SKILLS
So!ware:
Sketch, Balsamiq, Figma, Figjam, Zeplin, Invision,
Photoshop, AxureRP, Illustrator, InDesign, AdobeXD,
Jira, GitLab, Microso Office (Powerpoint, Word, Excel),
Eloqua, Canva, Marketo
UX Collaboration & Ideation Skills:
• Effective collaboration across design,
product, and engineering teams.
• Communicate user insights and design
rationale through clear presentations.
• Skilled in rapid prototyping using digital tools,
and whiteboarding.
• Use low-fidelity techniques like sketches and
post-its for early concept exploration.
• Lead workshops , design sprints and
collaborative sessions to drive user-centered
solutions.
Sukanya Sarkar
Product Designer | Visual Designer | UX Researcher
Email sukanya@aynakus.com
Phone 925 391 5169
Web www.aynakus.com
UX UI Designer and Researcher
@ Internal Revenue Service, Oakland, CA
July 2023 – present
Conducted user research (interviews and surveys)
to gather insights from taxpayers, tax
professionals, and IRS staff for better-informed
design decisions.
Analyzed user needs, behaviors, and pain points
to inform the development of user-centered
design solutions for IRS online portals (both
internal and external) ensuring improved
accessibility and efficiency.
Developed personas, journey maps, design
hypothesis, storyboards and task flows based on
research findings to guide design and enhance
user experience for IRS online digital services.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams,
including developers, product managers, and
policy subject matter experts, to ensure design
solutions meet legal and regulatory requirements
while addressing user needs.
Created wireframes, prototypes, service blue
prints and high-fidelity designs for IRS web
applications, focusing on clarity, ease of use, and
compliance with federal government standards.
Delivered research synthesis and presented
findings to stakeholders, helping drive data-
driven decisions to improve the digital experience
for tax payers.
Advocated for inclusive design practices to ensure
IRS platforms are accessible to all users, including
those with disabilities, in compliance with
Section 508 guidelines.
Trained internal teams on UX best practices,
fostering a user-centered design culture within
the federal agency.
Product Designer
@ AssetMark, Concord, CA
July 2013 – July 2023
Led front-end design initiatives for the
eWealthManager web application (company’s
Web Platform for high net worth Financial
Advisors), including wireframing, high-fidelity
screen designs, and interactive prototyping.
Developed development-ready designs,
ensuring alignment with technical specifications
and a seamless user experience.
Enhanced usability by iterating on designs
based on user feedback and testing results.
Collaborated with stakeholders, C-level
executives, technology leaders, and developers
to ensure design solutions align with business
goals and technical constraints.
Mentored design interns and junior designers,
providing guidance on design methodologies,
tools, and best practices.
Offered design consultation to vendor
developers inhouse and overseas, ensuring
consistency in design execution and adherence
to design standards.
Experience
Member of Staff, Technical Designer
@ Interra IT Inc., San Jose, CA
Feb 2001– May 2007
Provided design consulting to diverse clients,
creating engaging visual designs and intuitive
user experiences for web platforms.
Developed HTML prototypes as final deliverables
for multiple customer projects.
Managed teams of developers, testers, and
freelance designers across India and the USA,
ensuring effective collaboration and timely
project delivery.
Oversaw account management and project
budgets, ensuring successful execution of client
projects.
Responsible for design, site structure (web
navigation), and daily maintenance of the
corporate website.
Supported sales initiatives by designing
customized presentations, analyzing competitor
offerings, and redesigning websites to improve
client experiences.
Design Specialist
@ Atrenta Inc. San Jose, CA
Jan 2000 – Feb 2001
Designed brochures, signage, and various
marketing collateral for the company’s
participation in prominent conferences such as
DAC (Design Automation Conference) and NAB
(National Association of Broadcasters).
Developed and executed internal and external
marketing campaigns, ensuring consistency with
the company’s corporate brand.
Created icons and Infographs, visual designs to
support the engineering team and promote
products based on Digital Video Technologies.
Senior Visual Designer
@ Accela Government Soware, San Ramon, CA
Sept 2007 – Feb 2013
Led product marketing initiatives focusing on
product branding, campaigns, infographics, sales
engineering support, and product
documentation.
