How can we make academic research smoother?
How can we make academic research smoother?
This question sparked the beginning of Aristto, a platform born to empower researchers to focus on discovery rather than documentation.
Despite being the cornerstone of innovation, academic workflows had not evolved to match modern tools—still plagued by tab-hopping, PDF fatigue, and siloed reading experiences.
This question sparked the beginning of Aristto, a platform born to empower researchers to focus on discovery rather than documentation.
Despite being the cornerstone of innovation, academic workflows had not evolved to match modern tools—still plagued by tab-hopping, PDF fatigue, and siloed reading experiences.
The Opportunity
The Opportunity
The Opportunity
Literature reviews were manual, slow, and overwhelming.
Researchers couldn’t search contextually or ask questions to papers.
Collaborating on findings or data was clunky and disconnected.
Literature reviews were manual, slow, and overwhelming.
Researchers couldn’t search contextually or ask questions to papers.
Collaborating on findings or data was clunky and disconnected.
I led product strategy through 20+ researcher interviews that revealed critical workflow pain points and informed our strategic direction.
My competitive analysis of Semantic Scholar, Research Rabbit, Elicit, and Scite identified key differentiators for Aristto's contextual relevance engine.
By combining user insights with market positioning, I defined the initial product roadmap that aligned user needs with our competitive advantage in academic research tools.
I led product strategy through 20+ researcher interviews that revealed critical workflow pain points and informed our strategic direction.
My competitive analysis of Semantic Scholar, Research Rabbit, Elicit, and Scite identified key differentiators for Aristto's contextual relevance engine.
By combining user insights with market positioning, I defined the initial product roadmap that aligned user needs with our competitive advantage in academic research tools.
Core Features Prioritized
Core Features Prioritized
Core Features Prioritized
Contextual Paper Search
Paper Summaries & TLDRs
“Chat with the Paper” (AI-powered Q&A)
Contextual Paper Search
Paper Summaries & TLDRs
“Chat with the Paper” (AI-powered Q&A)
Contextual Paper Search
Paper Summaries & TLDRs
“Chat with the Paper” (AI-powered Q&A)
Literature Review Generator
Paper Bundling + Shared Comments
Data Extraction & Visualization
Literature Review Generator
Paper Bundling + Shared Comments
Data Extraction & Visualization
Literature Review Generator
Paper Bundling + Shared Comments
Data Extraction & Visualization
This was followed by feature scoping, writing PRDs, and storyboarding MVP flows.
This was followed by feature scoping, writing PRDs, and storyboarding MVP flows.
Design Process and Deliverable
Design Process and Deliverable
Design Process and Deliverable
Through rapid user journey mapping and wireframing, I transformed complex academic workflows into intuitive interactions.
The information architecture emerged naturally from researchers' mental models, creating a platform that felt like a researcher's own filing system.
Most critically, I authored comprehensive Product Requirements Documents that bridged design vision with technical implementation, ensuring every interaction served the mission of accelerating human knowledge discovery.
Through rapid user journey mapping and wireframing, I transformed complex academic workflows into intuitive interactions.
The information architecture emerged naturally from researchers' mental models, creating a platform that felt like a researcher's own filing system.
Most critically, I authored comprehensive Product Requirements Documents that bridged design vision with technical implementation, ensuring every interaction served the mission of accelerating human knowledge discovery.
Product Vision:
Transform academic research from a fragmented, time-intensive process into a streamlined, intelligent workflow that accelerates discovery and innovation.
My design process centered on leveraging familiar patterns while solving complex academic challenges.
I deliberately chose a clean, minimal interface reminiscent of Google, Claude, or ChatGPT—instantly recognizable and requiring zero learning curve.
The main landing page featured the same centered search paradigm users already knew, but powered by research-specific intelligence underneath.
My design process centered on leveraging familiar patterns while solving complex academic challenges.
I deliberately chose a clean, minimal interface reminiscent of Google, Claude, or ChatGPT—instantly recognizable and requiring zero learning curve.
The main landing page featured the same centered search paradigm users already knew, but powered by research-specific intelligence underneath.
