Mahin Jahan
Product Designer

A little about me…

My transition into UX began during my second year of undergrad in Economics. I originally pursued Economics because I was interested in how firms incentivize human behavior. At the time, I was building a startup called Quest Up. As I was learning how to build my app, I came across a Google online course on UX/UI which really piqued my interest, so I ended up doing a bootcamp that summer.

I realized that being a designer gave me the same fulfillment I had as a startup founder, that builder mindset of solving problems, coming up with a solution, and then building it up. I pursued a Master’s in HCI straight after my Economics degree, then landed an internship at a tech startup named Pactto, where I was able to ship real features for the very first time and see people use them.

My mindset when designing

Intentional Trade-offs

UI and UX aren't opposing forces; they are a calculated balance. I weigh expressive visuals against strict usability, choosing the right trade-off based on market expectations and user needs.

Rigor without Rigidity

The design process isn't a linear checklist. I treat methods as a toolkit; skipping, compressing, or reordering steps to maintain velocity without losing the quality of the outcome.

Focus over Feature-Creep

You can't design for everyone at once. I prioritize the users that matter most, ensuring every interaction on the screen earns its place.

Pactto - 2025

Internship

Role: Product Design Intern

Team: 5 Designers

Timeline: 4-Month

Pactto is a canvas-based video production workspace/conferencing tool. I helped design a suite of commenting tools to bridge the gap between live meetings and async work.