As a user experience (UX) designer, Snehal Ladke works in a space where visibility is low, but the stakes are high. Her goal is to translate complex infrastructures into easily navigated systems through precision, patience, and principle. Emphasizing competence over charisma, Snehal can operate in institutional environments where good design isn’t optional—it’s foundational. Snehal Ladke Origins in Graphic Design While she has gone on to become a master of UX, Snehal began her career as a graphic designer. She completed her undergraduate degree in 2016 at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Mumbai, one of India’s top fashion schools. Equipped with this educational backing, she went on to work for several marketing and media agencies, soon leading a team of six junior designers. It was at this point that Ladke was introduced to UX, with which she instantly felt an affinity. “I was instantly gravitated towards UX because it focused on problem-solving and human behavior, which, to me is very intriguing" Snehal explained. “I decided to pursue a grad program at California College of the Arts in human-computer interaction. My goal was to acquire more skill sets in addition to graphic design which I could further channelize to apply in gov-tech and civic-tech to help different government administrations through tech and design.” Joining the World of UX Design Building from her practical experience in graphic design and her new knowledge of UX design, Snehal worked with Recidiviz, a nonprofit tech company building systems with a mission to reduce incarceration and support community re-entry programs. In her role as a UX designer at Recidiviz, Snehal designed intuitive user interfaces for the Council of State Governments (CSG) to reflect consensus-driven metrics of criminal justice data. When asked what inspired her to join this industry, Snehal  responded: “My inspiration to work in this sector comes from a drive to make a positive impact and use my skills and knowledge to help people and authorities bring in change.” This would be her first introduction to the world of civic-tech. Helping to Found RIPL and a Focus on Transportation From this point, Ladke went on to serve as a founding designer at ripl.org (Research Improving People’s Lives), a national nonprofit organization that helps build digital products for the public sector and aids policymakers. She recognizes that this space has a tremendous opportunity to make a real impact on people’s lives despite the temptation of futuristic tech in Silicon Valley. ripl.org This role further brought Snehal to the East Coast to work as a Senior UX and information designer at the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), the public transportation network of the greater Boston area. Snehal stated. “I have always aspired to be in the public transit space that impacts the daily lives of people.” Practical Impact Through UX Moving forward, Ladke aims to continue helping others through her work and contributing to versatile and impactful projects. Her work in UX design has already impacted tens of thousands of users, and her ambition to benefit others through user interface shows no sign of faltering. Where AI and other speculative technologies increasingly shape. Snehal’s field, she continues to advance practical, tangible solutions that make a difference.

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

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