Aryan Shivalkar

About Aryan Shivalkar

I\'m fascinated by the messy, beautiful ways people actually make decisions, the mental shortcuts, the leap-of-faith moments, the clever workarounds that no one planned for, but everyone uses.I started out making things look good and make sense, but I got curious about the WHY behind it all. That led me down the rabbit hole of research, service design, and strategy. Now with a master\'s in Design Management under my belt, I live at the sweet spot where research insights, strategic thinking, and real-world impact collide.I geek out over large datasets, finding the patterns and stories hiding in the numbers that actually help teams make better decisions. Oh, and when I\'m not doing all that? I\'m working on my sleight of hand. Because what\'s design if not a little bit of magic anyway?

Experience

1. Ux Researcher

   EkStep Foundation

   Jan 2026 — Present · Bengaluru, IN

   Supporting user experience research for large-scale digital public infrastructure initiatives through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to understand user behaviors, needs, and decision-making patterns. My work focuses on translating field insights and usage data into structured research outputs that inform product, program, and design decisions.In addition to qualitative research, I support analysis of product and journey metrics such as drop-off points, task completion, and early engagement and retention signals to help teams identify friction areas and prioritize experience improvements.

Education

• MIT Institute of Design

  Masters of Design, Design Management

• University of Mumbai

  Bachelor's of Fine Arts (Applied Arts)