businesses reduce wastage due to samples, returns? Can we bring easy, plug-and-play AR tools to non-tech teams?
Role of Whatsapp’s Authentication Design in its Success with Low Tech-literacy Communities
By 2016, India had one billion mobile users, 220 million smartphone users and 100 million active WhatsApp users - many of whom were people with limited education, minimal technology exposure, and often economic constraints. Despite these barriers, WhatsApp became their preferred communication tool. We analyse how this has come to be, using a framework task abilities in emergent users.
User-generated Content for Mobile Gaming Communities
Popcore is a game studio based in Berlin, publishing hyper-casual mobile games that are oddly satisfying to play. My role as a member of the R&D team was to help discover opportunities to expand the offerings to mobile gamers across the world.
Everything else
Design leadership and community building
Published Papers and Articles
About human-computer Interaction, accessibility and design
Teaching
Courses taught at design schools as guest faculty
Workshops
Awards and Recognition
Awards and recognition for work in education and accessibility
Media Mentions
© 2025 Chandni Deadwyler