Interviews with Zulqarnain

Atomberg Technologies is an innovation-led home appliance company focused on creating energy-efficient, smart, and user-centric products. We combine design, engineering, and technology to build products that enhance everyday living.

Design is purposeful innovation that balances functionality, aesthetics, and user experience to create lasting value.

I enjoy designing at the intersection of product design, electronics, lighting, and computational design, where technology and creativity come together to create meaningful user experiences.

My favorite designs are those where technology becomes invisible and the user experience feels effortless. I enjoy creating products that seamlessly integrate engineering, aesthetics, and innovation to solve real-world problems in a simple and meaningful way.

The Aris Contour Ceiling Fan is a very famous, award-winning product.

The first product I designed for a company was the Aris Contour Ceiling Fan. It became an award-winning product, reinforcing my belief that thoughtful design and engineering can transform everyday appliances into meaningful experiences.

I feel most creative when tackling complex problems that blend aesthetics, engineering, and user experience. The messier the challenge, the more energized I become to find elegant, practical solutions.

I focus on creating a cohesive product where every aspect, from form and function to interaction and engineering—works together as one unified composition.

I feel a deep sense of responsibility. Every product I design will become part of someone's daily life, so every decision I make has the potential to shape their experience.

It feels like watching a space shuttle launch, months of effort, countless decisions, and immense responsibility culminating in a single moment. Knowing that real people will use the product makes it both exhilarating and humbling.

A successful design is one where every detail is thoughtfully crafted, from aesthetics and engineering to usability and manufacturability, creating a seamless experience.

how perfectly its visual personality matches with the users personality

The first thing I consider is whether the design's visual identity genuinely resonates with the people it is meant to serve.

The design process will become increasingly automated through AI and computational tools, allowing designers to spend less time on execution and more time on solving meaningful problems and shaping human experiences.

My most recent exhibition was in Singapore. I don't have plans for my next exhibition yet, but I look forward to showcasing my work to a wider international audience in the future.

I find inspiration in studying where we've come from and envisioning where we're headed. The intersection of history, technology, and the future fuels my creativity.

I would describe my design style as technology-driven and human-centered. I strive to create products where aesthetics, engineering, functionality, and user experience exist as one unified composition. My approach is to embrace complexity behind the scenes while delivering simplicity to the user. Every design decision is intentional, ensuring that the final product feels intuitive, meaningful, and timeles

I come from the beautiful Kashmir Valley, a place known for its breathtaking landscapes, rich craftsmanship, and cultural heritage. Growing up in such an environment has shaped my appreciation for simplicity, balance, and timeless aesthetics.

I work closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, marketing, and manufacturing, throughout the entire product development journey. I believe the best products emerge from collaboration, where design acts as the bridge between user needs, technology, and business goals.

Companies should look for designers who are visionary, guided by strong values, and able to balance artistic expression with objective thinking. The best designers combine creativity with empathy, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of technology, users, and business goals.

Every project is unique, so I adapt my design process to its goals, technical challenges, timelines, and resources. I believe flexibility is essential to creating meaningful and successful products.

My five favorite design items at home are the birdhouse, lawn, fireplace, dining table, and sofa. Together, they create spaces that encourage comfort, conversation, and a connection with nature.

A typical day is a balance of creative exploration and problem-solving. I spend time collaborating with engineers and product teams, developing concepts, reviewing prototypes, and continuously learning from both people and technology.

Design is an act of service. Be willing to do the hard work, challenge assumptions, explore every possibility, and refine every detail, so your users don't have to.

Being a designer is rewarding because you get to be creative and solve problems. However, it can also be challenging due to tight deadlines, client revisions, and balancing creativity with project requirements.

Always design with the user in mind using a holistic approach.

Creativity, problem-solving, communication, empathy, and attention to detail.

procreate, rhino, grasshopper, inventor, fusion 360, keyshot, vizcom, adobe creative suite, blender

I use Procreate for sketching, Rhino and Grasshopper for 3D modeling and parametric design, Inventor and Fusion 360 for parametric CAD, KeyShot and Blender for rendering, Vizcom for concept visualization, and Adobe Creative Suite for graphics and presentations.

It depends on the project's complexity, requirements, and design process. It can take anywhere from a few days to several years.

I'm often asked how I achieve the right balance between functionality, aesthetics, and the different elements of a project.

Working on end-to-end product development, from concept sketches and CAD modeling to prototyping and final presentation.

I currently work full-time at Atomberg Technologies, where I design and develop consumer products.

I enjoy consumer product design the most because it combines creativity, engineering, and user-centered problem-solving to create products that improve everyday life.

I want to continue designing meaningful products, expand my skills, and work on innovative projects that create a positive impact.

I work as part of a cross-functional team with experts from different disciplines, but I also take ownership of developing my designs from concept to execution.

