Connecting Indian Diaspora Through Culture

Pargo

My Role

Project Lead & UX Design

Duration

4 Months

The Team

1 Tech lead 3 Designers UX, UI, Graphic 1 ROR developer 2 Mobile app developers 1 DevOps 1 Frontend (React) 1 Node.js 1 QA

Overview

Pargo is a cultural platform designed to connect the growing Indian diaspora through curated content, events, and art. The challenge was to modernize the outdated version into a sleek, scalable product that could attract both users and investors.

Role & Responsibilities

I led the project from start to finish connecting stakeholders, designers, and developers to move the vision forward. My responsibilities includes

  • Managing a cross-functional team of designers and developers.
  • Planned timelines, milestones, and resource allocation.
  • Driving UX/UI design direction and ensuring alignment with business goals.
  • Presenting progress and securing buy-in from stakeholders.

Objective

  • Redesign the outdated experience with a modern UI that could drive engagement.
  • Define a clear MVP roadmap within fixed budget and timelines.
  • Deliver a product that could demonstrate business value and attract funding.

Research

Research approach was lean, focused, and outcome driven

Because this project was an enhancement of an existing product (not a long research program), I used a lean research approach to validate assumptions quickly and drive design decisions.

Methods
Product audit

Reviewed the existing app to identify UX & visual gaps.

Stakeholder interviews

Aligned business & product priorities with stakeholders.

Competitive scan

Quick benchmarking against relevant cultural and content platforms to identify common patterns and opportunities.

Rapid usability checks

Informal 15-user walkthroughs / guerrilla tests on key flows to validate high-impact pain points.

Key findings
  • Navigation and content discovery were cluttered; users struggled to find events and artists quickly.
  • Artist/event pages lacked structure for discoverability and engagement.
  • Visual language felt inconsistent across screens.
  • Stakeholders prioritized fast wins that demonstrated value (focus on MVP/POC).
How research shaped the design
IA simplification

Reworked navigation and information architecture to surface events & creators first.

Feature prioritization

Focused MVP on event discovery, featured artists, and easy content consumption.

UI refresh

Introduced a cohesive visual system to improve credibility and engagement.

Stakeholder-aligned roadmap

Scoped a POC that could be built quickly and used to attract investment.

Competitive Research

The Indian diaspora, a vast and vibrant global community, boasts a rich artistic heritage passed down through generations. Millions of diaspora artists worldwide are dedicated to preserving and expressing their cultural identity across various art forms, including visual arts, music, dance, and literature. The online arts and culture space is witnessing exponential growth, fueled by the widespread adoption of digital tools and platforms.

Pargo

Process

Audit & Evaluation

Reviewed the old platform to identify usability issues and modernization opportunities.

Feature Prioritization

Scoped essential features for the MVP, balancing impact with delivery feasibility.

Team Leadership

Guided designers and developers through sprints, ensuring timely delivery.

Stakeholder Collaboration

Aligned design, tech, and business goals throughout the process.

Previous Version Overview

Information Architecture

The revised IA consolidates multiple content types under a single Discovery Hub while maintaining modular sections for scalability.

User Flow

Lo-fi Wireframes

The first version of lo-fi wireframes allowed me to run early usability tests and discover the priority revisions that need to be implemented ASAP. That decreased the number of iterations to the later versions with all effort being put into creating the hi-fi interface.

Redesigned Interface

Designed a modern interface that reflects Pargo’s vibrant and culturally rich identity. After several iterations and refinements, the final high-fidelity UI captures the brand’s warmth and authenticity while ensuring a polished, engaging user experience.

Outcome

  • Stakeholders loved the new experience.
  • The MVP demonstrated product potential and credibility.
  • MVP delivered on time & within budget.
  • Funding initiated for next phase post release.

Challenges & Learnings

Balancing Roles
First time leading a project while designing. Learned to balance design depth with leadership duties managing timelines, budgets, and team energy without compromising craft.
Cross-Team Alignment
Bridging stakeholders, designers, and developers taught me to translate vision into clear priorities and actionable tasks, keeping everyone aligned on outcomes.
Designing with Constraints
With limited formal research, I relied on quick validation and design intuition to make confident product decisions that still centered on user needs.
Iteration & Feedback
Structured iteration and regular stakeholder feedback improved clarity and alignment ultimately leading to a refined UI.
“Where distance separates, Pargo keeps the Indian diaspora connected to through art and culture.”

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