Meena Kothandaraman

Meena Kothandaraman is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Experience Design program at Bentley University, focusing on the Human Factors and Information Design (HFID) graduate program. She also serves as an Experience Strategist and co-founder of twig+fish, a Boston-based research and strategy firm emphasizing qualitative research integration. With over 30 years of experience, she specializes in leveraging qualitative research for product, service, and spatial design.

Education:

• M.S. in Information Resources Management, Syracuse University
• B.Com. in MIS, University of Ottawa, Canada

Research Interests: Diversifying the research community, particularly mentoring African American and Indigenous youth in UX careers. Advocates for inclusive qualitative research practices, emphasizing structure and transparency to amplify underrepresented voices in market-driven product development.

Consulting/Practice: Serves global clients across financial, medical, robotics, education, and service sectors. Promotes qualitative research as a strategic tool while maintaining work-life balance. Co-founded twig+fish to blend rigorous research with practical application.

Additional Expertise: Bilingual in French and Hindi, with conversational Tamil. Enjoys South-Indian classical violin, culinary arts, and learning from her children's career pursuits.