Developed and facilitated usability evaluations
and focus groups, gathering insights to inform
design improvements.
Analyzed user feedback and presented findings
on pain points and suggested design
enhancements to engineering management.
Directed corporate web design and managed
localized sites, ensuring consistent branding and
user experience across global platforms.
Designed brochures, web info graphics, product
technical data sheets, trade show materials,
signage, and posters for corporate conferences to
effectively promote company and its products
initiatives.
Design Consultant
@ Sun Microsystems, Sunnyvale, CA
May 2007 – Sept 2007
Developed visual designs and icon designs for
SunSpace (formerly CE 2.0), the global technical
community at Sun Microsystems.
Provided graphic design consultation for the
production version of the platform.
Contributed to digital design efforts, enhancing
user experience and visual appeal.
Design Consultant
@ Truste, San Francisco, CA
March 2013 - July 2013
Designed brochures, signage, and other
marketing collateral for the company’s
participation in prominent industry conferences.
Created print and digital designs, including
emails, banners, digital advertisements, and
corporate presentations, ensuring consistency
with brand guidelines.
Developed visually engaging materials, such as
infographics — tailored for both print and online
platforms, optimizing user engagement across
various media channels.
SUMMARY
Cra user-focused digital experiences by applying
cognitive, interaction, and visual design principles with a
strong emphasis on empathy
Conceptualizing workflows, user journeys, and design
systems across diverse digital products
Passionate about the full product design process—from
ideation to prototyping to implementation—with keen
attention to detail
Skilled in branding, icon design, infographics, and
illustrations, adding creative depth to front-end design
Enjoy hands-on involvement in building reusable UI
components and delivering cohesive front-end product
designs
Leverage AI tools to enhance the storyboarding phase of
UI research, accelerating ideation, improving user insight
synthesis, and streamlining the visualization of user
scenarios
EDUCATION / TRAINING
Cooper U Interaction Design training on Goal-
Directed Design to create products and services that
people love. San Francisco.
Master of Industrial Design,
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.
Bachelor of Applied Art, College of Art, New Delhi.
UX Design Process: Enhancement feature of
lien payoff calculator on irs.gov
Problem Framing & Research
Collaborated with IRS stakeholders, tax professionals, and legal advisors to
understand limitations in the existing lien payoff tool. Analyzed user feedback
and support tickets to identify common pain points—such as unclear inputs,
confusing results, and lack of guidance through the payoff process.
User Flow Design
Redesigned the end-to-end user journey to clarify inputs (e.g., lien type, filing
date, interest calculations) and improve understanding of payoff outcomes.
Focused on making the tool accessible for both tax professionals and
individuals.
Prototyping & Iteration
Built wireframes and interactive prototypes to test with internal users and
external tax consultants. Incorporated enhancements such as contextual
help, calculation explanations, and downloadable payoff summaries.
Accessibility & Compliance
Ensured the design met WCAG 2.1 standards and followed U.S. Web Design
System (USWDS) guidelines for federal digital products. Prioritized screen
reader compatibility and keyboard navigation.
Final Delivery
Delivered annotated high-fidelity designs and specifications in Invision
redlined for development. Partnered with developers and QA to validate
functionality and compliance in staging environments before release.
Design Showcase
Storyboarding, Hypothesis, and Blueprint
Designs for Digital Media: Enhancing
Experiences for Taxpayers and IRS
Employees
Mapped out user journeys through storyboards to visualize interactions
between taxpayers, IRS employees, and digital platforms, identifying key pain
points and opportunities for improvement.
Formulated design hypotheses based on user research and behavioral data to
guide the development of intuitive and efficient digital experiences.
Created low- to high-fidelity blueprints for digital tools and interfaces aimed
at streamlining common IRS processes, such as tax filing, tax payer return
status, filing tracking, communication through chat and other support such
as helpline, etc.
Prioritized accessibility and clarity in design elements to ensure ease of use
for diverse audiences, including those with limited digital literacy.
Incorporated feedback loops within the design process to validate
hypotheses and refine experiences for both IRS staff and the tax payers.
Aligned design solutions with federal UX guidelines to maintain compliance
and consistency.
