Product Designer @Spotify role — Maanasa Mahesh

Welcome from me

Another month, another fantastic guest. This time, I’m chatting with the wonderful Maanasa, a talented product designer at Spotify. From growing up in India to breaking into the London design scene, her journey is full of insightful pivots, creative exploration, and a passion for music and UX design.

We cover everything from video games as UX inspiration to DJing in Scotland’s remote islands — plus, she shares invaluable tips for anyone looking to break into product design.

Maanasa’s story is a testament to persistence, passion, and the power of lifelong learning. Whether you’re a budding designer or just love hearing career journeys, there’s something in her story for everyone.

What we talk about

• Growing up in India and moving back to London for a dream internship at Spotify.
• Her diverse musical journey, from learning the veena to drumming to DJing.
• The path from graphic design to UX and product design.
• Breaking into the industry: internships, portfolio building, and job applications.
• The role of a product designer at Spotify — what her current role involves.
• Why a cover letter and a tailored portfolio can make all the difference.

Our guest

Maanasa

• Current Role: Product Designer at Spotify.
• Location: Based in London.
• Background: Born in the UK, moved to India at age 8, then returned to London for work.
• Passions & Interests:
• A visual designer at heart with a deep love for UX.
• A lifelong gamer — sees video games as UX in a different format.
• Deeply passionate about music: trained in Indian classical music (veena and singing), learned drums in college, and now DJs.
• Got into DJing through Spotify’s UK DJ Club, attended a mixer event, bought her own decks, and is now on the committee for the London office.
• Loves house and deep house, often mixing Indian Disco and Arabic music.

Maanasa’s path to now

• Studied in India, then moved back to London for a Spotify internship.
• Started with graphic design, then studied abroad at Virginia Commonwealth University, taking courses in Visuals for Children and Interaction Design 101.
• Final year project: an iPad video game about rhino conservation in Nepal, using gamification to encourage awareness.
• UX Design Internship at Samsung R&D in Bangalore — remote, video-off culture.
• Knew she wanted to be in London, so she took an online course through Design Lab, covering UX fundamentals.
• Completed an 8-month UX Academy program while working and traveling.
• Built her portfolio using ReadyMag (highly intuitive with built-in animations).
• Career coach recommended diversifying job applications, but she was set on Spotify.
• Did a case study improving a Spotify feature and applied for a summer internship.
• Landed a three-month internship in London, then traveled to New York to meet the team and received her full-time job offer in person!

Learnings

UX vs. Product Design

• UX designers focus heavily on user experience and research.
• Product designers balance user needs with business goals and strategy.

Product Design at Spotify (Day-to-Day)

• Weekly planning sessions to set goals.
• Two design team meetings per week, including critiques.
• ProducA mix of visual design, strategy, and communication.

Team structure at Spotify

• Each squad includes a Product Manager (PM), Engineering Manager (EM), iOS, Front-End, and Back-End Engineers.
• User Researchers and Data Scientists are shared across squads, providing insights.

Tips & Tricks

Breaking into UX & Product Design

• Keep your portfolio updated: show your process, not just the final product.
• Case studies matter: present the solution first, then walk through the process in interviews.
• Don’t be afraid to apply for internships — even post-graduation. They can be a great stepping stone.
• Cover letters make a difference! Take the time to personalise them.
• Leverage YouTube for interview prep. Channels like AJ&Smart are great resources.
• Tailor your CV and portfolio to each job description. Highlight relevant skills and tools.
• Use LinkedIn for networking. Reach out to people for casual chats — worst case, they’re busy!

Shout Outs

Designers & Creatives We Love

• Annie Atkins — Irish graphic designer known for her work in film, especially with Wes Anderson.
• Jessica Walsh — Founder of &Walsh in New York.

Friends Doing Cool Things

• Tanvi Parulkar — Founder of Rum & Raisin, a mental health and anxiety toolkit.
• Swathie — Game designer and artist in NYC, working on therapeutic games for anxiety. Her project Normal Bad Sex received an NYU Game Center grant.

Want more?

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