The Architecture of Design – A 30 under 30 Titled Game changer of the Design Industry

New Delhi : From an Indian architecture enthusiast to a Sr. User Experience Designer at a Fortune 500 company in New York by the age of 26, Dev Sreerama has a storied tale of success. Known for his unique style that juxtaposes design with modern technology, Dev owes his success to his sheer passion for creative arts, which helped him to overcome the odds with hard work, skill, and an unwavering focus on his professional goals. A partial scholarship at the prestigious Pratt Institute of Design brought him to New York at 19, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Today, Dev’s creatives for marketing, branding, websites, and digital launches at AT&T and its streaming platform DIRECTV are consumed by millions online.

So what’s his secret sauce, especially for those who want to see similar levels of success in the field of design? Out-of-the-box is not just a buzzword for Dev. From early on in his life, he consciously chose to pursue diverse opportunities that broadened his perspectives on all things design. This reflects in his choice of passions and educational pursuits. From finding inspiration in the confluence of science and art in architecture to degrees in Art Direction from Pratt and Art Entrepreneurship from SUNY, Dev built a strong and holistic understanding of design that gave him a competitive advantage in his career.

Complementing his diverse education were his early professional experiences in various design-focused roles. He worked on branding, web design and style guides at a law firm, a sports PR firm, and a fintech startup. He’s even helped New York Fashion Week brands with photo editing, video editing, and social media marketing campaigns.

As part of his first big break, Dev worked for the jewellery design firm W.B Britt in New York. While there, he worked on all aspects of the contemporary jewellery brand, from capturing photographs and directing video shoots for social media to reworking the website with a focus on user experience. His work on their social media marketing helped W.B Britt build a significant online following while the brand uses the website he helped redesign to this day.

With his holistic perspective on design, he hit the ground running in his next role as Junior Art Director at AT&T. Being the youngest on the team. Having conceptualized and art-directed AT&T.com’s home page, he successfully enhanced the consumer experience. Afterwards, he led the design of AT&T TV and HBOMax’s national launch online, transforming the brand’s experience for a younger audience.

Soon after, he got a massive opportunity as AT&T spun out DIRECTV, their streaming platform, as an independent company. He was able to redesign the new brand’s entire website in under a month and bagged a Sr. User Experience Designer role at just 25 as a result- a position that takes an additional 5-7 years for most.

With his current position at DIRECTV, Dev focuses on continuously improving the customer experience and brand perception of DirecTV’s streaming service. Some of his latest work includes rebranding, improving customer journeys, and enhancing the overall website experience.

It’s not only Dev’s design skills that led to such a successful and impactful career. People who have worked closely with Dev always highlight his passion, eye for design, collaboration, diligence and reliability to get the job done. But what stands out is his unique ability to tie design output to business outcomes. Experiences designed by him moved the needle in a big way thanks to his keen business acumen.

So what’s next for Dev? He’s excited to try his hands at a new vertical and become a director by the time he’s 30.