Product design, from need to outcome.
I'm Ari, a UX/UI & Product Designer with six years' experience working with New Zealand businesses. I frame the problem, shape the product, craft the interface and work with engineers to ship it, with the reasoning visible at every step.
Companies I've worked with
01Selected work
Proof before promises.
02Design process
A way of working, not a straight line.
Methods are chosen by the question, the evidence available and the constraints. Findings regularly send the work back a step, and that is the process working.
- 01Discover
What is actually going on?
Start from behaviour, context and constraints. Choose research methods that fit the question and the time available, and say plainly what the evidence can and cannot support.
- User research
- Stakeholder interviews
- Evidence audit
- 02Frame
Which problem is worth solving?
Turn observations into a sharp problem statement, user needs and success measures that product, engineering and business can all argue with.
- Problem framing
- Jobs to be done
- Prioritisation
- 03Structure
How should it hold together?
Shape flows, navigation and content hierarchy so the product's logic is obvious before any pixel is polished.
- User flows
- Information architecture
- Journey mapping
- 04Shape
What does it feel like to use?
Explore alternatives quickly, then design the states that make a product trustworthy: loading, empty, error, success, and the edge cases between.
- Wireframes
- Prototyping
- Interaction design
- Visual design
- 05Validate
Does it work for people?
Test the riskiest assumptions with the lightest method that can answer them, then let the findings change the design.
- Usability evaluation
- Accessibility review
- Iteration
- 06Deliver
Can it be built well?
Design with engineers, not for them: components, tokens and documentation that survive contact with a real codebase.
- Design systems
- Developer handoff
- Feasibility
Iteration is continuous: validation can reopen framing, and delivery constraints can reshape the structure.
03Capabilities
Beyond the interface.
Capabilities grouped by the part of the product they serve. Where a skill is demonstrated in a case study, it is listed there rather than rated here.
01
UX & Research
Understanding people and framing the right problem.
- User research and discovery
- User flows and journey mapping
- Information architecture
- Usability evaluation
- Personas and behavioural insights
- Problem framing and requirements analysis
02
Product Design
Turning direction into interfaces people can trust.
- Product strategy and prioritisation
- Interaction design
- Wireframing and prototyping
- High-fidelity interface design
- Responsive and mobile-first design
- Accessibility and inclusive design
03
Design Systems
Consistency that scales across a team.
- Component libraries
- Design tokens
- UI consistency
- Design documentation
- Developer handoff
04
Technical Collaboration
Fluent enough in the build to design what ships.
- Figma and interactive prototyping
- Frontend and responsive design principles
- Technical feasibility and constraints
- Cross-functional collaboration
04About
Human and technical, by design.
I turn confusing digital journeys into ones people actually finish. With 6+ years designing products and web apps for New Zealand businesses, I focus on the moments where users hesitate, drop off or give up, and design them out.
That's the work behind Luniby's AI triage and booking journeys and Southern Cross Travel Insurance's claims and forms. Today I'm working in AI delivery and design at Sovata.ai, while completing a Master of Business Analytics (Level 9) at Yoobee on a full scholarship, so my decisions are backed by data, not guesswork.
I take ownership from the first insight to the shipped product, and I work closely with engineers so what gets designed is what gets built. If you want a designer who makes it easy for your customers to say yes, let's talk.
Ariena Phannaen (Ari) · UX/UI & Product Designer · New Zealand & international
Evidence over assertion
I label what was researched, what was assumed and what is still unknown.
Clarity before polish
Structure and language first, then craft. Beautiful on top of confusing is still confusing.
Design with the build in mind
Feasibility is a design material, not a late-stage veto.
05Contact
Let's talk about your product.
I'm looking for product design roles where research, strategy and craft carry equal weight, in New Zealand or with international teams. If that sounds like your team, I'd like to hear about it.
- Location
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Work eligibility
- NZ resident