Riya Khandelwal

Lead Visual Designer | UI/UX Design

Portfolio: https://riyadesign.framer.website

Contact: +91 9560838118

About

I’m a visual storyteller and design lead who crafts meaningful, user-centered experiences grounded in design thinking and fueled by curiosity. I connect strategy to execution across brand, UI/UX, and generative AI, simplifying complexity and shipping work with measurable impact.

▪️ Lead end-to-end design across branding, packaging, advertising, typography, data visualization, UI/UX, and generative AI.

▪️ Partnered closely with the CEO’s office to translate high-level vision into bold, outcome-driven design strategies.

▪️ Turn imaginative ideas into clear, simple, testable deliverables with measurable outcomes.

▪️ Design user-centric solutions grounded in research and real user insights, building products that foster genuine connection.

▪️ Passionate about illustrating in Procreate; continually mastering AI tools to elevate craft and accelerate workflow.

Experience

Lead Visual Designer – CEO Office,

Hike

Jun 2020 - Present • 5 yrs 3 mos

Partnered with the CEO’s office to design high-stakes presentations including investor decks, board updates, and strategy documents, blending sharp narrative flow with visual impact.

Built modular, scalable design systems ensuring brand consistency across product, marketing, and internal platforms, reducing rework and asset creation time by 35%.
Solved cross-functional alignment challenges by partnering with Product, Marketing, and People teams to translate complex ideas into compelling visuals, improving internal presentation NPS from 7.8 to 9.2.
Reimagined cultural engagement through campaigns like Hike Code Marketing and milestone celebrations, increasing employee participation in internal events by 50%.
Designed employee experience touchpoints including onboarding kits, festive hampers, and awards (e.g., SHP Legends Trophy) that improved new hire satisfaction scores by 18% in onboarding surveys.
Pioneered AI-augmented workflows with Midjourney, Leonardo AI, and ChatGPT that cut creative exploration time by 40% and enabled faster delivery of high-stakes decks without compromising quality.

Senior Graphic Designer – Gaming & Product

Hike

Jul 2022 - Jul 2024 • 2 yrs 1 mo

Led creative direction for Rush by Hike and Legends of Ludo, creating brand identities, marketing assets, and in-game visuals that contributed to a 30% increase in average session time.

Designed tournament branding and engagement campaigns, boosting returning player participation by 22%.

Graphic Designer – Social & Digital Branding

Hike

Jun 2020 - Jul 2022 • 2 yrs 2 mos

Design Manager

DailyObjects

Feb 2019 - May 2020 • 1 yr 4 mos

Led creative direction for merchandise and phone covers across themes such as cities, moods, zodiacs, florals, patterns, and illustrations, designed to connect emotionally with customers and express personality.

Delivered hundreds of SKUs that drove repeat purchase rates up by 28% and strengthened brand affinity.

Reduced design-to-production turnaround by 30% through improved workflows, enabling faster seasonal launches and trend-based collections.

Senior Graphic Designer

Gifts On Air

Feb 2018 - Feb 2019 • 1 yr 1 mo

Partnered with founders to define the visual identity of a new gifting e-commerce startup, establishing consistent brand guidelines.

Created product catalogs, marketing campaigns, and social media assets that increased online engagement by 20%.

Accelerated campaign delivery timelines by 20%, allowing quicker go-to-market for seasonal promotions.

Senior Graphic Designer

Vantage Point

Feb 2017 - Mar 2018 • 1 yr 2 mos

Worked with restaurateur Priyank Sukhija’s hospitality brands including Lord of the Drinks, Flying Saucer, and Plum by Bent Chair to deliver complete creative solutions.

Managed menu design, environmental graphics, in-venue branding, and marketing campaigns that increased average customer dwell time by 15%.

Enhanced brand recall and venue experience through visually immersive and cohesive design systems.

Graphic Designer

4Designs

Feb 2015 - Mar 2017 • 2 yrs 2

Executed branding, packaging, and marketing for Hyatt Hotels and Jiggs Kalra restaurant chains such as Pa Pa Ya, Masala Library, Farzi Café, and Made in Punjab.

Delivered high-volume creative assets under tight deadlines, improving campaign launch speeds by 25%.