Down & Dirty with Dr. T is back with a fresh episode featuring Abhimanyu Sirothia, Design Director at Designit!
With nearly 15 years of experience designing for everything from early-stage startups to large corporations, Abhimanyu is a design leader who blends craft, clarity, and curiosity. Known for his expertise in accessible design, design systems, and intuitive UIs, he brings an engineering mindset to every project and a deep passion for productivity.
In this episode, he sits down with Taapsi to talk about how he leads his design teams in high-pressure environments and how Raycast helps him manage his time better. He also shares his daily rituals and how he juggles multiple clients and parenthood. Episode Highlights:
A day in Abhimanyu’s life:
Abhimanyu walks us through his weekday flow, starting with dropping his child to playschool, followed by a quiet hour of focused work before calls begin. With 10+ projects across 4 to 5 clients, he shares how he structures his day to stay on top of priorities and support his team effectively.
Using Raycast to save time:
Abhimanyu explains how Raycast helps him cut down on small repetitive tasks like launching Figma files or switching Slack workspaces, so he can focus better and move faster without breaking flow. For him, Raycast is not just a launcher but a tool that enables smoother task switching and deeper focus.
Making time for focused work and intentional collaboration:
Abhimanyu shares how he carves out focused work blocks in his schedule and avoids back-to-back meetings. He talks about designing a rhythm that helps his team collaborate without constantly being in calls.
Mentoring and team support:
Abhimanyu shares how he supports his team by helping define project goals clearly and then stepping out of the way. He reflects on how trust, clarity, and fewer meetings create an environment where the team can do meaningful work without micromanagement.
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Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction to Abhimanyu Sirothia
00:01:25 A day in the life of a design director
00:03:27 Team dynamics and work-life challenges
00:06:05 Finding personal time and hobbies
00:08:09 Enablers for professional success
00:10:43 Challenges and obstacles
00:12:31 Daily tools and operating systems
00:16:19 Introduction to Raycast
00:17:52 Raycast value proposition and use cases
00:21:48 Raycast as a time-saving tool
00:25:12 Raycast in action: features and usage
00:28:47 Advanced features and availability
00:32:44 Introduction to Raycast
00:34:58 Raycast capabilities and use cases
00:37:27 Raycast as a personal assistant and future potential
00:40:25 Final thoughts and rapid fire