A profile of HCIM alum Sparsh Paliwal
Sparsh Paliwal, HCIM '23
Sparsh Paliwal, a 2023 graduate of the University of Maryland College of Information’s (INFO) Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction (HCIM) program, has always had a creative spark. Growing up in central India, he spent his childhood doodling, coloring, and playing video games—little knowing that these early interests would shape his career in design and technology.
“I thought that when I grew up, I’d make video games,” he says. “I didn’t know how to program or design back then, but I just had this idea that someday I’d do something like that.”
Sparsh Paliwal, HCIM ’23
Paliwal majored in computer science for his undergraduate degree, believing it was the path to game development. However, an internship during his junior year changed his trajectory.
He was selected for Google Summer of Code and worked with the Inclusive Design Research Center in Ontario. Even though his main assignment was programming, he had two mentors—one for programming and one for user interface (UI) design.
The experience opened his eyes to the intersection of design and technology. After graduating, he worked as a front-end developer for two startups in India but found himself increasingly drawn to design. “I was working super closely with UIs, and I realized I had a liking for visually designing stuff,” he says. “Eventually, I decided to pursue HCI to formalize that passion.”
While HCI encompasses many disciplines—content design, data visualization, accessibility, UX research, UI design, and more—Paliwal found his niche in UI design.
“When I transitioned from programming to design, it took me a long time to grasp the fundamentals—spacing, color theory, typography—and how to combine them into a coherent, functional interface,” he says. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever learned, but also the most rewarding.”
A Day in the Life at Adobe
Today, Paliwal works at Adobe, specializing in design systems for iOS. His role is less about creating individual designs and more about building the foundational components that other designers use.
“I work on all the atoms and molecules that make up a user interface,” he explains. “Right now, I’m creating color palettes, but I’ll eventually work on components like buttons, sliders, and pickers.”
His day-to-day work involves extensive research and auditing. “I have hundreds of apps on my phone, and I take screenshots of everything—press states, drag interactions, you name it,” he says. “Only about 5% of my job is actually putting things into Figma. The rest is research, reading documentation, and figuring out what needs to be built.”
A Proud Achievement: Research in Accessibility
One of Paliwal’s most rewarding experiences was a two-year research project at INFO with Professor Jonathan Lazar and Adobe Research, focusing on making PDFs more accessible. This work was part of a long-standing collaboration between Adobe and the Maryland Institute for Digital Accessibility (MIDA), a UMD research center led by INFO.
“I was the primary author on a research paper that got selected for a journal, and we might present it at CHI,” he shares. “It was a hard project, but it taught me rapid prototyping, user testing, and how to collaborate with researchers and engineers.”
Reflecting on his time at INFO, Paliwal credits the program for giving him hands-on, end-to-end project experience.
“The PDF accessibility project taught me how to own a project completely—from research to design to coding and testing,” he says. “The skills I learned there, I still use every day.”
He also highlights the importance of his peers. “I learned so much from my classmates. When I started, I didn’t know anything, but they were all so humble and willing to teach me. I’m super grateful for that.”
Looking Ahead
Paliwal’s journey—from a kid doodling in sketchbooks to a design systems specialist at Adobe—showcases the power of curiosity and persistence. His advice to aspiring designers?
“If you love design, dive deep into the fundamentals. Read design books, watch design conference talks, and most importantly learn from people around you, that’s where I learned the most. And don’t be afraid to ask questions. That’s how you grow.”
With a strong foundation in both programming and design, Paliwal is well-equipped to shape the future of digital experiences—one pixel at a time.