Ph.D in HCI ,Design, IIT Guwahati | M.Des (IIIT D&M Chennai) | B.Tech (Electronics, VNR VJIET Hyderabad)
Venkatesh is an experienced Design Researcher with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry, focusing on human-centered design in data-rich and intelligent systems. He is skilled in User Experience Design, Product Design, and related tools, with a strong interest in designing interactions for emerging and AI-enabled digital systems. Venkatesh holds an M.Des from IIITD&M and a Ph.D. with a focus on UX Design from IIT Guwahati, where his work intersected user cognition, interaction design, and technology-mediated experiences.
Before joining OP Jindal, Venkatesh worked with UPES from 2019 to 2025. He also worked with Sanmina-SCI Systems USA as a System Designer for one year as a full-time intern at the India Design Center, Chennai, contributing to complex system design and user-focused problem solving in technology-driven environments.
Venkatesh is a proponent of active and engaging education, seamlessly blending Socratic questioning with hands-on learning to support critical thinking in design and technology contexts. He believes these approaches cultivate deep understanding and enable the application of design thinking to data, systems, and intelligent interfaces. Through this pedagogy, he creates dynamic learning environments that prepare students to work with contemporary, computation-driven design challenges.
Venkatesh is actively involved in teaching courses in User Experience Design and allied areas, including Design Semantics, Multimodal Systems, Voice Interface Design, Data-Driven Design, User Data Analytics, Research Methods in Design, and Design Methods. These courses emphasize human–AI interaction, data-informed decision making, multimodal and voice-based interfaces, and user-centered evaluation of intelligent systems, equipping students with skills relevant to AI-influenced design practice.
Venkatesh’s research interests focus on design semantics, user experience design, and Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), with an emphasis on user engagement in adaptive and interactive digital systems. His work explores mixed reality, data analytics, and visualization to generate actionable insights from user data. He is particularly interested in multimodal interaction, emerging technologies, behavioral science, and the design of intelligent interfaces that shape user behavior and perception in digital environments.
2025
Sundaram, M., Varala, V., & Kumar, N. (2025). Digital twin for smart factory: Usage of digital twin to reduce manufacturing defects. In Exploring the Metaverse (pp. 83-99). Academic Press.
Arya, A., Soni, A. R., Sood, R., & Varala, V. (2025). Evaluating and enhancing the campus classroom hygiene and learning environment using multi-modality. IPIDMS 2025 (In Publication)
Varala, V., Majumder, S., Padiyal, A., & Mehta, S. (2025). Park-itect! Unlocking hidden spaces and enhancing user experience in decentralized IoT-enabled parking systems. IPIDMS 2025 (In publication).
2023
Chowdhury, A., & Varala, V. (2023, January). Analysing Semiotics and Affective Values of Posters. In International Conference on Research into Design (pp. 215-226). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore
2018
Varala, V., & Yammiyavar, P. (2018). Product Graphical User Interfaces:A Study for the Meaning and Usability on Automobile Dashboard User Interfaces in Indian Context. In Ergonomics in Caring for People: Proceedings of the International Conference on Humanizing Work and Work Environment 2015 (pp. 267-272). Springer Singapore.
2017
Varala, V., & Yammiyavar, P. (2017). A Preliminary Semantic Study on Communication and Perception of Energy Meter Graphics. In Research into Design for Communities, Volume 2: Proceedings of ICoRD 2017 (pp. 845-854). Springer Singapore.
2016
Varala V; Yammiyavar PA."User Centric Information Design approach for communicating Electricity Energy consumption for its Conservation and Sustainable Management," RAER 2016 IIT Guwahati.
2014
Yammiyavar P, Varala V."Graphical User Interface Perceptions and their role in Influencing Sustainable Usage: A Study of Semantics Communication and Interaction Of Smart meter Usability," HWWE'14, International Ergonomics Conference.
