Pradeep Nayar

Pradeep Nayar Experience Design Endowed Scholarship

Originally growing up in Nigeria, Pradeep immigrated to the United States to pursue a Master’s in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2002, and through his work on software, discovered a passion for Experience Design at a time when the discipline was first being established. He eventually graduated with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction from DePaul in 2014 and was also adjunct faculty for a time there.

Over the course of his career, he held design leadership positions at the Chicago Tribune, Grainger, Allstate, and ultimately became Vice President of Global Product and Design at the Hyatt Hotel Corporation.

Pradeep contributed to the practice of Experience Design through his work and his speaking engagements about how designers could work best within Agile product teams, and he evangelized a data-informed, iterative approach to design. He was constantly learning, reading and sharing books and knowledge with others. He was a driver of positive changes in how companies solved problems, working to change the hearts and minds of the establishment to do things the right way and to incorporate user empathy into their products.

Beyond being a master of the craft of design, Pradeep had a keen eye for discovering talent and was a mentor to hundreds of people, inspiring and helping many to become successful designers. He inspired others to believe in themselves, do the right thing, be positive, empathetic, and continuously learn new skills. Pradeep had an intrinsic ability to actively listen and connect with others and was an advocate for many people throughout their careers. He created positive environments to work in and authentically cared about everyone he worked with.

Pradeep lived every day towards a greater purpose, to care for others and to make people’s lives better. His family, friends, and former colleagues hope that the winners of this award will use their education to make lives better in the spirit of what Pradeep dedicated his life to.