About me
I'm Amoolya Kumar, a product designer with 14 years of experience and a background in computer science and human-centered design. I work at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and systems thinking, designing products that don't just work well, but do good.
At Cisco, I design AI-driven products for the security portfolio and lead the AI UX Playbook, a cross-org initiative that gives design, PM, and engineering teams shared principles, language, and tools for building responsible AI experiences. The work spans 11 product teams and three business groups. It's the kind of design leadership I want to do more of: creating systems that make good design repeatable, not dependent on any one person getting it right. I've also mentored six junior designers across product teams, coaching on stakeholder negotiation, AI design fluency, and career development, two of whom were promoted to senior roles.
I thrive in ambiguity. I'm a fast learner who moves quickly, thinks in systems, and stays close to the work while keeping the bigger picture in view. I care about building design cultures that are inclusive, ethical, and built to last, not just cultures that ship fast.
I care about environmental and social justice. That lens shapes how I design, how I lead conversations, and how I build trust across teams.
Design Philosophy
I became a designer because I believed that how something works, the logic underneath, the assumptions baked in, the system behind every interaction, shapes people's lives in ways that are mostly invisible until something goes wrong. That belief has only grown stronger as AI has entered the picture.
Most design conversations about AI focus on the interface: how does the response surface, what does the loading state look like, how do we show uncertainty. While these are real questions, the more important design decisions happen earlier - in the principles that define how an AI should behave, in the frameworks that tell a team what good means, in the systems that make responsible design repeatable across an organization rather than dependent on one person getting it right.
That's the work I'm most drawn to, shaping the conditions under which AI is designed: shared vocabulary, evaluation criteria, and team rituals that keep ethics from becoming an afterthought.
I believe design is most powerful when it operates at the level of practice, not just product. When it asks not just does this screen solve the problem, but are we solving the right problem, for the right people, in a way that holds up over time.
Work Preference
Based in Michigan, I’m open to roles that are 100% remote and offer H-1B transfer.