a thought on making

there’s a difference between what technology makes possible and what it takes to let people experience those possibilities for themselves. i find a lot of fulfillment in bridging that gap – taking something remarkable in what it can do and making it feel just as remarkable to the people using it.

i came into this work through UX research, driven by a curiosity about people and why they do what they do. but over time, and especially as i've worked more closely with designers and product teams, i've found myself increasingly drawn to what comes after discovery. understanding people was only part of what fulfilled me. i wanted to be involved in what we made from that knowledge — shaping direction, exploring ideas, and seeing them through to something tangible. research still feels fundamental to how i approach product development; i’ve just come to recognize that i want to be part of deciding and making, too.

in recent roles, i've had more opportunities to do that, particularly as AI tools have made it possible to move more fluidly from research into product thinking, prototyping, and development. rather than stopping at delivering insights, i've worked alongside teams to shape product direction, explore solutions, build prototypes, and iterate on what we learned. that extension from understanding a problem into helping create the response is what i find most rewarding.

i’ve come to believe that good products emerge from staying close to both sides of the problem: the people using them and the people building them. research gives me a way to understand what matters, while making and iteration reveal things that analysis alone can’t. i want to keep moving between those modes — understanding, shaping, building, and learning — rather than treating them as separate parts of the process.

designed and built with Codex + Framer

qasim malik
Resume
Selected work

CustomerLake

2026
Company
Databricks
Category
Agentic AI0→1 Strategy
Overview
Shaped the interaction model for a 0→1 agentic AI product, turning early research into product direction, prototypes, and roadmap decisions.
Databricks project overview
Customer data pipelines forming a unified customer profile

Civian Platform Redesign

2024
Company
civian.io
Category
Social ImpactProduct RedesignUsability
Overview
Redesigned a complex data platform to make core workflows clearer and easier to use, iterating through usability testing and design refinement.
Civian data explorationCivian map legendCivian impact scoreCivian account and help menu
Civian project overview

Mobile Boosting

2025
Company
LinkedIn
Category
Mobile GrowthProduct Strategy
Overview
Helped converge three competing directions for LinkedIn’s first mobile Boosting experience into a clearer product direction and MVP.
LinkedIn single-page Boost conceptLinkedIn stepped Boost conceptLinkedIn simple Boost concept

Soma

2025
Project
TEI 2026TEI '26 Design Challenge
Category
Physical–DigitalInteraction Design
Overview
Designed a physical–digital wellbeing system that turns moments of stress into grounding, reflection, and a growing record of coping over time.
Soma project overview

Historic Stations of the Future

2024
Company
Amtrak
Category
Service DesignBusiness Strategy
Overview
Translated frontline research into service-design opportunities that shaped Amtrak’s future customer experience and executive priorities.
Amtrak project overview
Field research during active Amtrak station operations