Ritika Bhagya is the Founder & CEO at Studio Flolab, Jakarta, Indonesia while Chirag Kirpalani is the Founder & COO at Ayoconnect, Jakarta, Indonesia. Their love story started with UX Design.
They met for the first time at a job interview. Chirag became Ritika’s reporting manager after she was hired as a UX Designer, so their conversations were mostly about Design. They eventually became friends over Sindhi food and Twitter conversations, began dating, and married three years later.
Ritika thinks that UX Design has also contributed a lot in transforming their relationship over the years.
“Our polar opposite opinions have definitely strengthened our relationship. There are very few things we argue about, Design being one of them. UX has definitely been a pillar that strengthens our relationship from time to time,” says Ritika of her relationship with Chirag.
”The biggest advantage of being with someone in the same field as you, is that we can bounce off ideas, discuss challenges and look out to each other for advice. It definitely helps to be with someone who understands your work inside out. We understand when either of us needs help and we also understand when either of us needs space.
While there are certainly pros of both of them being in UX Design, Ritika also tells us some cons.
“The cons of both of us being UX Designers is that we often have extremely heated discussions on Design. Our approach to Design is totally opposite because we’re both so opinionated. But eventually we always find a way to work out a solution that works for both of us.”
Ritika finds Chirag’s “knack for thinking outside the box” to be a quality that she wishes she could possess. Chirag is also excellent at networking which is an important skill for any field.
“Connections with the right people can help go a long way in your career,” remarks Ritika,
Chirag, on the other hand, finds Ritika to be super organized and detailed at problem solving.
When questioned about their piece of advice to the young couples in UX and in love, this is what both of them have to say –
“Just like how we UX Designers are curious about our users and try our best to empathize with them, it helps to be curious about your partner when getting to know each other and most importantly, empathize with them during challenging times..”
