
Selected Work
8 projects. Each one a different problem.













About
I started with a sketchbook.
I built a studio. Then I asked
why it all worked.
I’m a self-taught designer who learned everything the hard way. I started in construction project management, moved into interior design, and in 2016 built Innovheads Design Studio in Ahmedabad from a one-person practice into a team of eight. We grew 60% year-on-year for four years, served clients across India and internationally, and built systems that actually held together under pressure.
Then COVID hit. Instead of waiting, I rewired the entire studio — from on-site physical projects to remote digital design and consulting. That pivot taught me more about business model design than any classroom. We didn’t just survive. We expanded our reach.
“Behind every design lies a story, a system, and a strategy waiting to be shaped.”
After eight years, I realized I wasn’t just designing spaces and brands — I was designing systems, decisions, and the conditions for things to work. So I pursued that instinct seriously. I moved to Milan and studied Strategic Design at Politecnico di Milano — one of Europe’s leading design schools — specializing in Product-Service-System Design and writing my thesis on AI-driven innovation in systems and workflows.
From there, I joined Colruyt Group’s New Commercial Development division in Belgium — a 30,000-person retail organization. I designed AI-assisted innovation workflows, shaped AI product roadmaps with external vendors, and contributed to omnichannel strategy across multiple retail locations. I compressed vendor timelines by three months. I helped a team of 50+ stakeholders move faster on emerging signals.
The Journey
Every step was deliberate.
Foundation
Where I learned to build things that stand up
First Steps
Interior design, freelance, and figuring it out
Founded
Innovheads Design Studio — built from zero
Studying
Operations & business thinking at NIRMA
Pivot
COVID hit. We adapted before anyone told us to.
Masters
Politecnico di Milano — Strategic Design, Italy
Colruyt Group
New Commercial Development — Belgium
Dubai
Here. Available. Ready.
Capabilities
What I bring to the table.
Strategy & Innovation
Research & Analysis
Prototyping & Delivery
Tools & Platforms
Let’s talk.
I’m in Dubai and available now. If you’re working on something that needs clear thinking, structured process, and real execution — I’d like to hear about it.
© 2026 Darshan Rughani. Built with intention.