About ME

Photograph of the owner of the website, Nirja Desai. Woman in her 30s looking towards the right with a smile, pink lipstick.

I’m a UX strategist and creative director with a foundation in medical illustration (MFA, Rochester Institute of Technology) and biology (BSc, Temple University). With deep expertise in visual communication, I bring a multidisciplinary approach to crafting thoughtful, user-centered experiences—blending design strategy, storytelling, and systems thinking.

Currently at Booz Allen Hamilton, I lead human-centered design efforts that bridge research, strategy, and execution. I specialize in guiding complex, multi-stakeholder projects—from identifying user needs and mapping journeys to prototyping and refining experiences across platforms.

Previously, I was a graphics editor at Science magazine and a designer at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), where I collaborated with subject-matter experts globally to translate complex ideas into compelling data visualizations, illustrations, and interactive experiences.

My creative direction spans a broad toolkit: QGIS for mapping, Illustrator and Procreate for visual design, Adobe XD/Figma for interface prototyping, and Blender for 3D graphics. I’ve led the design and development of scrollytelling pieces, branding projects, and interactive tools—owning the process end-to-end, from concept to code.

At the core of my work is a belief in design’s power to inform, inspire, and make the complex intuitive.

I live in Northern Virginia with my husband and our babies who loves to play the tabla with me.

 

Clients

The Scientist

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Medstar Health

Fresh Communications

Infographed

 

Certifications

User Experience Certificate (UXC) • Oct 2022

 

Awards

  • Premier Award at Bioimages 2021 by BioCommuniocations Association

  • Silver Medal in Digital Design Competition by Society for News Design

  • Winner in Data Visualization by Shorty Awards

    • Created all the maps submitted for the competition

 

Get in touch

Reach out for collaboration, freelance work, general inquiry etc.