In this long-form interview, Rohan Mishra - a product designer who has worked at Zomato and Urban Company and now runs his own design studio and mentorship practice - walks us through the real, practical steps to become a strong UI/UX designer. The conversation covers Rohan’s journey from engineering college to product teams, freelancing lessons, how to create a portfolio that gets you hired, the "problem diary" hack to find your first product idea without using Google, and a concrete, repeatable workflow for turning an observation into a documented case study.

This article is presented in an interview-style Q&A so you can read Rohan’s advice directly as if you were sitting across the table. Every answer is expanded with actionable checklists, templates, and examples so you can apply the guidance today.

How did you start your UI/UX journey? What events nudged you toward design?

I started in an engineering college, like many designers did. In the first year I realized I was good at front-end development and I thought I could build interfaces. At the time I didn’t know the term “user experience.” I just knew I wanted to make things that looked good, were easy to use, and made people’s lives easier.

Because I wasn’t from a top-tier college, the conventional job path felt uncertain. That forced me to build skills that were immediately useful: shipping small projects, interning, freelancing, and learning through doing. Over time I interned at several places, did freelancing, then got a call from Zomato where I worked for two years. After that I moved to Urban Company and worked on products used in multiple countries. Today I run a company that helps startups with MVPs and growth-stage products and I also mentor and help thousands of designers build careers.

“I did not know a term called user experience back then. I wanted to make something that looks good, is easy to use, and makes people's life easy.” - Rohan Mishra

Key takeaways from Rohan’s start:

• Begin with the basics - front-end or visual work helps you understand constraints and outcomes.
• Don’t wait for the perfect institution or company - build, ship, and iterate.
• Early experience can be internships, freelancing, or side projects - all count.

Which taught you more - freelancing or working at product companies like Zomato and Urban Company?

Both taught different and complementary lessons.

Freelancing taught entrepreneurship and end-to-end responsibility: finding leads, building a runway, client relationship management, estimating scope, and ensuring repeat business. You learn to run a small business even if you’re a “solo” - client acquisition, scope control, pricing and delivery all come into play.

Working at Zomato and Urban Company taught scale: how small product decisions affect millions of users. When you design for millions, minor changes multiply into millions of experiences. You learn product thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and the discipline of design systems and consistent UX across a large product surface.

In short:

• Freelancing = business sense, ownership, hustle, and runway-building.
• Product company = scale, systems thinking, user research at scale, and process-driven design.
• Both are valuable - treat each opportunity as a source of unique learning.

 

What should a portfolio contain? Real products versus concept projects - which is better?

This is a common chicken-and-egg problem: if you don’t have real product experience, you can’t get the job; if you don’t get the job you don’t get real product experience. The solution is to be creative and to demonstrate initiative.

Hiring managers are not only looking for shipped products; they look for hunger, curiosity, and evidence that you can think through problems and validate them. If you don’t have big product experience, show:

• Concept projects that go beyond mockups - projects where you spoke to users, prototyped, tested, and iterated.
• Case studies that document the user problem, your assumptions, your research, your prototypes, and the outcomes.
• Detail where it matters: show your thinking, not just the final screens.

What matters more than whether the project is “real” is whether you took it seriously and demonstrated product-mindedness.

Practical advice to stand out:

1. Find a problem in your environment (college hostel, canteen, campus result systems, laundry, student transit) and solve it.
2. Design not just screens but a viable experience - how will it be delivered? Who will pay? Is it a business? Think through the real-world constraints.
3. Record interviews - talk to 5–7 users, synthesize pain points, and iterate your design from real feedback.
4. Make a prototype and test it using the Figma Mirror app (or mobile prototype) with real users; document results.
5. Turn your process into a case study. It doesn’t have to follow an academic template - focus on people and the problem first, solutions later.

 

How should beginners approach learning UI/UX? This is not textbook material - what are the core skills?

Rohan breaks learning into three pillars:

1. Observation and human understanding - the ability to notice how people behave, where they struggle, and what solutions they currently use.
2. Tools - Figma and prototyping skills; these are learnable and free to start with.
3. Product thinking - understanding feasibility and whether the business can or should build the solution. Not every elegant design is viable.

