# Ally Shah > Product Designer @Technosylva | Artist | Numadelic Labs Research Fellow. MSc Candidate in Transpersonal Psychology Location: United States, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/allyshah My most cherished work has been with organizations and individuals who view themselves as part of a larger whole, exploring how humanity can achieve balanced, equitable, and mutually beneficial relationships with one another and our environment. I am a designer and researcher with deep experience in geospatial, health & wellness, government, and education. My process combines design thinking and human-centered design practices. I specialize in prototyping and mixed-methods research, and informed by my graduate work in psychology along with 15 yrs in product tech. My work in both the technology and psychology spaces supports human flourishing in balance with nature. In the technology space, I am a Senior Product Designer at Technosylva, developing software solutions that enhances fire mitigation and planning, particularly in areas where extreme weather plays a significant role in risk and impact. Technosylva is the leading provider of wildfire and extreme weather risk mitigation solutions for electric utilities and fire agencies. In the psychology domain, I am in my last semester as MSc Graduate student at the Alef Trust / Liverpool John Moores university. My current research in transpersonal psychology explores the use of virtual reality (VR | XR) to represent and induce hypnogogia- the state between wakefulness and sleep. More broadly, I am interested in the use of external (physical and digital) visual stimulus and internal "mind's eye" visuals to support well-being. My research interests include altered-states of consciousness, tech for mental health, and creativity. ## Work Experience ### Senior Product Designer @ Technosylva Jan 2025 – Present As a Senior Product Designer with Technosylva I am supporting the Wildfire Analyst suite and innovations enhancing fire mitigation and planning where extreme weather plays a role in risk and impact. Technosylva is the leading provider of wildfire and extreme weather risk mitigation solutions for electric utilities and fire agencies. Our mission is to reduce the impact of wildfires and extreme weather through real-time insights and predictive modeling. Our solutions combine the best source data and science, cutting edge AI and modeling, operationally proven application software, and industry-leading scientists and experts to support the most complex and important decisions made by utilities and fire agencies. ### Research Fellow @ Numadelic Labs Collective (NLC) Jan 2025 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Numadelic Labs is a 501(c)3 organization advancing the research and development of Numadelics- a design aesthetic in virtual reality (VR) that draws inspiration from near-death (NDEs) and psychedelic experiences. Based on over 5 years of scientific research, Numadelic Labs' XR and AI platform supports group experiences of awareness, connection, and insight for collective flourishing. Numadelic Labs' technology gives participants a felt sense of connection to something greater than themselves. We believe that the ability to scale transformational experiences of connection - experiences that today occur primarily in rare collective rituals or psychedelic sessions - would represent a breakthrough in humanity's capacity to address our shared challenges. ### Senior Product Designer @ Esri Jan 2022 – Jan 2025 I'm the Senior Product Designer for ArcGIS Dashboards, a dashboards-focused application which serves millions at the private, state, and national levels. My work includes: * Collaboration with engineering. * Alignment of designs with platform and design system standards. * Contributing to the development of a design system and pattern libraries * Identifying areas where AI can simplify and support workflows. * Conduct qualitative and quantitative user research; deliver reports of the same. More about Esri & the ArcGIS Dashboards Product: Esri inspires and enables people to positively impact the future through a deeper, geographic understanding of the changing world around them. ArcGIS Dashboards, specifically, enable users to convey information by presenting location-based analytics using intuitive and interactive data visualizations on a single screen. ArcGIS Dashboards help users make decisions, visualize trends, monitor status in real-time, and inform their communities. ### Senior Product Designer @ Intel Corporation Jan 2022 – Jan 2022 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States I worked with Intel as a Sr. Product Designer for the One PDM program, designing Intel’s solution for managing BOM (bill of material) data and long-range planning for die, stacked silicon, and packed silicon manufacturing for semiconductors. 
 * Provided UX and UI design guidance. * Simplified key workflows and data entry. * Collaborated with Intel and Deloitte teams. * Refined OnePDM workflows and interface. * Led re-organization of our team’s visual design system in Figma. * Collaborated with developers, aligning design with engineering best practices. * Played a critical role in documenting and archiving our project materials when our program was placed on pause. ### Senior Designer & Strategist @ RS21 Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 I worked with RS21 as a Lead Designer and Strategist across multiple projects. During my time with RS21 I designed the company's flagship product, Localia, a geospatial, map-based analytics solution that combines multiple data visualizations and data sets into a customizable, insights dashboard. As a lead designer and strategist I championed human-centered design and advocated for a research-led process that allowed designers time to explore and validate designs. This meant