Naresh Narasimhan
Managing Partner & Principal Architect | VA | India
Naresh V Narasimhan is a practitioner and leader with over 35 years of experience in architecture and urban design. He is best known for his association with Venkataramanan Associates – an award winning architecture firm based out of Bengaluru, which saw a meteoric rise under his leadership. In addition to his architectural practice, his contribution to urban development as an urbanist, activist and creative entrepreneur has been far-reaching. As co-founder of Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), co-founder of MOD Institute – an international collective of urban designers, researchers and curators and founder of Numa Bengaluru, a co-working space and business accelerator, Naresh has fuelled a variety of progressive causes in the city. He also regularly advises government agencies on infrastructure development. Naresh studied architecture at Manipal Institute of Technology, followed by further education at Harvard Institute for International Development. His interests range from studying the startup ecosystem, open data and institutional development to cinema, art and popular culture. Naresh is also a prolific speaker who has been invited to lecture at several national and international events
Fun, Flow, Futures
The key-note address by Naresh Narasimhan illustrates cities as vibrant, ever-evolving
UX landscapes, challenging traditional notions of urban design. It explores how the
principles of fun, flow, and future can reshape the urban experience, making cities more
engaging, accessible, and resilient. Through projects, both built and unbuilt, it
demonstrates how crafting experiential public spaces, designing for intuitive
movement, and embedding resilience into infrastructure can transform everyday urban
life.
Fun focuses on how sensory-rich, engaging environments invite curiosity, foster
community interaction, and create lasting memories. Flow emphasizes the need for
seamless mobility, intuitive wayfinding, and inclusive accessibility to support a city’s
dynamism. Futures highlights the importance of designing for uncertainty—building
cities that are adaptable to climate change, technological shifts, and evolving user
behaviours.
The presentation serves as a call to action for UX professionals: to step beyond the
digital realm and actively shape the physical environments we inhabit. By bringing the
lens of user experience into city-making, designers can help craft urban spaces that are
not only functional but also joyful, human-centred, and future-ready. Cities are the
ultimate UX challenge—and the ultimate opportunity for design to create meaningful,
lasting change.
Talk: