Design Researcher · Educator · Entrepreneur

Dr. Sandesh Sanjeev Phalke

Current Position

Asst. Professor (Gr. II), Dept. of Art, Science & Design — IIIT Dharwad

Founder & Director

Hey Attrangi Pvt. Ltd. — Digital Healthcare for Neurodivergent Children

Board Member

Aarogya Aadhar Pvt. Ltd., Pune

Publications

15+

Ph.D. from

IIT Guwahati

Inclusive DesignADHD Research HCIUX Design ThinkingEdTech
Connect

Designing for minds
that work differently

Currently serving as Assistant Professor (Grade II, Level 11) at the Department of Art, Science & Design, IIIT Dharwad — designing and facilitating minor courses in design for B.Tech students, serving on the Internal Complaints Committee, and mentoring startups incubated at IDRP.

Founder & Director of Hey Attrangi Pvt. Ltd. — a digital healthcare startup providing technology-based solutions for neurodivergent children and supporting the mental health of college students.

Ph.D. in Design from IIT Guwahati. Doctoral research on visual design guidelines for curriculum-based digital content tailored to children with ADHD — at the intersection of cognitive psychology, educational technology, and visual communication.

Technical Consultant & Board Member at Aarogya Aadhar Pvt. Ltd., Pune — a health-services startup focused on emergency medical support and affordable patient care.

MoE Ph.D. Fellow (Govt. of India). ACM Member since November 2023. General Co-Chair, India HCI 2025. Workshop PI for ANRF-funded Futures of Design workshop.

Primary Position

Asst. Professor (Gr. II), IIIT Dharwad

Founder

Hey Attrangi Pvt. Ltd.

Board Member

Aarogya Aadhar Pvt. Ltd., Pune

Ph.D. Research

Visual Design for Children with ADHD

Languages

English · Marathi · Hindi

ACM Member

November 2023 – Present

Location

Dharwad, Karnataka, India

Academic Background

Ph.D. (Design)

IIT Guwahati

Jul 2019 – Jul 2024

CGPA: 8.63 / 10

Visual Design Guidelines for Curriculum-based Digital Content for Children with ADHD · Supervisor: Dr. Abhishek Shrivastava

M.Tech. (Advanced Manufacturing)

SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur

Jul 2017 – May 2019

CGPA: 7.84 / 10

B.E. (Production Engineering)

Shivaji University, Kolhapur

Jul 2013 – May 2017

68.94% (6.89 / 10)

MBA (Project Management) — Online

DYPU Pune

Jul 2022 – Aug 2024

CGPA: 8.02 / 10

Child Psychology & Counselling

Manoved Foundation Pune

May – Jun 2020

Online CBT and REBT Course

Manoved Foundation Pune

Jun – Jul 2020

Expertise & Tools

Design & Research

Co-DesigningDesign ThinkingInteraction DesignUI / UXInclusive DesignUsability TestingUser FlowTypography

Engineering & Operations

Operation ManagementProcess PlanningProcess ControlANSYSProE / CreoAuto-CAD

Software & Tools

FigmaProcreateSPSSMini TabVoS ViewerZoteroOverleafImage JDesign Expert

Professional Journey

Oct 2024 – Present

IIIT Dharwad — Current

Assistant Professor (Grade II, Level 11)

Dept. of Art, Science & Design. Designs and facilitates minor courses for B.Tech students. Member ICC; DPGC member for ASD and ECE departments; mentor to startups at IDRP.

Oct 2024 – Present

Hey Attrangi Pvt. Ltd. — Current

Founder & Director

Digital healthcare startup providing solutions for neurodivergent children and supporting mental health of college students.

Sep 2023 – Present

Aarogya Aadhar Pvt. Ltd., Pune — Current

Technical Consultant & Board Member

Emergency medical services, patient counselling, and affordable medical treatment. Advises on product and service design.

Jul 2024 – Nov 2024

MIT-WPU Pune

Visiting Faculty, Department of Design

Course instructor — Design Strategy & Marketing, M.Des. (Industrial Design), Semester 3.

Jan 2020 – Apr 2024

IIT Guwahati

Teaching & Research Assistant

Typography & Grid Systems, Representation Techniques, Interaction Design. Research assistance for master's thesis projects.

May 2018 – Jul 2018

IIT Delhi

Summer Research Fellow

Under supervision of Dr. Sudarshan Ghosh. Indian Academy of Sciences Summer Research Fellowship.

Jul 2016 – Apr 2017

Shalgar Industries Pvt. Ltd., Satara

Product Developer

Product development and process improvement in manufacturing operations.

Jun 2016

Wilo India Mather & Platt Pumps, Pune

Summer Intern

Industrial internship in pump manufacturing and engineering.

Publications

2025

IndiaHCI '25: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Human–Computer Interaction Design & Research Book

Association for Computing Machinery · ISBN 979-8-4007-1848-9 · Ed. with R. Gupta

2025

Comprehensive Methodological Framework for Representing Curriculum-Based Digital Content for Children with ADHD: A Practitioner's Approach Journal

International Journal of Visual Design, 20(1)

2025

Evaluating Visual Design Guidelines for Digital Content Representation: A Nine-Month Study on Enhancing Attention in Children with ADHD Journal

Authorea Preprints

2025

Comparative Evaluation of Cut Quality between Abrasive Water Jet Machining and Laser Beam Machining of Ti6Al4V Journal

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials (Accepted, Under Publication)

2024

Appropriate Visual Design Elements for Curriculum-based Digital Content Representation used by ChADHD in Typical Learning Environments Journal

International Journal of Visual Design, 19(2)

2024

Achieving High Precision and Productivity in Laser Machining of Ti6Al4V: n-predictor Polynomial Regression and PSO Algorithm Journal

International Journal of Lightweight Materials and Manufacture

2023

Identification of Digital Font Size and Font Type to Enhance Attention Span of Children Living with ADHD Journal

International Journal of Visual Design, 17(1)

2023

HI Applications for ADHD Children: A Case for Enhanced Visual Representations Using Novel and Adapted Guidelines Conference

International Conference on Trends in Electronics and Health Informatics — Springer Nature Singapore, pp. 207–226

2023

Auditory Interactions: A Potential Way for Managing Children Living with ADHD Conference

International Conference on Research into Design — Springer Nature Singapore, pp. 751–759

2023

Directions to Design Assistive Digital Aid for Children Living With ADHD Book Chapter

Exergaming Intervention for Children, Adolescents, and Elderly People, pp. 93–107 · IGI Global

2023

HI Applications for ADHD Children: The Graphic Design Perspective Book Chapter

Brain-like Super Intelligence from Bio-electromagnetism, Studies in Rhythm Engineering, pp. 105–127 · Springer, Singapore

2021

Distribution of Residual Compressive Stresses in Induction Hardened Steel Gears Journal

Metal Science and Heat Treatment, 63, 449–455

2019

Laser Cladding of Nickel Powder on AISI 202 Stainless Steel and Optimization of the Process Parameters Conference

Advances in Manufacturing Processes: ICEMMM 2018, pp. 197–203 · Springer Singapore

View all on Google Scholar →
2025

Comprehensive Methodological Framework for Representing Curriculum-Based Digital Content for Children with ADHD Journal

International Journal of Visual Design, 20(1)

2025

Evaluating Visual Design Guidelines for Digital Content Representation: A Nine-Month Study Journal

Authorea Preprints

2025

Comparative Evaluation of Cut Quality between Abrasive Water Jet Machining and Laser Beam Machining of Ti6Al4V Journal

International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials (Accepted)

2024

Appropriate Visual Design Elements for Curriculum-based Digital Content Representation used by ChADHD Journal

International Journal of Visual Design, 19(2)

2024

Achieving High Precision and Productivity in Laser Machining of Ti6Al4V Journal

International Journal of Lightweight Materials and Manufacture

2023

Identification of Digital Font Size and Font Type to Enhance Attention Span of Children Living with ADHD Journal

International Journal of Visual Design, 17(1)

2021

Distribution of Residual Compressive Stresses in Induction Hardened Steel Gears Journal

Metal Science and Heat Treatment, 63, 449–455

2023

HI Applications for ADHD Children: Enhanced Visual Representations Using Novel and Adapted Guidelines Conference

ICTEH 2023 — Springer Nature Singapore, pp. 207–226

2023

Auditory Interactions: A Potential Way for Managing Children Living with ADHD Conference

ICoRD 2023 — Springer Nature Singapore, pp. 751–759

2019

Laser Cladding of Nickel Powder on AISI 202 Stainless Steel: Optimization of Process Parameters Conference

ICEMMM 2018 — Springer Singapore, pp. 197–203

2025

IndiaHCI '25: Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Human–Computer Interaction Design & Research Book

Association for Computing Machinery · ISBN 979-8-4007-1848-9 · Edited with R. Gupta

2023

Directions to Design Assistive Digital Aid for Children Living With ADHD Book Chapter

Exergaming Intervention for Children, Adolescents, and Elderly People, pp. 93–107 · IGI Global

2023

HI Applications for ADHD Children: The Graphic Design Perspective Book Chapter

Brain-like Super Intelligence from Bio-electromagnetism, Studies in Rhythm Engineering, pp. 105–127 · Springer, Singapore

Ventures & Mentorship

HA

Hey Attrangi Pvt. Ltd.

Founder & Director

Own Venture

Digital healthcare startup providing technology solutions for neurodivergent children and supporting the mental health of college students. Building equitable technology at the intersection of design research and healthcare.

Founded Oct 2024 · Dharwad, Karnataka

FD

FreshDot

Mentor (Faculty)

Student-led startup incubated at IDRP IIIT Dharwad. Co-mentored with Dr. Prakash Pawar.

Team: Moksh A. Gundecha

Gz

Gigzy

Mentor (Faculty)

Platform-driven startup with a diverse founding team. Lead faculty mentor.

Saisha Bore, Simone Rodrigues, Hammad Malik, Palak Gupta

PP

Petal Path

Mentor (Faculty)

Co-mentored with Dr. Siddharth R. Innovative product concept by a creative student team.

Pratham Mohadikar, Apoorva Jadhav

YS

Yntra Sparks

Mentor (Faculty)

Data science-focused startup. Co-mentored with Dr. Suvadip Hazra.

Vikas Lal Singh, Kush Kumar, Dhanashri Bende

FDPs, Workshops,
Conferences & Service

Sl. Activity Date / Period
1LeadershipGeneral Chair, India HCI 2025Nov 2024 – Nov 2025
2FDPResource Person — Innovation & Entrepreneurship FDP, IIIT Dharwad25–26 Mar 2025
3FDPResource Person — Innovation & Entrepreneurship FDP, IIIT Dharwad14–15 Jul 2025
4Invited TalkDesigning Interactions for Remotely Operated Vehicles — Lendi Institute of Technology19 Dec 2025
5Invited TalkHuman Centered Design for Children & Education; Design Thinking — NIT Warangal FDP23–24 Jan 2026
6WorkshopInvited Expert Speaker — ANRF VLSI Design Workshop, IIIT Dharwad29 May 2026
7LeadershipSteering Committee Member — NAIN 2.0, ITBT Govt. of KarnatakaMar 2026 – Present
8Workshop PIFutures of Design: Research, Technology and Education (ANRF-funded)Mar 2026
9MentorPMU Mentor — NAIN (Govt. of Karnataka)2025
10ReviewerReviewer — India HCI 20252024
11MentorMentor — IDRP Incubated Startups, IIIT DharwadOct 2024 – Present
12JuryJury Member — Yuva Sangam, Deshpande FoundationApr 2026
13ConvenerConvener — Shrishti HackathonApr 2026
Workshop

29 May 2026

Invited Expert Speaker — ANRF VLSI Design Workshop, IIIT Dharwad

Topic: Design Human Centered Electronic Products

Invited Talk

23–24 Jan 2026

Invited Expert Speaker — Faculty Development Programme, NIT Warangal

Topics: "Human Centered Design for Children and Education" · "Design Thinking and Innovation"

Invited Talk

19 Dec 2025

FDP — Lendi Institute of Technology

Topic: "Designing Interactions and Interfaces for Remotely Operated Vehicles"

FDP

14–15 Jul 2025

Resource Person — Innovation & Entrepreneurship FDP, IIIT Dharwad

Faculty Development Programme on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

FDP

25–26 Mar 2025

Resource Person — Innovation & Entrepreneurship FDP, IIIT Dharwad

Faculty Development Programme on Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Convener

Apr 2026

Convener — Shrishti Hackathon

Organised and convened the Shrishti Hackathon event

Workshop PI

Mar 2026

Principal Investigator — Futures of Design Workshop (ANRF-funded)

Workshop on Futures of Design: Research, Technology and Education

Leadership

Mar 2026 – Present

Steering Committee Member — NAIN 2.0

ITBT Government of Karnataka programme boosting B.Tech projects to startups

Leadership

Nov 2024 – Nov 2025

General Chair — India HCI 2025

16th International Conference of Human-Computer Interaction Design & Research

Mentor

2025

PMU Mentor — NAIN (Govt. of Karnataka)

Project Management Unit Mentor under the NAIN programme

Mentor

Oct 2024 – Present

Startup Mentor — IDRP Incubated Startups, IIIT Dharwad

Mentoring startups incubated at IDRP: FreshDot, Gigzy, Petal Path, Yntra Sparks

Jury

Apr 2026

Jury Member — Yuva Sangam, Deshpande Foundation

Evaluated student and youth innovation projects

Reviewer

2024

Reviewer — India HCI 2025

Peer review for the 16th India HCI Conference

Reviewer

Jul – Sep 2024

Reviewer — India HCI 2024

15th International Conference of HCI Design & Research

Reviewer

Sep 2023 – Jan 2024

Reviewer — ACM CHI 2024 (Full Paper Track)

Full paper peer review for ACM CHI 2024

Reviewer

Jul – Dec 2022

Reviewer — Journal of Engineering Manufacture (Part B)

Full paper review for Sage Publications journal

Awards, Fellowships
& Honours

Fellowship

Jul 2019 – Jun 2024

Ph.D. Research Fellowship — Ministry of Education, Govt. of India

Full doctoral research fellowship from MoE, Government of India

Grant

May 2021

ACM CHI 2021 Symposium Grant

Symposium grant awarded for CHI 2021, 8–13 May 2021

Fellowship

May – Jul 2018

IIT Delhi Summer Research Fellowship

Indian Academy of Sciences Summer Research Fellowship

Best Paper

Feb 2017

Best Paper Award — NCRTET, Quest 2017

"A Review of Literature on Autonomous Vehicles and ANN"

Feature

Cover Feature — Beyond Science Magazine

Featured on the cover page of Beyond Science Magazine

Feature

Featured on STEAMid Platform

Recognised and featured on the STEAMid platform

Prototype

Resource Person — Prototype Design & Development

Under Government of India Institute Innovation Council

Sport

2019, 2022

Inter-IIT Football Player — IIT Guwahati

Represented IIT Guwahati at all-India Inter-IIT Sports Meet

Sport

2014, 2015

University Football Player

Represented football team at University level — Shivaji University, Kolhapur

Let's collaborate

Whether you're a researcher, educator, student, or startup founder — open to collaborations in inclusive design, HCI research, design education, or entrepreneurship.

s.phalke2029@gmail.com s.phalke@iiitdwd.ac.in +91 95523 24069

Current Office

Department of Art, Science & Design
IIIT Dharwad, Karnataka, India

Online Profiles

🎓 Google Scholar — Research & Publications 💼 LinkedIn — Professional Profile 🎨 Behance — Design Portfolio