Good design starts with the right problem.

Ninebot Dz
Rajshekhar Dass giving a talk

Open to Design Lead and Head of Design roles

Hi, I’m Raj. A design leader with 15 years across cars, scooters, robots, yachts and space.

I help teams find the real problem behind the brief, agree on where they’re going, and carry that idea all the way to production.

  • 15+years across engineering, sales and design
  • 4countries my design teams have worked across
  • 8industries, from scooters to space
  • 17international design awards and finals
Industries
  • Automotive
  • Two-wheelers
  • Commercial vehicles & RVs
  • Public transport & rail
  • Marine
  • Space
  • Robotics & autonomous
  • Product design
  • Segway-Ninebot
  • Dongfeng Honda
  • MAXUS
  • TAILG
  • Tata Motors
  • Tata Elxsi
  • Bozca Design

Chapter zero · where it started

I didn’t take the straight road into design.

Engineer, mechanic, car salesman, then designer and leader. It taught me one thing above all: without business, there is no product.

Read my story
  1. 01

    Engineer

    How things actually work. Feasibility and cost from day one.

  2. 02

    Salesman

    Why people buy. Identity, trust and feeling, not spec sheets.

  3. 03

    Designer & leader

    Why it’s worth making, and how to keep that idea alive to production.

Featured case study · Strategy

Ninebot Dz

“Why do you want to make this scooter?”

The brief asked for a fresh, sporty scooter. The real problem was stalled market share, so we designed for riders nobody was designing for.

  • Sold outfirst production run
  • Premiumprice point held
  • 2 versionssingle & two-seat
Read the case study

Case study 02 · Psychology

Sarco Yacht

“How do you design for people who operate at their highest level?”

A superyacht shaped by one behavioural insight: for high performers, real luxury is time, health and a clear mind.

  • SilverEuropean Product Design Award
  • From scratchexterior, interior, engineering
Read the case study

Case study 03 · Empathy

Google Community Vehicle

“Why is future mobility only imagined for people in megacities?”

One vehicle that works as a farm tool, a taxi, an ambulance and a market stall. First Indian team to win the Michelin Challenge Design.

  • 1st placeMichelin Challenge Design
  • FirstIndian team ever to win
Read the case study

Case study 04 · Vision

Polestar MEV

“If humans travel to Mars, what would a luxury mobility experience look like?”

A Martian Experience Vehicle: a calm, Scandinavian luxury pod for the first tourists on Mars.

  • One platformtourism and colony building
  • CalmScandinavian interior on Mars
Read the case study

Case study 05 · Systems thinking

Urban Delivery System

“What if we designed the system first, and the vehicles second?”

A near-future delivery ecosystem for the city: three connected layers, each with vehicles built for one job.

  • 3 layersone connected system
  • System firstvehicles designed for roles
Read the case study
01 / 05

How every story starts

Question the brief.

“Design a fresh, sporty, tech-forward scooter for a young generation.”

Styling words. A solution someone had already imagined.

In production

Ideas are easy. Getting them built is the job.

12 programmes designed, engineered and launched, from scooters and SUVs to RVs, buses and a superyacht.

Ninebot Dz, Segway-NinebotNinebot DzDesign Lead · 2021
Victoria Scrambler, VictoriaVictoria ScramblerDesign Head · 2024
Dongfeng Honda M-NV, Dongfeng HondaDongfeng Honda M-NVLead Designer · 2019
Ninebot Q30, Segway-NinebotNinebot Q30Design Lead · 2022
Sarco Yacht, Palmer JohnsonSarco YachtYacht Designer · 2016
Ninebot V30, Segway-NinebotNinebot V30Design Lead · 2023
Maxus RV 90, SAIC MAXUSMaxus RV 90Lead Designer · 2019
Maxus G20, SAIC MAXUSMaxus G20Lead Designer · 2019
Autonomous Delivery, XingshenAutonomous DeliverySenior Designer · 2022
TailG A110, TAILGTailG A110Head Designer · 2025
AMS EV Bus, AMSAMS EV BusLead Designer · 2017
NinetyGo, NinetyGoNinetyGoLead Designer · 2020

How I lead

“I don’t manage designers. I build systems that make the right work obvious.”

See the approach
  1. 01

    Direction

    Find the real problem. Agree one North Star.

  2. 02

    Decisions

    Judge the right thing at the right time, against criteria, not taste.

  3. 03

    Team

    Many voices early, a small expert team late.