When you first download an app and become a new user, you form a relationship with the technology that powers the software. A good interface will draw you in and make you feel comfortable, showing you the unique possibilities now available at your fingertips. It was this relationship between humans and tech that inspired Avinab (Avi) Singh to become a User Experience (UX) designer.
Awed by the possibilities of machines, Singh traveled across the world in pursuit of his passions. Starting from a small town in India, he climbed the ranks in Silicon Valley to distinguish himself as an expert in the field of Product/UX design for AI. The ingenuity in his enterprise applications design, his mentorship of young designers, and his contributions to shaping the technology of the future have made him a role model for aspiring Indian professionals.
Avinab Singh’s Origins and Academic Journey
Avinab Singh grew up in a small city in Odisha, India, and his path to Silicon Valley was a long and eventful journey.
From a young age, Singh harbored a fascination with the relationship between humans and computers. His curiosity was inspired by psychological works such as the writings of Sigmund Freud, as well as prominent scientists in other fields. “The life and works of people like Einstein, Marie Curie, and others deeply inspired me,” Singh recalls. “I looked for a career at the junction of technology and psychology. I found this career in the form of Product/UX Design.”
Before beginning this career, Singh pursued his education, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering. He found work soon after graduation in Chennai, India. While his career had a promising start, he grew dissatisfied with the opportunities in his area. Chasing larger challenges, he moved across the world to achieve a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Soon after, he traveled to California to continue his professional growth.
Leadership and Technological Breakthroughs at EY GigNow
As Singh began working as a Product Designer, he joined EY GigNow. Though initially hired as an Assistant Director of Design, his keen eye as a designer and strong leadership qualities soon earned him a promotion to Associate Director. He managed his own design team and mentored assistant directors, providing them with the guidance to navigate complex projects in hiring and recruitment space as well as grow their careers.
EY GigNow is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) tool for recruiting talent for large corporations. While working with Ey GigNow, Singh was responsible for several groundbreaking technology developments in HR Tech, including AI Auto Match, AI Candidate Search, Hiring Manager Experience, and Agency experience, among other products under the GigNow umbrella. During Singh’s time there, EY GigNow’s user base expanded from 2,000 to 100,000 across almost 35 countries including US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, India, Middle east and Hong Kong. Singh also designed SAP Fieldglass integration for GigNow.
Major Developments in Design at Dusty Robotics
Singh continued his work in tech leadership and design in his next position as a founding designer and Lead Designer with Dusty Robotics. Established as a Series B startup, Dusty Robotics has raised $68 million in venture capital funding. The company builds advanced construction robots that print blueprints on construction floors, reducing layout marking from a month to 5 days for large offices, data centers, warehouses, and other commercial constructions.
At Dusty Robotics, Singh led the design of the iPad controller interface for the construction robots. This iPad controller allows Dusty users to control the FieldPrinter and FieldPrinter2 robots. He also spearheaded the design of the Dusty Portal, a service collaboration platform created to solve the challenges of the construction industry. This initiative led to a reduction in the time spent training users from 5 days to only half a day, saving millions of dollars every year.
Continuing AI and Interface Design at Moveworks
Singh’s career has since taken him to Moveworks, where he works on next-generation Copilot features. Moveworks is a Series C startup that creates enterprise support for Copilot and generative AI productivity SaaS (Software as a Service). It has raised $305 million and recently passed $100 million in annual revenue.
Singh recently developed and launched a tool called Brief Me. Using AI technology, Brief Me can review files and answer questions about uploaded files. Office workers spend hours reading documents, memos, and datasheets, and Brief Me solves this problem by allowing workers to be instantly productive with any document.
Singh is also currently working on solving customer support issues for major multinational corporations and helping their employees significantly increase productivity. His deep knowledge and experience with generative AI allow him to create features that both improve the capabilities of AI and reduce the problems faced by users.
Recognition of Avinab Singh’s Contribution to the Field
Singh’s work and breakthroughs in the development of user interface design for AI have earned him various accolades. He has been recognized by the UIST paper review and the AutomativeUI 2024 paper review. For his excellent designs and leadership at EY GigNow, he received 24 Bravo Recognition awards. Avinab Singh has also received a NY Design Silver Award for his design work on Brief Me.
Mentorship and Involvement in the Tech Community
A defining aspect of Singh’s career is his commitment to his community in the tech sphere and uplifting other professionals. Early in his career, he found himself struggling with a lack of guidance from established designers. “It was hard because mentorship was hard to come by, and I was fending for myself most of the time,” Singh explains.
Wanting to help others avoid the same difficult road he experienced, Singh has taken measures to guide peers in his field. He has mentored junior designers in his workplaces, led initiatives to start internship programs at EY GigNow and Dusty Robotics, and served as a mentor on ADPList.org. “I continue to provide mentorship to junior professionals because I don’t want them to face the same issues that I faced earlier in my career,” he affirms.
Singh has also participated in the tech community as a judge at prestigious hackathons such as HackMIT, SwiftHack, and GenLab 2 Gen AI Hackathon. He has also made contributions as a reviewer for top-tier conferences like ACM and IEEE, where he evaluates emerging research in AI and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
Avinab Singh’s Aspirations and Visions for the Tech Industry
Throughout his career, Singh has witnessed the significant changes that the field of user interface design has undergone and continues to see it evolving. He plans to use his experience and insights to play a role in how this technology will develop. To aid the designers of the future, he will also continue his mentorship initiatives.
From dreaming about the possibilities of a career in tech in a small town to leading teams at major Silicon Valley startups, Avinab Singh has made his mark in the field of user interface design for AI. Always giving a nod to the human element, Singh’s designs combine excellent user experience with the power of machine learning.
His storied career and achievements make him a model of success for other aspiring professionals, and as technology continues to connect people and improve lives across the globe, Singh’s work stands as a legacy of the power of passionate product design.
