About Me
Hi, I'm Atharva. I'm a Design Systems and Platformization Lead at Palo Alto Networks, where I've spent four years building the infrastructure that powers design across 70+ cybersecurity products.
I oversee the Palo Design System end-to-end: token architecture, component governance, cross-functional enablement, and product-wide consistency at scale. Most recently, I've been leading the team's exploration of AI-powered design-to-code tooling, working to close the gap between design and engineering and bring meaningful efficiency to how we ship.
Over four years, I scaled design system adoption from roughly 20% to 75% across the product org, drove an estimated $2M in efficiency, and built the systems that let 100+ designers and 50+ engineering teams ship with confidence.
Before Palo Alto Networks, I designed enterprise experiences at Edifecs in Seattle. I studied UX and Information Architecture at the University of Washington, and Computer Science at the University of Mumbai.
Early Foundations
During engineering school, I co-built a civic utility app that helped citizens report uncleared garbage through geotagged photos and location data. More than building the technology, the project introduced me to how digital products can solve real human problems, shaping my interest in social impact and usability, and eventually leading me from computer science into user experience design.
2016 — Student-built civic utility app, Mumbai · Featured in DNA India and Hindustan Times.
Read DNA India article→
Outside the Screen
While studying, I enjoyed creating chalk art across cafés and public spaces at the University of Washington, Seattle. That hands-on work shaped how I think about typography, rhythm, and visual detail - turning everyday spaces into memorable experiences. Outside work, I draw, paint, practice calligraphy, collect watches, travel often, and rarely miss a good seafood meal.