Actionable starting steps:

• Practice observation: carry a “problem diary” and note friction points people face every day.
• Learn Figma basics from the official Figma getting started playlist and follow hands-on tutorials.
• Do five-minute user interviews - ask why, dig into motivations and constraints.
• Build wireframes, then clickable prototypes, then test them with users using the Figma Mirror app or any prototyping tool.
• Iterate based on feedback and document changes in a case study format for your portfolio.

 

Can you explain the "problem diary" and how to use it to find product ideas?

The "problem diary" is Rohan’s recommended daily habit. Carry a simple notebook or spreadsheet and write down every problem you observe in your environment - small, large, common, or niche.

How to structure the problem diary (spreadsheet template):

1. Problem description - brief note of the friction (e.g., “hostel laundry is slow and expensive”).
2. Who experiences it? - target user group and rough estimate of how many people are affected.
3. Alternatives - current workarounds or substitutes people use.
4. Tech feasibility - could a technical solution plausibly reduce the friction?
5. Willingness to pay - are people currently paying for a solution? How much? Would they pay more for a better solution?
6. Notes & follow-up - place to add interview contacts or next steps.

How to use the diary to pick ideas:

• Identify problems that multiple people face.
• Prioritize problems where there’s an existing spend or inconvenience that could be solved with a product.
• Choose 3–5 hypotheses to validate with 5–7 user interviews each. If several users confirm the problem and pain level, proceed to design.

This is the “genius hack” Rohan mentioned to find your first product idea without going to Google: observe your immediate environment and validate with real people rather than searching for ideas online.

Once you pick a problem, what is the simple, repeatable process to turn it into a portfolio case study?

Rohan’s step-by-step process - a compact, repeatable framework you can use for any problem:

1. Define the problem - clarify who has the problem and why it matters.
2. Talk to 5–7 users - use a conversational interview, ask about the last time they experienced the problem, how they solved it, and how painful it was. Record or take notes.
3. Write core user needs & jobs to be done - synthesize the interviews into a concise list of prioritized user needs.
4. Define the minimum viable product (MVP) - list 4–6 features that directly address the highest-priority needs. Keep scope tight.
5. Create wireframes - low-fidelity layout flows that show how the experience progresses. Think in user tasks, not screens.
6. Make an interactive prototype - use Figma to make the wireframes clickable and presentable on mobile with Figma Mirror.
7. Test with users - run usability sessions where users speak aloud; observe confusion and friction points.
8. Iterate - change flows, labels, and UI based on what you observed; run another quick test if needed.
9. Document the journey - present the problem, research, wireframes, prototype, testing outcomes, and iterations as a case study with screenshots and reflections.
10. Publish and share - put the case study on your portfolio site and share on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Dribbble, and ask for feedback from senior designers.

Small templates you can copy immediately:

• User interview starter: “Tell me about the last time you experienced X. What happened? How did you solve it? How did it make you feel?”
• MVP feature list format: “Feature - Why it matters - User story - Success metric.”
• Usability test script: “Welcome → Task 1 (complete X) → Task 2 → Ask: what confused you? How long did it take? Would you pay for this?”

Which free resources should absolute beginners use to learn tools, research, and inspiration?

Rohan highlights practical, free resources and how to use them effectively:

• Figma - start with Figma's official “getting started” playlist on YouTube. Learn to create frames, components, and simple prototypes.
• User Interviews (userinterviews.com) - a tool and resource to learn about user research and find structured interview guides and best practices.
• Design inspiration - browse platforms like Dribbble and Behance for visual ideas; Mobbin, Appful, and Pttrns (Rohan referenced platforms for UI inspiration) for real app patterns and flows.
• Medium publications - UX Collective and UX Planet are excellent free sources for articles, case studies, and concept pieces you can learn from.
• YouTube - an open classroom for tool tutorials and design walkthroughs. Learn by doing tutorials and then recreate projects with your twist.

How to use these resources efficiently:

1. Learn a single tool (Figma) end-to-end, enough to prototype and share clickable flows.
2. Read a case study per week from UX Collective or UX Planet and deconstruct the problem → solution → test loop.
3. Recreate one UI screen per day from Dribbble/Behance to practice visual language and spacing.

Does documenting your journey publicly (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) help you get hired?

Yes, absolutely. Documenting your process compounds over time. Building in public generates a small tribe of followers and introduces you to people who may hire you or recommend you.

