
Table of contents
The First Blueprint: A Career in Architecture
We are often sold a lie: that a career is a straight, predictable line. We’re told to pick a path, climb the ladder, and arrive at a predetermined destination. My story is proof that the most rewarding journeys are rarely linear. My career has been a winding road of intentional demolition and bold reconstruction, and through it all, I have learned to be the architect of my own evolution.
My journey began with the tangible. As a freshly graduated architect working across design firms in Chennai and Bangalore, my world was one of precision and permanence. It was the scent of fresh blueprints, the cold reality of steel and concrete, and the profound satisfaction of watching a structure rise from the ground, ready to stand for decades. I designed physical spaces for people to live and work in. The rules were established, the materials were solid, and the results were built to last.
But even as I drafted plans for buildings, a different kind of architecture was capturing my imagination. I was deeply fascinated by the digital world—the sleek design of a new device, the intuitive flow of a mobile application, the invisible structures that governed our daily interactions with technology. A persistent question began to surface in my mind, a question that would ultimately change my trajectory: what if I could design not just the physical spaces people occupy, but the digital experiences they inhabit?
The Pivot to Pixels: A New Design Philosophy
This question sparked my first pivot. It was a deliberate, calculated leap of faith away from the world of concrete and into the world of code and pixels. I enrolled in a comprehensive UX/UI design course, a decision that felt both exhilarating and profoundly terrifying. The transition was far from easy. It required a complete rewiring of my brain, a shift from thinking in terms of load-bearing walls and spatial permanence to embracing the fluid, fast-paced, iterative nature of digital design.
The true challenge, however, lay in embracing an entirely new philosophy: the design thinking process. My architectural background was structured and linear, but UX demanded a cyclical, empathetic approach that felt foreign. Frankly, my first few website designs were mediocre and outdated, lacking the visual harmony and intuitive flow I admired in other digital products. To bridge this gap, I adopted a rigorous practice of deconstruction; I would meticulously recreate websites, forcing myself to understand the nuances of their color theory and layout. This hands-on work was my real classroom, helping me internalize the craft and master the tools, one pixel at a time.
The risk paid off. I landed my first job as a UX designer in Chennai, and the feeling was electric. It was the first validation that my pivot was possible. Later, I made the move to High Peak in Bangalore, a step that would prove to be one of the most significant in my career. Here, I had the opportunity to dive deep into designing websites, intricate mobile apps, and complex web applications. I was finally building the seamless digital experiences that had fascinated me for so long. I thought I had found my final destination.
Navigating the AI Disruption
Then came 2025, and with it, a seismic shift. The AI boom wasn’t a distant tremor; it was a tidal wave that crashed into the tech and creative industries with undeniable force. A genuine, palpable fear set in, not just for me, but for my peers and colleagues. I would read headlines about AI generating stunning visuals from a simple prompt or writing flawless code in seconds. A wave of existential dread washed over me. Would my trained eye for design, my hard-won intuition for user flow, be rendered obsolete by an algorithm?
I was at a crossroads. I could resist, dig my heels in, and risk being left behind in a world that was rapidly changing. Or I could do the one thing that felt the most counterintuitive: I could run towards the disruption.
This is where my story takes its most important turn, and it’s a turn I couldn’t have made without the incredible culture at High Peak. My role as a UX designer already required me to work closely with our marketing team. The leadership at High Peak saw this connection not as a liability, but as a unique opportunity. Instead of seeing a designer whose job was threatened, they saw a problem-solver with a unique perspective.
Instead of siloing me, they built a bridge. They gave me their trust and a safe space to fail and learn. They empowered me to explore, to be curious, and to experiment. I was invited into the marketing team, not as an expert, but as an apprentice with a unique background. They gave me a sandbox to play in, and I dove in headfirst.
My Marketing Sandbox: Building a New Skillset
The learning curve was vertical, but my adaptation was swift because I was simply applying my core skills in a new context. I immersed myself in a range of marketing tasks, viewing each one through the lens of a designer:
Ad Copy Creation
I learned to use Large Language Models(LLMS) to accelerate the creative process. By feeding the AI context about our audience and product, it helped me quickly brainstorm a wide range of different hooks and messaging angles. This allowed me to overcome creative blocks and produce polished ad copy much more efficiently, speeding up my workflow dramatically.
Content Creation
My design background found a natural home in creating visually compelling posters and social media graphics. For longer-form content like blog posts, I used AI as a research and structuring partner. It helped me outline complex topics and ensure a logical flow before I stepped in to apply our brand’s unique voice, expertise, and narrative style.
Video Production
This was my boldest leap. I started writing scripts for promotional videos and product explainers. Then, using AI-powered video editing platforms, I learned to turn those scripts into polished, professional videos. The AI helped with storyboarding, trimming clips, and generating subtitles, handling the technical heavy lifting so I could focus on the emotional impact of the story.
Social Media Management
I took charge of planning and publishing our content using social media scheduling platforms. This wasn’t just about scheduling posts; it was about designing a conversation. I applied UX principles to understand what our audience wanted to see and how they wanted to engage, turning our social channels into a more user-friendly experience.
Designing My Way Forward
The “aha!” moment was profound. AI wasn’t my replacement; it was my most powerful collaborator. It was a force multiplier that automated the repetitive tasks, freeing me up to focus on what truly matters: strategy, creativity, and the empathy-driven core of the message.
Today, I see my career not as a series of disconnected chapters, but as a single, cohesive structure. Architecture gave me an unshakeable foundation in structure, logic, and planning for longevity. UX design taught me the invaluable lesson of empathy—to obsess over the end-user’s journey. Now, as I grow in marketing, I bring all of it together. My design thinking isn’t a relic of my past; it’s the superpower that fuels my present.
My journey has taught me that fear of the unknown is natural, but stagnation is a choice. High Peak gave me the opportunity to choose growth, and for that, I am immensely grateful. I am not scared of the future or the continued rise of AI, because I have learned to adapt and wield it as a tool.
Looking back, I see that the tools are always changing, but the drive to understand and create for people is constant. I’m no longer afraid of what’s next; I’m simply curious to see what we can build with the tools of tomorrow.