Design Showcase
UX Design for Portfolio Gap Analysis
tool — on Wealth Management web
platform
Competitive Analysis: Review existing financial planning tools to
identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
Journey Mapping: Visualize the user flow from onboarding to
insight generation, identifying friction points in goal setting, asset
input, and strategy comparison.
Gap Analysis Scenarios: Define specific financial gaps (e.g.,
retirement shortfalls, investment misalignment) to ensure tool
coverage.
Feature Mapping: Prioritize must-have features like goal tracking,
risk assessment, and gap visualizations.
User Flows & Wireframes: Design clear flows for entering financial
data, receiving insights, and comparing scenarios.
Content Strategy: Simplify financial jargon; use clear, actionable
language in recommendations.
High-Fidelity Prototypes: Create visually polished versions using
Sketch, integrating brand guidelines.
Iteration: Refine based on feedback; prioritize enhancements based
on user needs and technical feasibility.
Developer Handoff: Provide annotated designs and design system
components for implementation.
Design Showcase
UX Design Process: Document
Upload & E-Signature – Wealth
Management Application
Discovery Gathered requirements from clients, advisors, and
compliance teams.
Identified key user personas and common document
workflows.
Reviewed industry standards for security and usability.
Journey Mapping Mapped end-to-end flow: notification →
upload → review → sign → submit.
Highlighted friction points and security checkpoints.
Design & Prototyping Created low-fidelity wireframes and
high-fidelity mockups in Sketch/Zeplin.
Focused on intuitive upload, drag-and-drop, and e-signature
placement.
Ensured accessibility, visual clarity, and trust indicators.
Testing & Iteration Conducted usability tests with Financial
Advisors.
Iterated on upload feedback, signature guidance, and
confirmation flow.
Handoff Delivered annotated designs and specs for dev
implementation via Zeplin.
Supported QA and UAT to validate edge cases and
compliance.
UX Design Process
— Login & Multifactor
Authentication
Discovery: Aligned with security and compliance
teams on requirements.
User Flows: Mapped login, password reset, and MFA
methods (SMS, email, biometric).
Design: Created accessible, low-friction UI with clear
error handling.
Testing: Conducted usability testing to refine
instructions, timing, and fallback options.
Handoff: Delivered final specs and supported
implementation across platforms.
Design Showcase
UX Design for — Paper-based Tax Loss and
Gain Harvesting process into a streamlined,
interactive online submission experience
Translating Research into Experience:
Interpreted stakeholder input and research findings in collaboration with
product analysts to transform a paper-based Tax Loss and Gain Harvesting
process into a streamlined, interactive online submission exerience.
Iterative Design & Collaboration:
Led multiple design iterations informed by feedback from interaction
designers, product owners, and clients. Used rapid prototyping to validate
ideas and refine the experience.
Journey Mapping to Final Design:
Developed comprehensive user journeys, workflows, happy paths, and edge
case scenarios. Delivered high-fidelity designs using Sketch and Zeplin,
ensuring pixel-perfect execution through close collaboration with
developers and QA during testing.
Design Showcase
Logo and Icon Design:
Created a modern, minimalist logo for a tech startup using geometric forms and a monochrome palette.
Branding & Identity:
Developed a full brand identity package for Government Soware Company, including logo, color palette, typography, and brochure concepts.
Designed cohesive business cards, letterheads, and social media templates for Wealth Management Firm.
Web & App Design:
Designed a user-friendly landing page for a fintech app and site with a clean UI and strong call-to-action elements.
Created wireframes and high-fidelity mockups for a Wealth Management app with friendly visuals and intuitive navigation.
Print Design:
Designed a series of bold and eye-catching signage for a various Technical Trade shows.
Produced sleek, modern brochures for a Government Soare firm, Hardware Company and Wealth Management company.
Infographics & Data Visualization:
Designed infographic illustrating a company’s annual report data with clear visual hierarchy.
Created educational infographics for a work flow of users and employees for federal agency.
Visual Design Showcase
Visual Design Showcase
Visual Design Showcase
Sukanya Sarkar
Product Designer | Visual Designer | UX Researcher
Email sukanya@aynakus.com
Phone 925 391 5169
Web www.aynakus.com
Resume 2025 Oakland, California