I'm currently working on next-generation home appliances. While I can't share specific details due to confidentiality, the projects focus on improving user experience, functionality, and innovation.

zulqarnain.najar.c2021@iitbombay.org

I believe good design balances functionality, aesthetics, and user needs, and I'm committed to continuously learning and improving as a designer.

"Honestly, the field research changed everything, "We were doing home visits, blind taste tests, talking to people across different regions and geographies —and what we found was that water quality isn't fixed. It even shifts with the seasons even in the same house."Here’s the thing "most purifiers don't know that. They treat every drop the same, whether it needs heavy purification or barely any which just means wasted water.""That's where Adaptive Flow came from—the purifier reads the water and adjusts in real time. The hard part was making something that complex feel effortless. You shouldn't have to think about it. You just trust it's making the right call while doing their bit to save today’s most critical resource “ WATER."

"Post our research analysis, it turned out there's no single 'good-tasting water,'" they say. "It comes down to what you grew up drinking, your region's minerals, your habits. Blind taste tests across India confirmed it—taste is personal, not technical.""So instead of deciding for everyone, we built Taste Tune—Flat, Smooth, or Crisp, your choice.""It's not just safe water anymore. It's water you actually enjoy. That's what good design means to us."

"Winning the A' Design Award was huge for us, "It validated something we believed from day one—that innovation should solve real problems, not just chase new features”"It shows sustainability, smart engineering, and good design can actually coexist in one product. And we hope it pushes other designers to think beyond looks—to build things that are intuitive, responsible, things that genuinely make people's lives better.""For consumers, it's reassurance," That we're listening to what they actually need, while tackling bigger issues like water conservation."At the end of the day, this award isn't just about the product. It's about an approach—balancing technology, empathy, and responsibility to the planet."

"Honestly? The hardest part was accuracy," they say. "Anyone can flash a 'replace filter'. The hard part is knowing which component failed—isolating it—without adding cost or making the product harder to service.""There were definitely moments we hit walls. Early on, the system would flag issues too broadly, So we went back, again and again, refining the sensing logic until it could actually pinpoint the problem.""And that's really what it taught us, "Embedded intelligence isn't impressive because it's complex. It's trustworthy because it's accurate. When you're talking about something as basic as drinking water, people don't want 'smart.' They want reliable. That distinction shaped everything."

" Honestly, it was a team effort throughout, "Utkarsh, Zulqarnain and the whole team—we pushed each other constantly across design, user experience, the engineering side. That's what made it smart, not just in the tech, but in the value it actually delivers."In this journey to get this product in consumer home, there had been multiple points of realization at the time of concept validations. One we recall clearly is the ‘behavior of water’ due to local geographies the salts and minerals vary and the system construction and algorithm has to be calibrated for precision to cater for the wide usage range across the country.Another was the kitchen environment, that guided the form proportions for making the device capable of keeping inside the cabinet as well as to be proudly displayed by the user. And one of the challenges to be addressed was the UX & UI design of the intelligent app, that has to be intuitive and informative enough with minimal cognitive load to be understood and utilized by a diverse set of user base.

"I think Intellon is really a proof of concept for a bigger idea," they say. "That appliances shouldn't run on fixed, one-size-fits-all processes—they should respond to what's actually happening around them. Real-time sensing, personalized optimisation, diagnosing themselves—that's the model.""Looking ahead, we see that thinking extending well beyond purifiers, "Any appliance that consumes a resource—water, energy, even air—can benefit from this kind of adaptive intelligence. It’s more about making smarter decisions with what's already there.""For us, the next step is pushing that adaptability further—making it predictive, not just reactive. A system that not only automate tasks but also continuously learn, optimize performance, reduce resource consumption.

"One thing we are proud of the that the thought at the time of conception of this device is realized and impact is felt by ‘50000’ households with cumulative savings of ‘125 million liters’ of a precious resource equivalent to potable water consumed by 28000 households in a year; and also helping the safe water access to the households with varied water quality that also within 11 months of launch. It’s impact on the community health is also quite satisfying."To the user, it's subtle—just a visual delight, "But behind it is a real engineering achievement for putting it in the consumer homes in it’s true form."

"We didn't want a different animation for every single state," they say. "Instead, we leaned on things people already understand. Like—when a tank fills with water, the level rises bottom to top, right? So that's exactly what the Halo does. The light rises as the tank fills.""Familiar cues like that mean people get it instantly. No screen, no instructions needed.""And user testing backed that up," they add. "Simple, glanceable feedback built way more trust than packing the interface with information, that would feel like jargon to most.”

"The biggest lesson? Users don't need to understand the algorithm—they need to trust its behavior, "Good design takes all that complexity and turns it into something simple, something intuitive.""My advice to designers is start with human behavior, not the technology. Let the intelligence stay in the background. Communicate only what matters, and test every single interaction.""When tech feels natural instead of technical, "that's when users trust it—without ever needing to understand what's underneath."