About Ajani McIntosh

I have always had a curiouity about how things work and function through out life; not just on a societal level, but an human way as well. Before stepping back into UX, I spent several years workig in the automotive field. There I learned different systems in a hands-on way that opened up my understanding on how people interact with them in real environments. Customers always want their car fixed for a decent price and time range, mechanics want to make a decent living and not break their backs for rude customers, shop owners want everyone to call them for all their relatable issues, and tow truck operator just want to not be sent all over the place like a pack mule. That experience taught me a few lessons in what drives, fustrates and hinders key workers and consumers of blue collar work, not just mechanics. The systems they have can be simple and straightforward or complex and chaotic to the point that I can't blame them for being upset with it. My former collagues and myself struggled dealing with complex systems with little to no support other than each other. Either you figure it out or you owe the customer a new car. This pushed me to strive to be able to break any system down into a clear, structured parts so they can be undertood, trusted, and used effectively.

Now, as an interaction design and researcher, I focus on creating tools and systems that connect physical environments with digital interface. My work focuses on establishing clarity while strengthening safety and usability, especially in situations where mistakes carry real world consequences. My previous projects reflect research focused on defining the route problem in the systems I study while. I may get attached to it, and thats ok in my opinion. That part of me is what drives me see the design developed to its best potential, especially when it is focused on the systems that hard working people need in order to live sustainable lives.

My designs communicate structure, precision, and restraint. I have been infuenced to a fault by my industrial upbringing and my drive to understand it all. Clean layouts, modular framing, and minimal visual noise is a lot of words to describe my design direction, so lets describe it as simple as this: Take out the compllexity, and make it simple for everyone.

I want to work on systems where future design have a direct impact on how people operate in the real world.