Design Research
My approach to design research is about deeply understanding people, systems, and constraints before committing to solutions. I use methods like journey mapping, service design workshops, ethnographic studies, and in-person and/or remote testing to uncover real needs, challenge assumptions, and guide decisions throughout the design process.
Examples
The following examples highlight my commitment to well-researched design solutions. They reflect how I use design research methods and artifacts to ground decisions in real user needs, validate assumptions, and guide design across complex systems. Click on them to view them larger.
Building products with customers, not just for them.
These sessions were part of a Maintenance Customer Advisory Board that I founded and facilitated, grounded in a philosophy of designing with users, not just for them. I hosted 10+ in-person workshops with 100% on-site participation from representatives across 17 airlines worldwide, held in Seattle and at airline offices.
Together, we worked through journey and process mapping, pain point identification, design reviews, and hands-on testing with maintenance teams. The goal was not just to validate concepts, but to shape solutions collaboratively with the people operating in complex, real-world maintenance environments.
Refer to the Toolbox Case Study to see an example of this process in action.
JOURNey Mapping & Service Design Workshops
At Jeppesen, I facilitated and participated in more than 20 service design and journey mapping workshops to help cross-functional teams deeply understand complex operational workflows. These sessions documented current-state realities, surfaced systemic friction, and aligned stakeholders on future-state opportunities. The work helped teams move beyond feature-level thinking toward shared, end-to-end service improvements grounded in real user behavior and operational constraints.
“Aryk... is a highly capable facilitator; l’ve co-facilitated product and service design workshops with him where his insight and presence were integral to their success. Aryk brings momentum, clarity, and humanity to the work, and any team that brings him on will be better for it.”