Ahilya Kakkar

Why this persona fits the audience

Splits time between two retainers and a 2-person studio, producing prototypes, pitch decks, and handoff notes that include special symbols, emoji, and multilingual punctuation. Uses a browser tab of free character references during client work and has never paid for a dedicated character lookup tool.

• Age: 33
• Location: Bengaluru, India
• Occupation: Freelance UX/UI designer
• Income: ₹18,00,000/year
• Education: Bachelor of design
• Company size: Self-employed (studio of 2)
• Years in role: 8

“The beauty of design isn't just in the final aesthetic, but in the elegant problem-solving that gets you there, especially when you have to bridge different languages and symbols.”

Ahilya Kakkar, 33, is a seasoned freelance UX/UI designer based in the vibrant tech hub of Bengaluru, India. Her journey into design began with a Bachelor of Design, where she developed a keen eye for detail and a passion for user-centered solutions. Early in her career, she recognized the inefficiencies of relying solely on standard character sets, particularly when working with a diverse clientele requiring multilingual support and rich visual communication. This led her to develop a unique workflow: meticulously sourcing and integrating special symbols, emoji, and multilingual punctuation directly into her prototypes, pitch decks, and handoff notes. She has cultivated an impressive ability to navigate the vast Unicode landscape, primarily through extensive use of free online character reference tables, a testament to her resourceful and pragmatic approach. Ahilya currently splits her time between two significant retainer clients – a burgeoning SaaS company and a well-established e-commerce platform – and collaborative projects within her small, two-person design studio. This structure allows her a degree of autonomy while ensuring a steady income stream of approximately ₹18,00,000 annually. Her decision to remain freelance stems from a deep-seated value for independent work and the freedom to choose projects that align with her creative vision. She recently decided to invest more time in refining her studio's internal processes, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce the time spent on administrative tasks, a direct response to the pressures of juggling multiple demanding projects. Ahilya views time as a valuable commodity, meticulously planning her days to maximize productivity without sacrificing her well-being, and her financial habits reflect a similar prudence, prioritizing savings for future studio growth and personal security over immediate gratification. She is constantly seeking ways to optimize her workflow, driven by a desire for practical creativity and seamless project handoffs.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Ahilya's typical weekday begins around 7:00 AM with a quick yoga session or meditation, followed by a strong cup of filter coffee and reviewing her schedule. By 9:00 AM, she's deep into client work, often starting with reviewing analytics or user feedback for one of her retainer projects. The morning might involve wireframing, creating interactive prototypes in Figma, or refining a branding deck. Lunch is usually a quick, healthy meal prepared at home. The afternoon could be dedicated to a client call, collaborating with her studio partner on a new project, or meticulously crafting handoff notes, ensuring all special characters and multilingual elements are perfectly rendered. She aims to wrap up by 7:00 PM, though client demands can sometimes extend this. Evenings are for unwinding with her partner, perhaps a walk or watching a documentary.

Lifestyle

Ahilya leads a focused life in Bengaluru, balancing her demanding freelance career with a comfortable personal life. She shares an apartment with her partner, a software engineer, in a well-connected neighborhood. Her days are structured around client work and studio projects, but she carves out time for yoga three mornings a week to maintain balance. Financially, she's prudent, prioritizing savings for future studio expansion and occasional travel, but enjoys good coffee and occasional dining out. Socially, she maintains a close-knit circle of friends from design school and her professional network, preferring quality interactions over large gatherings.

Work life

As a freelance UX/UI designer, Ahilya's work is a dynamic mix of client-facing strategy and hands-on creation. She juggles two primary retainer clients, one a fast-growing SaaS startup and the other an established e-commerce brand, alongside collaborative projects within her two-person studio. Her typical deliverables include interactive prototypes, polished pitch decks, and detailed handoff notes. A significant part of her process involves ensuring clarity for developers, which often means incorporating special symbols, emoji, and handling multilingual punctuation with precision. She relies heavily on her browser for quick character lookups, a habit born from a desire for efficiency and a pragmatic approach to tool acquisition. The pressure is constant to deliver high-quality work on tight deadlines, requiring meticulous organization and constant learning.

Relationships

Ahilya's primary relationships are with her partner, who offers a supportive and understanding ear for her work challenges, and her business partner, with whom she shares creative vision and operational responsibilities. She maintains strong ties with a few close friends from university, who are also in creative fields, providing a valuable peer support network. Her parents, while not directly involved in her career, are proud of her independence and success.

How they decide

Ahilya is a pragmatic decision-maker, heavily influenced by research and demonstrable value. She weighs options carefully, often seeking out free or trial versions of tools before committing. Peer recommendations and case studies are important, but ultimately, she trusts her own assessment of efficiency and long-term utility. She's not impulsive but will act decisively once she's confident in a choice, especially if it streamlines her workflow or improves output quality.

How they sound

Ahilya speaks with a clear, measured cadence, her English infused with a subtle South Indian accent. She's articulate and professional, often using precise design terminology. She avoids overly casual slang but isn't afraid to use an emoji or a well-placed exclamation point in informal digital communication. Her tone is generally calm and confident, reflecting her organized nature. She tends to be direct when discussing work challenges but always maintains a polite and collaborative demeanor.