Hi there,
I'm Aayat (Ah-yat)
a ux &
service designer
About
I'm a human-centered researcher, designer, and strategist working at the intersections of healthcare, social work, policy, and technology. I strive to drive real change, make good trouble, put people first and stay inquisitive in everything I do. I started my career in criminal justice reentry and homeless services.
Over the years, I gravitated towards big data, design, and user experience methods to improve service delivery, deepen stakeholder engagement, and achieve better outcomes. I hold Masters' in Social Work and Urban Planning degrees from the University of Michigan and a UX certificate from UCLA Extension.
Skills
Professional Skills
Coming from a social services background, I have a knack for big systems thinking and process development. I work with my team to understand the components of a project before iterating.
Work
By request
Reading & Listening
I'm always hungry to learn and do better. These are some books/podcasts that continue to make me a better critical thinker.
books
- Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond
- Automating Inequality by Virginia Eubanks
- Design for Safety by Eva PenzeyMoog
- Mapping Experiences: A Complete Guide to Creating Value through Journeys, Blueprints, and Diagrams by James Kalbach
- Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds we Need by Sasha Costanza-Chock
- Recoding America by Jennifer Pahlka
- Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
podcasts
- Good on Paper
- The Ezra Klein Show
- Throughline
- The Other 80
- Tradeoffs
- Conan Needs a Friend
- Good on Paper
- The Ezra Klein Show
- Throughline
- The Other 80
- Tradeoffs
- Conan Needs a Friend