Aashman Goghari - Tackling complex design challenges at Palantir
Mar 1, 2025
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Aashman Goghari, a Design Lead at Palantir, shares his expertise in navigating complex design challenges within a data-rich environment. He emphasizes the art of problem decomposition and discusses effective strategies for collaborating with backend engineers. Aashman delves into the significance of systems thinking, using insights from design challenges at Palantir's Foundry platform. He also explores the balance between edge cases and user-friendly pathways while empowering designers through mentorship and collaboration.
Designers at Palantir tackle complex problems by employing problem decomposition and collaborating closely with backend engineers for effective solutions.
The need for a systemic approach in design is crucial as it ensures that user interfaces cater to both novice and advanced users seamlessly.
Continuous learning and open communication among designers foster adaptability and enhance contributions to the evolving challenges presented by diverse user scenarios.
Deep dives
Understanding Complexity in Design
Designers in complex domains face the challenge of addressing a multitude of intricate problems. To navigate this complexity, they must adeptly zoom in and out of various perspectives, understanding both high-level concepts and minute details of their projects. The need for a systemic approach is emphasized as designers work in environments that demand collaboration with backend engineers and others across different teams. Taking ownership from the onset, designers often deal with bespoke use cases that require tailored solutions amid vast data integration challenges.
The Evolution of Palantir's Platforms
Palantir began with Gotham, aimed at addressing government data integration needs, but has since expanded to include Foundry, a versatile analytics platform. Foundry facilitates data integration across diverse use cases, enabling users to derive insights from unstructured information. The evolution illustrates Palantir's adaptability to tackle increasingly complex and technical challenges, promoting an agile environment of innovation. As engineers and designers work together, they shape an infrastructure that supports a variety of applications across multiple industries.
The Role of Designers in Field Operations
Designers at Palantir often immerse themselves in field operations, working closely with customers to solve specific challenges unique to their environments. This hands-on approach leads to a better understanding of the intricacies involved in designing products that meet real-world needs. Designers must adapt to diverse user scenarios, translating complex requirements into user-friendly interfaces. Such direct engagement brings valuable insights that inform the broader product development process, ensuring solutions are rooted in actual user experiences.
Balancing Design Complexity and Usability
In the quest to create powerful software solutions, designers grapple with balancing technical complexity and usability. Utilizing strategies like progressive disclosure allows them to maintain a clean interface while ensuring users can access deeper functionalities if desired. This technique helps cater to both novice users seeking simplicity and advanced users requiring more sophisticated tools. The end goal is to foster a user experience where the software seamlessly integrates into the user's workflow, regardless of their level of expertise.
Emphasizing Continuous Learning and Adaptation
The design landscape at Palantir prioritizes continuous learning, encouraging designers to evolve through direct collaboration with engineers and constant engagement with user feedback. Designers are urged to ask questions frequently, fostering an environment of open communication and knowledge sharing. This culture not only assists in overcoming technical challenges but also sharpens designers' adaptability to different domains and needs. As they grow into their roles, designers learn to articulate and navigate their work more effectively, ultimately enhancing their contributions to complex projects.
Palantir is one of the most powerful products in existence today.
It provides critical government and enterprise infrastructure from the factory floors to the front lines. You can literally build your own Airbnb on top of their development platform.
But with great power comes lots of complexity… So in this week’s episode, Design Lead Aashman Goghari gives us a behind-the-scenes of what it’s like designing products at Palantir.
Becoming better at “problem decomposition”
Two patterns for handling complex interfaces
How to think through systems like a developer
How data models can impact your design process
Designing new user experiences for “Ferrari products”
How to collaborate more effectively with backend engineers
Finding the balance between edge cases and the golden path
a lot more
Aashman mentions the Concepts app for sketching on iPad
