About

I’m Hiran Venugopalan. I enjoy making things and learning how things work. I often find myself working on things where design, technology, and culture meet.

Design has been a large part of my life, but not where it started. An interest in free and open-source software led me to Swathanthra Malayalam Computing, and into language computing, and type design. That period shaped how I think about making and sharing things.

I have made the first Malayalam decorative Unicode font, Dyuthi, turned a friend’s handwriting into the open-source typeface Rufscript, and explored Malayalam lettering through digital pop culture with Malayaleegraphy. More recently, I’ve worked on smaller projects like Paper Maker and Cinema Radio. You’ll find more of that in /projects

These days, I lead Product Design and Experience at Kaleyra, part of Tata Communications. Outside work, I am involved with UXFOSS and Ksha Collectives, working around FOSS, language, and learning.

Coffee is a newer interest. I brew, learn, experiment, and occasionally run workshops and tasting sessions. I also spend a fair amount of time reading, watching cinema, and getting interested in food, history and culture.

I have met some of my favourite people through work, communities, and the internet. I like good conversations, people who are generous with what they know, and making things together. If something here interests you, send me an email or connect via Topmate. Let’s catch up online or offline.