Hira has a knack for taking something complicated and transforming it into an experience people actually enjoy using. As a Design Manager at Microsoft AI, she works across Bing and Copilot to make sure AI feels less like a clunky machine and more like the kind of collaborator you actually want on your team. She is known for turning “why is this so confusing?” into “oh wow, that was easy,” and for sneaking in just enough delight to make even the most ordinary search feel fresh. For Hira, AI is not just changing how people find answers, it is reshaping how designers think, create, and dream about what is possible. And she is having a lot of fun leading the way.

How would you describe your job and what you do?

I like to say I give digital experiences a makeover in every sense of the word. I am basically in the business of glow-ups for less than delightful interfaces. As a Design Manager at Microsoft AI, my job is to take messy, complex, sometimes painfully boring experiences and turn them into something people actually enjoy using. If I do my job right, you will not even notice the work that went into it—you will just feel like everything flows, makes sense, and maybe even sparks a little joy. Think of me as the person behind the curtain making sure the magic happens without showing you all the wires.

How did you first become interested in design and what motivated you to pursue it as a career?

I have always been artistic. I was that kid sketching, building, and spending way too many hours hand-coding my MySpace layout so it sparkled just right. As the daughter of South Asian immigrants, I was expected to follow a “serious” career path like law, medicine, or foreign service if I wanted to be fancy. But I knew that was not my story. I did not just want to analyze systems, I wanted to redesign them.

So I pivoted into design full time, and I have never looked back. Being a woman of color in tech, I am unapologetic about bringing that perspective into the work. It means I push for clarity, empathy, and inclusivity in spaces that often overlook it. My path was not traditional, but that is what makes it powerful. I am not here to fit the mold, I am here to reshape it.

“AI is not here to take our jobs, it is here to take the boring parts of our jobs. Designers are not just pushing pixels and making pretty screens anymore, we are orchestrating relationships between humans and AI. “

Hira Mashkoor, Design, Microsoft AI

What educational background or training do you have that has helped shape your skills?

I studied International Affairs and foreign languages, which gave me a global perspective and an appreciation for culture and communication. But honestly, it was outside the classroom where I really found my voice. I am an artist at heart, and running my own wedding photography and videography business shaped me in ways school never could. It taught me how to tell stories with intention, how to adapt under pressure, and how to lead with both heart and hustle. Photographing weddings is basically UX design in disguise—you are balancing chaos, emotions, and a hundred moving parts to create something timeless and beautiful. Designing Bing or Copilot? Slightly fewer crying flower girls, but the same principles apply: empathy, craft, and making sure the end result feels effortless for the people experiencing it.

What are you currently working on?

Right now, I am focused on giving Bing a major AI glow-up. That means simplifying the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), shaping how people explore information through Copilot, and making sure traditional search evolves seamlessly with generative AI. I am also leading UX work that connects across Copilot, so everything looks, feels, and behaves like part of the same family.

The future of search is changing by the minute, and we have a unique opportunity to lead the way. There has always been a joke about “Bing for boomers,” but our mission now is to make it “Bing for everyone.” AI gives us permission to reinvent patterns that have existed since the dawn of the internet, and that is both thrilling and humbling. Yes, AI is smart, but my job is to make it kind, less spooky, and a lot more relatable. Think less “robot overlord” and more “helpful coworker who actually helps you pick an outfit or book a trip without making it a big deal.”

What role do user feedback and usability play in your process? How do you incorporate feedback to improve your work?

User feedback is our reality check. We build it into every phase of the process, from napkin sketches to live experiments. When it stings, we grab snacks and fix it fast. Historically, designers have been a little scared to break patterns that have existed since the dawn of the internet (double-clicking, blue links, hamburger menus). But AI gives us permission to reimagine everything. That is both exciting and terrifying. The trick is that change is hard for people, so it is our responsibility to bring users along thoughtfully. When you introduce it with care, they lean in instead of run away. It is kind of like convincing your parents to switch from flip phones to smartphones—you need patience, empathy, and maybe some cookies.