Why documenting helps:

• It shows your learning mindset and progress.
• It gives hiring managers a sense of how you think and solve problems.
• It allows peers and seniors to give feedback, which rapidly improves your work.

Rohan shares a cultural example: Steve Jobs took calligraphy classes after dropping out of college - a decision that later shaped typography in computing. Small, sometimes unrelated public learning experiences can compound into distinct strengths later on.

How to document effectively:

1. Share process, not just pretty screens. Explain the problem, your approach, and what you learned.
2. Ask for feedback from senior designers and say what you changed because of it - that shows receptiveness to critique.
3. Be consistent - post small artifacts regularly rather than rare grand reveals.

As a new designer, how do you find internships and entry-level opportunities?

Build a few concept projects and reach out with genuine intent to learn. Your outreach should be personal and show that you’ve invested time in something that matters to their product or to the domain.

Practical outreach playbook:

1. Pick 3–5 companies or designers you admire.
2. Create 1–2 personalized concept projects relevant to that company’s domain (e.g., booking flows for travel apps, or logistic flows for delivery apps).
3. Send a concise message: who you are, one-sentence context about your concept, and a request: “I’d love feedback and would be grateful for any opportunities.”
4. Be persistent - reach out to many people but personalize each message. Quantity plus quality.

Even if you don’t get an internship immediately, often you’ll receive feedback and pointers to improve. Many designers get their first break by showing initiative and eagerness to learn.

What do brands look for when hiring a product designer?

It depends on seniority, but for entry-level designers brands look for:

• Trainability - willingness and capacity to learn, ask good questions, and accept mentorship.
• Practical experience - even small projects that show problem understanding and execution.
• Hard skills - proficiency in Figma, wireframing, prototyping, and basic user testing.
• Soft skills - communication, empathy, collaborative attitude, and the ability to explain design choices.
• Product thinking - awareness of business constraints, feasibility, and prioritization.

Concrete behaviors that stand out in interviews:

1. Speak about users and business impact, not just pixels.
2. Describe specific learnings from projects - what changed because of your design?
3. Show examples where you iterated based on real user feedback.

 

What is a realistic salary expectation for beginner product designers?

Salaries vary by company type (service vs product), company size, and city. In India, Rohan suggests a typical beginner salary ballpark is:

• Approximately ₹5–7 lakh per year for entry-level roles, depending on the city and company.

Notes:

• Tier-1 cities like Bangalore, Gurgaon, or Mumbai tend to offer higher pay than smaller cities.
• Product companies and big startups can pay significantly more as you gain experience.

 

Table of Contents

• Actionable Templates and Checklists - Copy and Use
• Common Mistakes and What to Avoid
• How to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Junior Designer
• FAQ
• Conclusion - A Clear Path Forward

Actionable Templates and Checklists - Copy and Use

Interview script for 5–7 users (30–45 minutes)

Use this script to validate a problem quickly and reliably.

1. Intro (2 minutes): “Hi, I’m building a small product to help with X. I’d love to ask about your experience with X. There are no right or wrong answers.”
2. Context (5 minutes): “Tell me about when you last tried to do X. Walk me through what happened.”
3. Probe (10–15 minutes): “What was the hardest part? How did you work around it? How often does this happen? How much time/money does it cost you?”
4. Solution reaction (5–10 minutes): Show an early wireframe/prototype. “If something like this existed, how would it fit into your workflow?”
5. Wrap-up (2–3 minutes): “Anything else we should know? Would you try this if it existed? How much would you pay?”

Prototype usability test script (15 minutes)

1. Welcome and context (1–2 minutes)
2. Task 1: “Find and book X” - ask them to think aloud
3. Task 2: “Change / cancel / check status of X” - observe errors and time
4. Open questions: “What confused you? What would make this easier?”
5. Wrap-up: “Would you use this? Why or why not?”

