Unwinding 2020...

2020

Year in Review

It was the year of the pandemic, but it was also the year of opportunities.

From building exciting new products for the government, fintech and other sectors to expanding our own brand presence virtually and internationally.

From changing the way we work and from where we work (home/ hammock/ kitchen counter) to changing the way our clients see product design and turning them into Design Sprint fans.

Here’s a look back at the hurrahs and learnings, the pat on the backs...and the remote working.

Our cheers to 2020 - an unforgettable year!

Let’s Unwind

We kicked-off the new year moving to our new office...

...and just like a sprint we completely revamped the look and feel of the place in flat 30 days!
From This
Parallel old office
To This
parallel new office

But as the world changed, we changed too by going remote

parallel remote team call

We did our first ‘in-person’ Design Sprint of the year for Enchanting Travels...

Enchanting travels design sprint

...but then everyone shifted online and so did we, going fully remote for a Design Sprint for NITI Aayog and many more!

In person Design Sprints are honestly more fun! But our clients loved the online version too, remaining engaged and taking big decisions. Hence proved...
Sprints just work, even remotely!

Ronald Abraham
IDInsight
We were extremely impressed by Parallel’s ability to work with a large group of government officials, researchers, and developers. They were able to translate everyone’s ideas into something coherent, tangible, and visually appealing.
Ronald Abraham
IDInsight
We were extremely impressed by Parallel’s ability to work with a large group of government officials, researchers, and developers. They were able to translate everyone’s ideas into something coherent, tangible, and visually appealing.

BTW, if you’re still not convinced about Design Sprints, read Richa’s blog about it

Why Design Sprint works

Our partner, Richa.
Richa Verma, Partner, Parallel

Why Design Sprint works

Psst...this is how we found Richa in 2020

She was a user tester in a design sprint, and then Richa - ended up joining Parallel in 2020 on such an important role - that too remote!”

Robin Dhanwani
Founder, Parallel

She was a user tester in a design sprint, and then Richa - ended up joining Parallel in 2020 on such an important role - that too remote!”

Robin Dhanwani
Founder, Parallel

We helped 20 organizations make better products this year ...

And we teamed up with some
stellar organizations for Design Jams, Sprints and Workshops

With Facebook, we did two remote Design Jams helping think through new product journeys for the Bharat audience.

The best thing I learnt during the Facebook Design Jam is that every idea gets its spotlight. The sprint’s atmosphere is such that everyone feels comfortable to ask questions around a new idea brought in, with the goal to build upon it rather than scrutinising it.”

Parth Mehta
Product Designer, Parallel

The best thing I learnt during the Facebook Design Jam is that every idea gets its spotlight. The sprint’s atmosphere is such that everyone feels comfortable to ask questions around a new idea brought in, with the goal to build upon it rather than scrutinising it.”

Parth Mehta
Product Designer, Parallel

We went global becoming the go-to design partner for clients in 6 countries...

One of them actually flew down from London to be part of a Design Sprint with us!

They are not like most design agencies. Instead of being passive facilitators, the Sprint Team came up with several ideas and collaborated with us.
Alexa-Maria Rathbone Barker
CEO & Co-Founder, TripAbrood
They are not like most design agencies. Instead of being passive facilitators, the Sprint Team came up with several ideas and collaborated with us.
Alexa-Maria Rathbone Barker
CEO & Co-Founder, TripAbrood

We also improved the product experience for the next billion Indians by working on 5 key government projects!

DigiLocker design sprint

This included the first ever government Design Sprint in India, redesigning DigiLocker app in just 10 days!

Amit Ranjan, the architect of DigiLocker tweeted about us and our work... 🙂

And here’s what Robin, our Founder, said about Digilocker and how to minimize failures in his first podcast interview!

3 of our clients won Awards this year!

Travolution Award, 2020

Startup of the year
Tripabrood

AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge

Special Mention
boomer

iOS App
Store trending

Trending july 2020

We also helped to prepare the govt team of KPMG and future management leaders from IIM-A with our workshops

IIMA Design sprint session

More Happiness Highlights...

We helped rebuild Possible, a fitness app post COVID

overhauling the app to a digital-first model

We helped Reccy, an adventure startup

to refocus and change the product’s direction for the better!

We planned our first Strategy Sprint for
Shell Petroleum, Brunei!

To align, identify and prioritize their digital transformation goals for 2021

THE Jake Knapp, inventor of Design Sprints recommended Parallel as experts in Design Sprints in Asia to Shell Petroleum, Brunei

Nikhil Ranka
Design Manager, Parallel

THE Jake Knapp, inventor of Design Sprints recommended Parallel as experts in Design Sprints in Asia to Shell Petroleum, Brunei

Nikhil Ranka
Design Manager, Parallel

Robin turned a ‘YouTuber’ with our trending Design Sprint videos...

Check out other videos

Congratulations Robin & Neha!

Robin and Neha pulled-off the perfect lockdown wedding... with masks on!

(Yes, we’ve been promised a lavish in-person celebration soon!)

We learned a new thing or two at work...

Chaitanya Alluru
Senior Product Designer, Parallel
Auto-layout in Figma. The first time I used it, it fundamentally changed the way I design
Jahnavi Vegad
Product Designer, Parallel
Time-box your work. The importance of seeing how much time and effort you’re putting into something vs. how much work/learning is being done and fixing this ratio
Jahnavi Vegad
Product Designer, Parallel
Time-box your work. The importance of seeing how much time and effort you’re putting into something vs. how much work/learning is being done and fixing this ratio

...and a new thing or two about each other after work, no matter where we were!

2021, here we come...

As a product designer, I find it appalling that at one end, there’s new product innovation and high-quality digital products coming up from startups but the products used by masses, by governments, and large companies are in such a shame.
The next 500 million users that the world is looking up to are now getting smart-phones and access to 4G internet but the products don’t seem to be designed for them.
In 2021, I want to do my bit in changing this landscape by helping large and complex organizations innovate like startups, and building impactful & usable products for the Bharat audience.

Robin Dhanwani

Founder, Parallel
2020 made us believe more in what we do - we embarked on some monumental projects with Digilocker, NDAP, Facebook, TTC labs, and D91. In 2021, we are taking our mandate a notch up by making the Indian tech ecosystem adopt design sprints and build better products faster.
There has never been an easier time to create a software product, but what matters most each passing day is how much value it is able to deliver to the end user. Be it change-makers and tinkerers in the Government office, a startup, or an age-old retailer, we are here to bring their ideas to light in the fastest way possible.

Richa Verma

Partner, Parallel

That’s All Folks!

To all the organisations that trusted us, our partners, and fellow design-thinkers, thank you for the awesome memories of 2020!
Here’s to 2021 & to many more meaningful design journeys!

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