our final, validated designs were not only beautiful but also highly meaningful and user-friendly with an established strategy for delivering wins in the complex domains we served. My responsibilities with RS21 involved leading design efforts at a project-level and overseeing the work of mid-level UX and visual designers, creating and executing research plans as a facilitator of sessions or oversight to team member facilitating sessions, and supporting design workshops to definition and planning products. I have experiences creating a broad range of deliverables from strategic plans for executing design efforts to research reports, wireframes and visual designs that ring it all to life. Work with RS21 is heavy in specialist domains and often involves working with data science, AI, ML and complex domains in the National Labs space. The projects I worked on included technology and domains such as Geospatial & Mobile Data solutions, Urban Planning, Cancer research and Healthcare, Crime mitigation, Cyber-Security, and National Labs solutions for physicists exploring metal properties. ### Senior Designer & Strategist @ UPMC Enterprises Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States I worked as a design strategist & researcher in a hybrid role that blended design and business methods to explore opportunities for innovation in healthcare. Our small agile team partnered with clinical experts to research disease or demographic-specific innovation opportunities. The outcome of our work was market research, business insights, recommendations to invest, and MVP product concepts and prototypes that were ready to be carried forward into development. In our work we used design thinking to considered user's workflows, scholarly secondary research, primary research, and new technologies like AI, ML, NLP and telemedicine capabilities to introduce business innovations that would make changes profitable and sustainable. ### Senior Designer & Researcher with Next Generation Imaging @ UPMC Enterprises Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | Greater Pittsburgh Area I worked in the Next Generation Imaging (NGI) program where we incorporate the latest technologies like AI (artificial intelligence) and advanced business logic into software that supports radiologists and other clinicians work with medical images. Our products are an evolution in traditional tools, and leverage improved visual design, simplified workflows, and assistive AI solutions to make physician's work easier. NGI is a division of UPMC focused on medical digital imaging and is joint collaboration between UPMC and GE. Our program is one of many within UPMC Enterprises: a branch of a larger hospital system that is focused on innovations in technology. We partner with physicians to develop tools that are efficient and effective-with the ultimate goal of providing better health outcomes. Our work is patient-centered first and foremost. ### Associate Creative Director @ Publicis Groupe Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Singapore I served as both an Associate Creative Director and contributing Sr. Designer during my time here, in projects that included a lean, mixed team of UX designers, visual designers and developers. Our teams began projects with research and rapid prototyping, then continued with user testing, wire framing, and product development. We delivered cross cultural and multi-lingual interfaces that involved thoughtful considerations of cultural norms and responsive design for flowing text of varied scales. During my time at SapientNitro we worked with a diverse range of clients including the Singapore Art Museum, Ferrari, HBO, BCA Bank of Indonesia, Telkomsel, and Unilever’s Dove and LUX brands. I worked with local and remote design and developer teams in Singapore, China, and Indonesia. Our teams began projects with research and rapid prototyping, then continued with user testing, wire framing, and product development. ### Sr. UX Designer, Lead @ Code and Theory Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | NYC, NY My work included: • Acting as a Lead and Sr. Designer on projects; Leading Mid-level and Jr Designers. • Working with an agile team to develop services, products, and content driven experiences. • Helping the Project Managment & Strategy team members to plan scope and budget of projects. • Working with Strategy team to define vision and roadmap for engagement with clients. • Working closely with client teams to clarify goals and identify opportunities. • Having a sense of humor Also: • Developing UX style guides and principals that guide design over time • Developing UX deliverables: research, content-related, IA, wireframes & working prototypes. • Conducting user-testing internally and with third parties • Working with the developers & visual designers during define, design & development phases. Code and Theory is an independently-owned and creatively-led agency that creates products, content and campaigns across physical and digital worlds. The agency has helped brands tell stories and design the systems that carry them since 2001. ### Sr. UX Designer & Lead @ Primacy Jan 2013 – Jan 2015 | NYC, NY My work at Primacy included: • Acting as Lead & Sr. UX Designer at the NYC office • Developing processes for UX practice, research, and deliverables • Mentoring & Managing Jr. UX designers • Leading UX & Experience strategy across mulitple projects at once / across multiple industries • Expanding and developing the range services offered by the agency Also: • Working locally and remotely with visual designers and developers • Collaborating with clients to develop internal processes for UX and research within their company At Primacy, great user experience is at the core of our work across verticals in healthcare, education, financial and manufacturing industries. Primacy is a full service