Founder & Chair
Kaladhar Bapu
Design Leader. Design Activist. Champion of UX in India.
Kaladhar Bapu is a Strategic Design Thinker, Information Architect, and Design Activist dedicated to shaping a better world through design. One of the very first people to bring User Experience Design to India, he divides his time between New York and Hyderabad — and has spent 25+ years building institutions, movements, and communities around the belief that design is a tool for social transformation.
“Good Design for Better Living”
The Journey
From Amalapuram to the World
Kaladhar Bapu's journey with design began in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, where he was born — and took root in Hyderabad, where he grew up. From his school years at Sisu Vihar, ZPP High School, and JNTU Hyderabad, his curiosity was always less about the what and more about the why — why things are designed the way they are, and how thoughtful design can make them better.
He pursued Industrial Design at IIT Bombay, where he discovered design as both a creative and strategic discipline. He later studied Strategic Design Management at Pratt Institute, New York — an experience he calls truly transformational.
“Pratt immersed me in a global environment of design leadership, innovation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Being in New York — the world's creative and cultural hub — helped me see how art, technology, and business intersect to shape meaningful human experiences.”
His career in UX began when he was recruited straight out of IIT Bombay by BaaN ERP, a Dutch enterprise company, as a Usability Engineer — at a time when the concept of usability was virtually unheard of in India. During his training in the Netherlands, he was introduced to the principles of human-centered design. That became a lifelong calling.
His father — an artist and admirer of legendary filmmaker Bapu — named him Kaladhar Bapu, a name he describes as both an inspiration and a lifelong reminder to live with creativity and intention.
Institutions & Impact
What He Built
UMO Design Foundation
Founded in 2000 as a passion project (originally “Boycott Bad Designs” — a community-driven movement where people shared examples of poor design from daily life). This evolved into UsabilityMatters.Org (UMO), then the UMO Design Foundation — a non-profit dedicated to fostering design awareness, meaningful dialogue, and social impact through design. Now 25+ years old.
UXINDIA International Conference
Founded in 2005. India's largest and the world's longest-running UX design conference. Now in its 25th edition (UXINDIA25). A global confluence of thought leadership from industry, institutions, and individuals — aimed at driving design-led social change.
UMO Design School
A new initiative reimagining design education through real-world projects and cross-disciplinary learning.
Happening Design Studio
Co-founded with studios in New York (NYC) and Hyderabad (HYD). Created the Kernel Design System, which became the foundation for consistent, composable interfaces across dozens of digital products, scaling design teams across the US and India.
“Design is a tool for social transformation and a way to make life better for people at every level of society.”
Pioneering Change
Initiatives He Pioneered
1 Million Women in Design
Empowering women to build design skills. Vision 2030: train 1 million women in AI and design literacy.
Design Literacy Program
Foundational design education for colleges, universities, and organizations.
UMO Design Grads
12-month program blending UX/UI, tech, and entrepreneurship with a startup capstone.
Design X Social (DXS)
Global Innovation Challenge for designers tackling social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Instill Design
Design education for social change; penetrating educational institutes across all regions.
Earlier programs: TechEase, iINNOVATE, Boycott Bad Designs, World Usability Day — seeding the design awareness movement in India.
Looking Ahead
Vision 2030
“The future of design is India, and the future of India is design.”
Design Entrepreneurship
Empower and incubate 100 design-led startups; help designers evolve into founders and changemakers.
Women in AI & Design
Train and mentor 1 million women in AI and design literacy by 2030.
Democratise Design Education
Take design to India's Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities; make learning accessible, affordable, and future-ready.
Philosophy & Mission
Design for Better Living
Core belief: “Good Design for Better Living” — design as a catalyst for social and economic transformation. Focus areas include inclusivity, accessibility, ethical design, human-centered thinking, and design entrepreneurship.
Kaladhar actively mentors and incubates design-led startups in healthcare, education, sustainability, and AI.
“Our approach focuses on helping founders understand not only what to build, but why and for whom — embedding human values and purpose into the DNA of their business models.”
The Human Side
Beyond Design
Currently splits time between New York and Hyderabad.
Deeply influenced by the writings of Swami Vivekananda and Jiddu Krishnamurti — values of reflection, discipline, and empathy shape his philosophy.
Passionate about sketching, caricature, cartooning, photography, and traveling. Loves Indian art, architecture, and culture.
Interested in visual storytelling and filmmaking — aspires to one day make a film that brings design and storytelling together.
Sports: Table tennis & pickleball.
Practices deep meditation and yoga — mornings begin with meditation, quiet reflection, and reading (design, technology, philosophy).
Awards & Recognition
Grand Prize Winner
Thunder Dome Trophy for Best User-Centric Technology Innovation. Project: e-bimba — Internet of Everyday Things.
Gold Star Award
Outstanding Contribution & High Performance — Microsoft
Featured in Global Indian
Cover Story (Oct 2025)
Alumni
IIT Bombay (Industrial Design) + Pratt Institute, New York (Strategic Design Management)