Hello, I'm Nish. A product designer who designs the work, then writes the code that ships it.

Open to Senior and Staff roles  ·  Denver, CO
8+
years designing and shipping software
5
Ford and Lincoln vehicle lines on the road
10+
features shipped: voice, OTA, vehicle health
15+
vehicle controls unified in one framework

Selected work.

Where I've been.

Senior Product Designer
Ford Motor Company
Mar 2021 — present
Denver, CO

Shaping how millions of drivers interact with their cars — vehicle controls, OTA updates, voice, and the design system underneath it all.

40% reduction in design-system inconsistencyDesign system scaled to 20+ product teams90% task success on tested vehicle controls30% faster to locate key controls15+ functions unified in one frameworkWards 10 Best · MotorTrend 2025 · patent pending
Vehicle ControlsSoftware Updates (OTA)In-Car AlexaValet ModeTowing & Trailering education (discovery)
Read the case study →
UI/UX Designer
Lab for Playful Computation, CU Boulder
Jan 2020 — Jan 2021
Boulder, CO

Designed a smart gardening dashboard inside a research lab exploring playful, tangible computing.

Product Manager Intern
Slalom Build
Summer 2019
Seattle, WA

Summer product internship spanning discovery, requirements, and cross-functional delivery.

Co-founder & Lead Designer
firehearts.co
2016 — 2019
Chennai, IN

Co-founded a design studio; led branding and web design for early-stage startups.

Led a team of 520+ clients shipped
20+ startup brands & websites

Recognition.

Awards & shipped
Wards 10 Best
Interior & UX Award · Ford Expedition
2024
MotorTrend
Best Tech for Infotainment · Lincoln
2025

Kind words.

I think what I appreciate most about Nish is his thoroughness, and willingness to explore a variety of solutions to a singular problem. As a design system lead at Ford, Nish's feedback and collaboration has contributed to the betterment of our design system and our product.
Jack MinogueJack MinogueLead Product Designer / Ford
Nishank is very much a team player, always the first to offer his help whenever anyone needs an extra hand. His positive energy and eagerness to learn and grow was infectious throughout our team from day one. Any team would be lucky to have Nishank!
Devin JefferyDevin JefferySenior Product Designer / The Knot
Nish is passionate about the design industry, always sharing innovative ideas and ways to improve our process with the team. He wears several hats and is always willing to solve problems that arise, even if they fall outside of his wheelhouse.
Cameron HirbodiCameron HirbodiLead Product Designer / Ford
Nishank is a brilliant and incredibly hard working designer. His technical skills were top notch — he was among the foremost experts on Invision and other rapid prototyping at Ford. And he had a great artistic eye for detail and a strong creative approach to problem solving.
Jason MickJason MickAI/ML Staff Engineer / Lockheed Martin
Nishank proves to be an All-rounder with perfect blend of design skills, technical acumen and managerial capabilities. A very calm and easy-going person to work with. I will strongly recommend him for design leadership roles.
Akash MishraAkash MishraSenior Product Manager / Hiver
Nishank has exceptional skills in creating intuitive and user-centric interfaces. His keen eye for detail, strong problem-solving abilities, and dedication to delivering exceptional user experiences makes him a valuable asset to any team.
Shivang SharmaShivang SharmaSenior UX Designer / HCL Tech

How I work.

I am a self-taught designer with an M.S. in Computer Science. I work across design, engineering, and product. Usually I write the spec, then write the code that ships it. Before Ford I co-founded a small studio and led a team of five for about two and a half years.

The work I care about most is not the prettiest screen. It is making a hard call when things are unclear, getting a team aligned on it, and building something that lasts longer than the project.

BasedDenver, CO
EducationM.S. CS · B.Tech IT
Experience8+ years
LanguagesEnglish, Hindi
Nishank Sharma

How I think about the work.

Operating values
01

Simplicity is the key

Good design disappears. The best interfaces are the ones users don't notice. They just work.

02

Empathy & kindness

Design starts with deeply understanding people. Kindness isn't soft. It's a strategy for building things that last.

03

Design in the open

Build bridges between design, product, and engineering. Share work early and often.

04

Quality + velocity

Care deeply about quality, but understand velocity matters. Perfection is the enemy of done.

05

Mild to wild

Every product presents a chance to push what's possible. Deliver what can ship while exploring what's next.

06

Humans first

Apply rigor to what matters. Take time to rest, recharge, value people we love.

Honest about the tools.

Where AI drives, and where I do

AI fully drives

  • Microcopy: button labels, empty states, errors
  • Placeholder content for design mocks
  • Reformatting writing: PRDs, briefs, case studies
  • Code Connect mappings & component naming

AI accelerates, I drive

  • Functional prototypes (Cursor, v0, Claude Code, Figma Make)
  • Flow-variation exploration for edge cases
  • Case-study drafting & research synthesis

No AI

  • Customer interviews & user observation
  • Visual design & brand decisions
  • Stakeholder management & political navigation
  • Final design polish

The new shape of AI design

How AI is reshaping the way design gets made.

The eye that isn't looking

A decision model for motion timing.

Soon

The designer's Claude Code

An honest account of shipping as a senior designer with AI in the loop.

Soon

Let's talk.