Indrani Medhi Thies

Dr. Indrani Medhi Thies is a distinguished design and technology researcher, author, speaker, and startup mentor. She worked at Microsoft Research India for nearly 18 years as the Principal Researcher in the Technology for Emerging Markets group. Her research focuses on user interface and user experience design, particularly addressing the needs of low-literacy and emerging users. Her work spans topics such as conversational AI (e.g., chatbots), the use of social media by low-income communities, accessibility for blind users, and crowdsourcing technologies in resource-constrained environments. Her contributions have been featured at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York's "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibit and published at leading global academic conferences and journals. Dr. Indrani has been honored with multiple notable awards, including the ACM SIGCHI Social Impact Award and the MIT TR35 Award.

• 2005-2023·Microsoft Research India·Principal Researcher
  • Specialized in user experience design, developing user interfaces for low-literacy and emerging users, researching global development technologies, and promoting equitable technology applications.
  • Undertook a short-term placement at Microsoft Research New England while continuing collaboration with the Indian team.
  • Supported the conceptualization and spin-off of Karya, an AI-driven project offering learning and income opportunities for low-income communities.

• Long-term | Digital Green | Board Member

  • Contributed to a global development organization focused on providing technological support to small-scale farmers.

• Startup Mentor

  • Mentored startups such as Navana.AI, focusing on creating technologies tailored to the "next billion users."

• 2009·Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay)·Ph.D.
  • Industrial Design Center; specialized in Design Research and Human-Computer Interaction.
• Master's Degree | Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design (Illinois Tech, ID) | Design
• Bachelor's Degree | Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur (VNIT Nagpur) | Architecture
• Art Training | Assam Fine Arts and Crafts Society
  • Early art education with a focus on creative arts.