“Design is everywhere, you just need the vision to see it.” – Santhosh B., UI/UX Design Lead, Freelancer, Content Creator, and Mentor.
Every designer remembers that first spark – the moment when they realized that design could be it for them. But for some of us, the start of our careers is not always a straight line – it’s more like a series of moments of feeling stuck, late-night experiments, and the occasional “aha” times when something finally clicks.
For Santhosh, it was exactly like that. After completing his engineering degree, he felt “lost”, uninspired, and unsure of what was next. “It just wasn’t for me.”, he revealed. That’s when he discovered Photoshop and started thinking about becoming a graphic designer – which he did.
Graphic Design gave him a starting point. UI/UX Design gave him vision.
After he stumbled upon this new area of design, “everything clicked”. So, what started as a self-taught journey into UI/UX design turned into 10+ years of experience creating incredible digital experiences for ambitious founders and brands, and building a strong design community of 100K+ people on social media.
But what hooked Santhosh about UI/UX design was more than just designing. It was the why behind it. “The idea of solving real user problems through thoughtful design and perspective-driven thinking has kept me inspired ever since.”, he stated.
The secret to being a great designer comes down to one thing: range. This is something that stands out to Santhosh – from restaurant websites, to e-commerce brands, finance dashboards, and even redesigning the Nike landing page.
The industries do shift. But the quality and thought behind each design stay consistent. That’s why he emphasizes mastering the principles of design. Once we understand how layout, hierarchy, and usability work, we can truly design for any type of audience and niche.
“That’s why I strongly recommend mastering the fundamentals of design first. Everything else builds on that.”
Regardless of the industry, Santhosh remains loyal to one UI/UX design style: minimalism. With fewer visual elements to rely on, it’s all about making every detail count – from the color palette to typography. “That’s where the real challenge lies.”, he shares. But he also adds that “that is what I truly enjoy.”
That clarity carries into how he works with clients, too – especially founders. He often mentions building websites for founders, so it’s no surprise that their energy plays a big role in shaping his process.
“Founders are driven, passionate, and deeply involved in the process. Their commitment to the product pushes me to give 100% from my end.”. This founder-designer dynamic creates a space for all designers, where collaboration goes beyond just feedback rounds – it becomes a shared mission. This naturally results in more thoughtful design decisions, better outcomes, and overall – a product that feels connected to its purpose.
It’s this very mindset that first drew Santhosh to UI/UX design. And the same spark that helped him to become a better designer over the years.
That’s why Santhosh doesn’t go into collaborations chasing just projects. Instead, his process starts with a 30-minute conversation. “No sales pitch.”, he added. “I listen to their idea, understand their commitment, and based on that, I decide whether to move forward.”
But what stands out in this project is that the UX design was generated using AI tools – a trend increasingly embraced by many of us, as designers. But the key to creating incredible products is to use AI as a powerful tool, by combining technology with human insights “to ensure smooth performance and usability.”
It’s another reflection of how Santhosh’s process always circles back to the same principle: simplify the complex, and bring bold ideas to life – beautifully.
The design world is all about innovation – and lately, everyone’s been focused a LOT on artificial intelligence. For Santhosh, this constant development of such technologies has made things a lot easier, “if you know how to use them right.”, he added.
This fact has been especially true in user research and the entire UX design process, allowing us to create more space for creative thinking. But he also mentioned that “Plus, it helps ensure the website is UX-proof, with fewer errors and stronger user flow.”, yet another for why AI design tools are quickly becoming indispensable in our modern design toolkit.
Santhosh is a strong believer that every great project starts with a solid foundation – the wireframes. So, he’s using tools like Relume to allow him to quickly set up these frameworks – easily.
Just like many of us, Santhosh is clearly passionate about AI. But he believes that although these tools are great for user research, content, and sitemaps, “when it comes to high-fidelity design they still fall short”. This statement is true, as the finer details still require a human touch.
“In the future, I’d love to see a tool that lets us interact and design each section individually, rather than generating an entire website or landing page from a single prompt. That level of control would be a real game-changer.”
Santhosh is clear about AI: these tools are here to assist, not replace.
So, until we’re able to do so, Santhosh points out the use of design systems and UI kits as a key factor shaping the future of workflows. By using pre-made assets, designers don’t need to start from scratch anymore and cut down turnaround time to give you more space to focus on creativity.
“Uinkits is a game-changer for designers”, stated Santhosh B.
For Santhosh, sharing knowledge has always been more than just teaching – it’s about building a community where designers can grow. He started by posting simple Figma tips online, and as his audience expanded, so did his content. Now, he focuses more on AI tools and workflow strategies, based on his audience’s feedback.
Being able to adapt to and implement the feedback from your audience so well is what makes someone an incredible designer. “That’s what truly makes the difference.”, he says.
What Santhosh has learned from his community is easy – yet something we all should learn from. “Keep it simple. Most people already have the knowledge—they just don’t know how to apply it.”. As UI/UX designers, we’re sometimes so focused on aesthetics that we might forget the most important part: translating ideas into actionable steps.
“So instead of just saying, ‘do this’ or ‘do that,’ focus on showing exactly how to do it, step by step. That’s what really helps.”
Learning new things isn’t limited to screens and the community around us. Instead, Santhosh finds unexpected creativity in everyday life – even while taking his son to play in the park. This only proves that inspiration is all about looking for design everywhere, especially in the smallest moments.
This is the foundation that keeps every UI/UX designer sharp and ready to innovate. For Santhosh, having that vision means staying open, curious, and always ready to design.