Portfolio case study structure (simple and effective)

1. Title: one-line problem statement
2. Context: who, when, and why it matters
3. Problem: the pain you observed (data from interviews)
4. Goal & success metrics: what outcome are you optimizing for?
5. Process: research → sketches → wireframes → prototype → testing
6. Final solution: screens + explanation of decisions
7. Outcome & learnings: what changed and what you would do next

Common Mistakes and What to Avoid

• Avoid showing only final high-fidelity screens with no process - it looks like decoration, not design.
• Don’t overuse frameworks as a checkbox (e.g., blindly following "double diamond") - hiring managers care about clarity and outcomes more than templates.
• Don’t send generic outreach emails - personalize and show you invested time in their domain.
• Don’t assume your first solution is the right one - test early and often.

How to Make Yourself Irreplaceable as a Junior Designer

Three traits hiring managers value highly in juniors:

• Curiosity - ask questions, dig into why things are the way they are.
• Empathy - care about users and teammates; communicate findings clearly.
• Coachability - accept feedback and show improvements quickly.

Behaviors to practice daily:

1. Do a 15-minute observation session and add notes to your problem diary.
2. Spend 30 minutes practicing Figma: components, auto-layout, prototyping.
3. Reach out once a week to a senior designer with a concise question or a piece of your work and ask for feedback.

FAQ

Q: If I don’t have any project experience, what should I do first?

A: Start a problem diary. Find a simple pain point around you. Talk to 5–7 people who experience it, create a wireframe, make a clickable prototype in Figma, test it, iterate, and document the process as a case study. That single documented loop is often enough to get your first internship.

Q: How many case studies should my portfolio have?

A: Quality beats quantity. 2–3 well-documented case studies that show your process end-to-end are better than 10 superficial ones. Each case study should cover problem, research, design iterations, prototype testing, and key learnings.

Q: How long should I spend on my first concept project?

A: Between 10–40 days depending on depth. The goal is to produce a meaningful case study that demonstrates research, prototyping, testing, and iteration. Don’t rush; focus on learning and documenting your process.

Q: Is it okay to copy UI patterns for practice?

A: Yes. Recreating patterns helps you learn spacing, hierarchy, and visual language. But when presenting in your portfolio, be clear about what you built, what you learned, and if you used inspiration, credit it. Your portfolio should ultimately show your problem-solving, not just reproductions.

Q: How do I get feedback on my portfolio?

A: Post case studies on LinkedIn, Dribbble, or Instagram and ask for specific feedback. Tag a few senior designers with a short message: “Would you mind a quick look? I’m focusing on research clarity / flows / prototype testing.” Offer clear questions to make it easy for people to respond.

Q: Should I specialize early (e.g., UX research vs visual design)?

A: As a beginner, build T-shaped skills: a broad base (research, wireframing, prototyping, Figma) and one deeper skill aligned with your interest (visual design, research, motion, or product strategy). Specialization can come later when you know what you enjoy most.

Q: How important are certifications or courses?

A: Certificates can help structure learning, but real projects and documented outcomes matter more. Use courses to fill knowledge gaps, but prioritize building and shipping projects you can show.

Q: How do I negotiate my first salary?

A: Research the market for your city and role, know the ballpark (Rohan suggested ~₹5–7L per year for beginners in India), and be ready to articulate what you bring (projects, tools, learnings). Consider the total compensation (stock, benefits) and the learning opportunity - early roles that offer mentorship may be worth trade-offs.

Conclusion - A Clear Path Forward

Rohan’s advice is practical and grounded: you don’t need permission to start. Start with observation, carry a problem diary, validate with 5–7 users, build a focused MVP, prototype in Figma, and test with real people. Document this loop and publish it as a case study that highlights people and problems first.

Whether you choose freelancing, a product company, or entrepreneurship, each path teaches different strengths. The common thread that helps you get hired and grow is curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the habit of shipping and documenting your work.

If you want a compact checklist to get started today:

1. Create a problem diary (spreadsheet with columns: problem, who, alternatives, tech feasibility, current spend).
2. Pick one problem and talk to 5–7 users this week.
3. Create 5–6 wireframes for the MVP and make a clickable prototype in Figma.
4. Run 3–5 usability tests with the prototype (Figma Mirror or mobile prototype).
5. Iterate, document your process, and publish a case study on your portfolio and LinkedIn.
6. Reach out to 10 designers/companies with a short, personalized message and ask for feedback or opportunities.

Rohan’s final note: don’t get stuck in theoretical learning. Learn to solve problems. Apply the tools, practice observation, and document your progress publicly. Over time, that body of work and that community will open doors.