With the introduction of AI, what changes or shifts do you anticipate within the industry?

AI is not here to take our jobs, it is here to take the boring parts of our jobs. Designers are not just pushing pixels and making pretty screens anymore, we are orchestrating relationships between humans and AI. That means our roles are evolving, but in the best way. We get to spend less time on the repetitive stuff and more time creating the magic. It is thrilling, a little terrifying, and honestly a rare chance to re-center design around values that actually matter, like trust, transparency, and accessibility.

Looking back at your journey, what advice would you give to aspiring design managers who are just starting out on their own path?

First of all, your path does not have to be linear to be meaningful. Mine zig-zagged through international affairs, foreign languages, photography, startups, agencies, and somehow landed me here designing search and AI. So do not panic if your path looks more like a doodle than a straight line.
Stay curious. Lead with empathy. Learn to listen—not just to users, but to your team and to yourself. Do not design with ego, design with purpose. And if you are ever the only one in the room who looks or thinks like you, do not shrink. That perspective is your superpower. It might feel awkward at first, but trust me, the room needs it.
And finally, do not forget to find joy in the work. Design can be heavy, deadlines can be brutal, and pixels can be petty, but the magic is real. Protect it. Nurture it. And always keep snacks handy—you will need them.

For AJ Kimbembe, design is more than a lifelong career goal — it’s a way to shape human experiences, solve problems, and create intuitive connections between people and technology. Beyond his professional achievements designing for mobile and emerging form factors, AJ’s kindness and commitment to fostering the next generation of designers shine through his nonprofit design studio, where he mentors and inspires students to realize their own creative dreams.

How would you describe your job and what you do?

I’m a designer. I know there are usually additional qualifiers appended to the job to help make it more specific, yet I prefer to keep it at that. It helps me remember that I don’t have to try to fit myself and what I like to do into a neat and tidy little box. I typically carve what I do into 4 main quadrants:

• Vision & Strategy: Shaping current and future work
• Execution & Delivery: Solving complex problems, collaborating with partners across functions
• Design Excellence: Ensuring outstanding design quality
• People & Culture: Building teams and contributing to internal and external communities

How did you first become interested in design and what motivated you to pursue it as a career?

I’m one of those people that always knew what they wanted to do from a young age. I’ve always wanted to become a designer although for most of my schooling, it never really seemed like a potential career path. Luck and supportive family helped me eventually find my way to design school.

What educational background or training do you have that has helped shape your skills?

I studied in France, where I was born and raised. I have a master’s degree in Design, another master’s degree in Engineering of VR & Innovation along with a bachelor’s degree in Material Science & Engineering. Unrelated academic credentials accumulated along the way on my journey towards design.

“We design for people. Although we set success metrics… we’re only truly successful when we’ve meaningfully moved the needle for the people using our products.”

AJ Kimbembe, Designer at Microsoft AI

What are you currently working on?

I’m part of Microsoft AI, on a team expert with designing for mobile, along with novel or less common form factors. We work closely with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), co-imagining seamless ways we can bring Copilot to whatever context people are and whichever device people use.

Can you share an overview of your role as a Designer and how it specifically relates to Microsoft AI?

MAI is one of Microsoft orgs specifically dedicated to building products primarily indexed on solving people’s needs as opposed to a more Enterprise focus. As designers, a huge part of our job is to understand who the people are we are designing for, what problem they experience in their daily lives and how what we collectively design can help them. At MAI, we constantly do our best to figure out how to lead the organization’s product and feature development all while staying focused on the needs and problems of the people we design for.

What role do user feedback and usability play in your process? How do you incorporate feedback to improve your work?

We design for people. Although we set success metrics at the onset, we’re only truly successful when we’ve meaningfully moved the needle for the people using our products and getting feedback and conducting usability studies are some of the ways we get signals that we’ve moved the needle. For the feedback we gather after building, we use it to refine the product, evolve the features, clarify or simplify interactions.