Design Principles Established:
Simplicity Over Complexity: Make sophisticated research tools accessible
Context-Aware Intelligence: Provide relevant insights based on user intent
Seamless Integration: Create fluid workflows between different research tasks
Collaborative Foundation: Enable knowledge sharing and team collaboration
Design Principles Established:
Simplicity Over Complexity: Make sophisticated research tools accessible
Context-Aware Intelligence: Provide relevant insights based on user intent
Seamless Integration: Create fluid workflows between different research tasks
Collaborative Foundation: Enable knowledge sharing and team collaboration
Conversational Paper Interface
Conversational Paper Interface
Conversational Paper Interface
Extracting specific insights from lengthy academic papers Solution: Natural language chat interface for paper interaction
Design Approach: Familiar chat paradigm with research-specific enhancements
User Flow: Choose Paper → Question input → Contextual answers → Source references
Key Features: Multi-paper conversations, citation tracking, insight bookmarking
Extracting specific insights from lengthy academic papers Solution: Natural language chat interface for paper interaction
Design Approach: Familiar chat paradigm with research-specific enhancements
User Flow: Choose Paper → Question input → Contextual answers → Source references
Key Features: Multi-paper conversations, citation tracking, insight bookmarking
Intelligent Literature Review Generator
Intelligent Literature Review Generator
Intelligent Literature Review Generator
Manual literature reviews take weeks to complete Solution: AI-powered synthesis engine with human-guided curation
Design Approach: Progressive disclosure of information with customizable depth
User Flow: Topic input → Source selection → Review generation → Manual refinement
Key Features: Automated citation management, bias detection, gap analysis
Manual literature reviews take weeks to complete Solution: AI-powered synthesis engine with human-guided curation
Design Approach: Progressive disclosure of information with customizable depth
User Flow: Topic input → Source selection → Review generation → Manual refinement
Key Features: Automated citation management, bias detection, gap analysis
Manual literature reviews take weeks to complete
Solution: AI-powered synthesis engine with human-guided curation
Design Approach: Progressive disclosure of information with customizable depth
User Flow: Topic input → Source selection → Review generation → Manual refinement
Key Features: Automated citation management, bias detection, gap analysis
Contextual Search & Discovery
Contextual Search & Discovery
Contextual Search & Discovery
Finding relevant papers in vast academic databases Solution: Context-aware search with intelligent recommendations
Design Approach: Search refinement through conversational interaction
User Flow: Research question → Contextual results → Relevance feedback → Refined recommendations
Key Features: Semantic search, trend analysis, collaboration-based recommendations
Finding relevant papers in vast academic databases Solution: Context-aware search with intelligent recommendations
Design Approach: Search refinement through conversational interaction
User Flow: Research question → Contextual results → Relevance feedback → Refined recommendations
Key Features: Semantic search, trend analysis, collaboration-based recommendations
Finding relevant papers in vast academic databases
Solution: Context-aware search with intelligent recommendations
Design Approach: Search refinement through conversational interaction
User Flow: Research question → Contextual results → Relevance feedback → Refined recommendations
Key Features: Semantic search, trend analysis, collaboration-based recommendations
Collaboration & Implementation
Collaboration & Implementation
Collaboration & Implementation
Building Aristto wasn't just about creating designs—it was about orchestrating a symphony of minds working toward a shared vision.
My partnership with the founder became a dynamic dance of strategic thinking and user empathy, where business objectives seamlessly merged with human needs.
Together, we didn't just validate ideas; we shaped the future of academic research through countless conversations, rapid iterations, and bold decisions.
Daily sync meetings weren't just status updates—they were collaborative workshops where technical constraints sparked creative solutions and user insights drove architectural decisions.
Through this process, I learned that the most impactful designs emerge not from isolation but from the beautiful collision of diverse perspectives, all united by the mission to make knowledge more accessible to the world.
Building Aristto wasn't just about creating designs—it was about orchestrating a symphony of minds working toward a shared vision.
My partnership with the founder became a dynamic dance of strategic thinking and user empathy, where business objectives seamlessly merged with human needs.
Together, we didn't just validate ideas; we shaped the future of academic research through countless conversations, rapid iterations, and bold decisions.
Daily sync meetings weren't just status updates—they were collaborative workshops where technical constraints sparked creative solutions and user insights drove architectural decisions.
Through this process, I learned that the most impactful designs emerge not from isolation but from the beautiful collision of diverse perspectives, all united by the mission to make knowledge more accessible to the world.
Key Learnings and Insights
Key Learnings and Insights
Key Learnings and Insights
Academic Users Require Specialized Design Patterns
Traditional consumer design patterns needed adaptation for academic workflows. Researchers prioritize accuracy and depth over speed, requiring interfaces that support thorough analysis rather than quick interactions.
Trust is Paramount in Academic Tools
Design decisions needed to emphasize transparency, source attribution, and user control. Features like citation tracking and bias detection weren't just functional requirements—they were trust-building design elements.
Collaboration Happens Differently in Academia
Academic collaboration patterns differ significantly from business environments. Designed for asynchronous, long-term projects with emphasis on attribution and version control.
The Power of Progressive Disclosure
Complex academic information required careful information hierarchy. Successful designs balanced comprehensive data with digestible presentation through progressive disclosure and customizable depth.
Academic Users Require Specialized Design Patterns
Traditional consumer design patterns needed adaptation for academic workflows. Researchers prioritize accuracy and depth over speed, requiring interfaces that support thorough analysis rather than quick interactions.
Trust is Paramount in Academic Tools
Design decisions needed to emphasize transparency, source attribution, and user control. Features like citation tracking and bias detection weren't just functional requirements—they were trust-building design elements.
Collaboration Happens Differently in Academia
Academic collaboration patterns differ significantly from business environments. Designed for asynchronous, long-term projects with emphasis on attribution and version control.
The Power of Progressive Disclosure
Complex academic information required careful information hierarchy. Successful designs balanced comprehensive data with digestible presentation through progressive disclosure and customizable depth.