digital agency designing websites, applications, and custom software solutions that are developed hand-in-hand with effective digital marketing strategies. ### Sr. UX Designer @ Neo Innovation, Inc. Jan 2013 – Jan 2013 | New York Neo is a global product innovation company. We design and build mobile and Web products, create corporation innovation programs, and transform internal talent by pairing and teaching. We Make. We Validate. We Educate. My work included: • Agile & lean discovery, build and test environment • Working with clients to not only deliver product and research but to train and share lean methodology with the client team • Working with local and remote developers • Working with industry-best thought leaders www.neo.com ### Founder, UX Consultant @ Ally of Design: Consulting Jan 2009 – Jan 2013 | Pittsburgh, PA (USA), N. America, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Singapore I have worked intermittently as a consultant in N. America, Europe & the APAC region: HONG KONG (2012) Worked with Hong Kong Financial Start-up: -The voice for user-centered design with an eye on Agile best practices and MVP thinking -Designed two-sided user flow for complex financial investment process ITALY, GERMANY (2010-2011) Worked with Architects of Group Genius, Remote to Milan Italy -Created presentation materials for Esther Dyson at i2 Institute launch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. -Created and helped copy-edit concepts and material for Innovation workshops for companies like: Volkswagen/ Audi, HBS Bank, Massachusetts General Hospital, and i2 Institute in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. -Copywriting for formal communications between clients and affiliate organizations -Creative Documentation of final conclusions/ post production materials. US (2011) Worked with west-coast time management Start-up: -Conducting interviews with users in order to build use cases and personas -Transforming use cases into actionable stories that developers can turn into a product -Working with clients to understand key components of user journeys, design patterns and basic requirements. -Working with clients to conduct competitor analysis in order to understand standards and opportunities in their market THAILAND (2010) Phoenix Commodities Limited: -Developed content concepts based on market standards and industry competition -Design Advisory for company website. ### Creative Lead: UX & Visual Design @ Jigsee, Inc. Jan 2010 – Jan 2011 | INDIA Managed UX and developed app. with 10 Million downloads 4 million active users for Android, Symbian and Java devices. Met with clients and users to understand use & create accurate personas and stories. Built Wireframes, created visual resources and Mobile Apps for companies like: UTV/Disney, Sony, Reliance Entertainment, VuClip, and others. Refined Content Management & Performance Dashboard (web application) Created PR, USP and Brand Related presentations and materials for client meetings Built B2B targeted company website with visuals, copy and code true to brand Created concepts and visuals for Mobile Ad Strategy and placement I use user-testing, card sorting, paper prototyping, design patterns and UI best practices in all my work. I also use a wide range of rapid-proto-typing tools. See my "skills" section for more details. ### Adjunct Faculty in the School of Art @ Carnegie Mellon University Jan 2008 – Jan 2010 | Pittsburgh, PA Created and taught freshman and sophomore classes on Concept Development and 3-D Mixed Media. Worked as assistant teacher for sculpture, print-making and concept development (3 yrs). Organized guest speakers and guest review team for class critique. ### Research Scholar, Fulbright @ Fulbright/Nehru Educational Foundation Jan 2009 – Jan 2010 | INDIA I lived and worked in Mumbai as a Researcher / Scholar under the Fulbright Nehru grant. My work involved field research and working with a translator to produce visual and written documentation of the lives of gray-market street vendors. ### Fellow @ STUDIO for Creative Inquiry Jan 2008 – Jan 2009 | Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Since its inception, the STUDIO has provided residencies for, and raised more than $6 million in support of, more than 120 artists engaged in hybrid research, artistic & technology-driven projects. In my work with the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, I worked with a team of artists and grassroots research to explore food security and community-based food security programs with a team of fellow Master's Students and Professors from CMU. Our work was supported by a grant from the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts). More about the SCI: Since its inception, the STUDIO has provided residencies for, and raised more than $6 million in support of, more than 120 artists engaged in hybrid research, artistic & technology-driven projects. ### Co-founder and Director @ Rule of Thirds Gallery Jan 1998 – Jan 2000 The Rule of Thirds art gallery was awarded "Alternative Space of the Year for 2000" by the Nashville Scene. Rule of Thirds hosted exhibits from artists from across the US, and very notably, work from the Tennessee Prisoner's Art Project, which was visited by the Mayor of Nashville in the fall of 1999. The Rule of Thirds was also home to a very popular skate ramp and a small herd of feral cats. ## Education ### MSc in Transpersonal Psychology with the Alef Trust Liverpool John Moores University ### MFA in Fine Arts Carnegie Mellon University ### BFA in Fine Art Austin Peay State University ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ally-shah-3821a16 - Portfolio: https://www.allyshah.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/allyshah JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/allyshah/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13