Mecwin and Me

If you'd told me a year ago I'd be a UI/UX designer at Mecwin, juggling prototypes, mentors, and enough coffee to fuel a small nation, I'd have snorted into my coffee. Yet here I am, almost 12 months later, thriving in the chaos of a startup that's equal parts exhilarating and “what did I sign up for?” Buckle up, because I'm about to take you on a wild ride through my first year at Mecwin. Complete with scrappy freelance flashbacks, design disasters, and a few heroes who kept me sane. Spoiler: It's been a blast. 😎

Freelance Flashback: When I Was a Hot Mess with a Laptop

Let's rewind. Second year of engineering, fresh off a Web Dev 101 workshop, and I'm still confusing CSS with a cry for help. Four days later, I snag my first freelance gig, building a website for a friend's venture. I'm equal parts thrilled and terrified, googling “how to invoice” at 2 a.m. The client loved it, word spread, and suddenly I'm a “designer” hustling gigs, dodging deadlines, and learning that clients don't care about your excuses, just your results. Freelancing was my bootcamp: chaotic, scrappy, and a masterclass in faking it till you make it.

Then Mecwin called. Joining as a UI/UX Designer felt like swapping a tricycle for a rocket ship. Fast, thrilling, and mildly panic inducing. My first gig? Helping shape Mecwin Nethra, our star product - a remote monitoring system for IoT. No pressure, right?

Early Days: Surviving the Feedback Furnace

My first few months at Mecwin were a blur of ambition and amateur hour. I dove into redesigning Mecwin Nethra V1's UI, armed with big dreams and a shaky prototype. I wanted it to dazzle. Instead, I got roasted.

Take RiteWaters, one of our key distributors. I strutted in with my flashy demo, expecting applause. They squinted and said, “It's cool, but newbies will drown in this.” Oof. Feedback's like a slap from a dosa pan — hot, sharp, and humbling. I scrapped the over the top animations, streamlined the onboarding, and guess what? Beta tests showed a 30% faster adoptability. Turns out less is more, and I'm not just talking about my sleep.

Project That Tested My Soul (and My Sanity)

This year threw me into the deep end, and I swam, sometimes gracefully, sometimes like a struggling duck. Here's the rundown:

Mecwin Nethra V1.0

• Mission: Design the UI through a gauntlet of revisions.

• Lesson: Design is like a needy houseplant. Nurture it, prune it, and don't cry when it wilts.

Mobile App Prototype

• Mission: Build a snappy companion app.

• Lesson: Mobile users are speed demons. If it lags, they're gone faster than free samosas at a party.

Internal Dashboard Redesign

• Mission: Tame a data swamp into operator friendly bliss.

• Lesson: Clarity's king, and chaos is just a headache with extra steps.

These weren't just projects; they were my personal comedy of errors. Each fumble a chance to laugh, learn, and level up.

More on other projects, I'll detail in a different blog, let us allow the star of the show have all the highlight this time around.

Mentorship: My Startup Superheroes

I didn't survive this year alone. Enter Wrushya GS and Tejas Tallam. The Batman and Robin of my Mecwin saga.

Wrushya GS: The Big-Picture Boss

Wrushya, our AGM, built our team from the ground up. He's a business analyst, ex-entrepreneur (sold his own company. Humblebrag much?) and the guy who asks “Why does this matter?” He'd poke my designs with, “Who's this for?” or “How's it pushing us forward?” His hustle vibes made me see design as a game changer, not just eye candy. I still remember his first question to me: "Are you hungry for knowledge?"

Tejas Tallam: The Tech Titan

Then there's Tejas, our Department Head and embedded engineering guru with 20+ years of cred (including DRDO—yes, that DRDO). He swooped in when Wrushya went big-picture, asking, “Does this UI sync with the hardware?” Tejas turned me into a timeline ninja and a tech savvy designer who doesn't just doodle, he delivers.

These two? My north stars. They've cheered, challenged, and kept me from spiraling. Legends.

Startup Life: Where “Designer” Means Everything Else Too

At Mecwin, UI/UX is my title, but my job? A glorious grab bag of chaos. Here's what I've tackled:

• Hiring Squad: Interviewed candidates. Turns out spotting talent is tougher than spotting a good biryani joint.

• Customer Whisperer: Handled client calls, soaking up gripes and gold nuggets of insight.

• Marketing Maverick: Wrote LinkedIn posts and official social media handle management. Spoiler: 280 characters are harder than a wireframe.

• Server Juggler: Managed DevOps stuff. Now I get why coders worship coffee.

• IT Fixer: Solved tech glitches. I'm the office's unofficial tech therapist.

• Team Herder: Kept projects on track. It's cat-herding with extra brilliance.

• Hardware Rookie: Tested components. Nearly fried a board once, good times. (That was a lie, it did burn)

• Agile Methodology: Setting up an agile process for the software team using Linear App and Slack.

Why the madness? Startups don't do “stay in your lane.” This circus has made me a designer who gets the big picture; users, tech, and all of its glory.

Dr. Shiva: The Brain Behind the Bold

Then there's Dr. Shiva, our Director and strategy wizard. Working with him is like sneaking into the CEO's playbook. He'd squint at my sleek UI and go, “How's this scaling us up?” Boom, mind blown. I started designing for growth, not just giggles. His “you're the expert, prove it” vibe gave me the guts to own my work, while his innovation obsession pushed us to toy with AI and much more for Mecwin.

Keeping the Crazy in Check

Freelancing taught me to say “yes” to everything; Mecwin taught me “not today, Satan.” Some weeks were fueled by pure adrenaline (and espresso), but I've learned to sneak in bike rides through the outskirts of Bangalore or a weekend Netflix binge or night rides through the Airport road. A rested me is a sharper me. Figma crashes don't sting as much.

My toolkit:

• Time Blocks: My calendar is a fortress. Design sprints and naps both get VIP slots.

• Phone Silent Mode: Post 7 p.m., my inbox can sulk alone.

• Joy Breaks: 30 minutes of sketching or a cheeky read keeps me human.

What's Next? More Wins, Fewer Facepalms

Year one's been a rocket ride, turning me from a gig chaser into a designer with purpose. Next up? Diving into UX research for sharper insights and spiffing up my LinkedIn because in 2025, it's your digital handshake. Watch this space!

The Big Lessons I'm Packing

Here's my year in bite sized wisdom:

• Feedback's Fire: It burns, then it builds.

• Teamwork Trumps: Solo's cool, but squads slay.

• Balance or Bust: Passion's great; exhaustion's not.

• Stay Nosy: New tricks keep you sharp.

• LinkedIn Love: Your profile's your megaphone, make it sing.

Mecwin's been a whirlwind of laughs, lessons, and latte. Designer? Startup junkie? Just nosy? Need LinkedIn profile hacks? Find me on LinkedIn. Let's trade tales and keep the party going! 😄