About Me

I research. I design. I write.
Always with people at the centre.

Hi, I'm Meghana — a Senior UX Researcher and service designer who brought over six years of experience from India to Amsterdam. With a foundation in Cognitive Science and Social Sciences, I look at products through a deeply human lens — helping teams turn complex user problems into clear, well-designed experiences across B2B SaaS and B2C products.

Right now I'm focused on AI-driven research — finding faster, smarter ways to synthesise insights without losing the human in the process. Outside of work, you'll find me volunteering at events run by the Ladies that UX Amsterdam community, collaborating with UX Rotterdam, and currently redesigning and migrating the website for UX Camp Amsterdam 2026. When I'm not doing that, I'm learning Dutch (hallo, ik ben Meghana!) or training for my next marathon.

Meghana Gautam
🇳🇱 Based in Amsterdam
✦ A little side project

Play games I built to teach research.

Two small, browser-based games I designed and built using AI — because research is more fun when you can play with it.

Career Journey

Every stop built on the last.

From cognitive science labs to enterprise products — a decade of research, design, and forward momentum.

TISS
2013 – 2016 TISS · Hyderabad B.A. Social Sciences
IIT Gandhinagar
2016 – 2018 IIT Gandhinagar M.Sc. Cognitive Science
Cognizant
2018 – 2019 Cognizant Qualitative Researcher
I-PAC
2019 – 2020 I-PAC · Hyderabad UX Researcher + Designer
Thence
2020 – 2022 Thence · Bangalore Junior → UX Researcher
Microsoft
2022 – 2023 Enterprise B2B Senior UX Researcher
Verizon
2023 – 2025 Verizon UX Research Consultant
Ladies that UX Amsterdam
2024 – now Ladies that UX AMS Volunteer · Events
UX Camp Amsterdam
2025 – now UX Camp Amsterdam Website Collaborator
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20+ Researchers Mentored

Across Thence, Tech Mahindra, and the Ladies that UX community — fostering a culture of qualitative rigour, design thinking, and psychological safety in research practice.

Research Philosophy

How I think. How I work.

Three principles that guide every project — from first brief to final handoff.

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Privacy First
Ethical research starts before recruitment — consent and data ownership are built in.
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Cultural Intelligence
Localisation is strategic — research adapts to cultural nuance, not just language.
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Research as Strategy
Research informs direction early, preventing wrong turns and unnecessary work.
Beyond the Screen

What keeps me grounded.

The same qualities that make a great researcher — patience, curiosity, and attention to pattern — show up everywhere else too.

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Marathon Running
Patient, persistent, and focused on the long game. Running mirrors my approach to research — consistent effort over time yields the deepest insights.
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Mandala Art
I find balance in the intricate geometry of drawing mandalas. A meditative practice that sharpens spatial thinking and brings calm to complex weeks.
Coffee Chat Series
Meeting professionals across Europe to understand cultural nuances in product growth. Part networking, part fieldwork — I never stop collecting data.
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Home Organisation
A clear space leads to a clear mind. Organisation at home is a direct extension of how I structure research — everything intentional, everything with purpose.
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The Study of My Move — A Mini Research Project

After relocating to Amsterdam, I turned my own experience into a study. 20+ coffee chats with professionals across Europe, synthesised into cultural observations on growth, career mobility, and design culture. Read it on Medium →

Let's Connect

Open to conversations.

Whether it's AI in research, UX strategy, or the best coffee spots in Amsterdam — I'm always up for a good conversation.