Overview
Embraer's aircraft engineers relied daily on a software system that had been in use for over two decades. The tool managed aircraft manuals, a high-stakes category of documentation where accuracy and speed directly affect aircraft maintenance and safety compliance. Over those years, the software had accumulated more than 20 unaddressed workflow pain points, with no systematic effort to resolve them
Challenge
The legacy tool had become so limited that it reshaped how engineers worked, instead of the software supporting their workflow, they built workarounds around its constraints:
Slow navigation
Heavy documentation management
Avoidable errors
The task wasn't to patch surface-level issues, but rethink the experience as a whole:
Uncover the true root causes of the friction
Make deliberate, principled decisions about what needed to change and why
Validate every design decision directly with the engineers who relied on the tool daily
Getting to know the customer
Starting with discovery rather than solutions
Opening with structured discovery sessions and usability research with aircraft engineers before any design work began. This was done by me personally, on the factory floor, together with the engineers.
Working alongside development from day one
Working closely with developers from the start meant design decisions were tested against technical constraints in real time
Validating through iterative usability testing
Aircraft engineers have specific mental models, a solution that looks right on paper can still fail in real use. Only iterative testing with end users confirmed changes actually reduced friction.
Prioritizing features using RICE score
Since the tool had many features, we prioritized the ones with the greatest initial impact for the least effort, ensuring strong results without using too many resources.
Results
Choosing discovery over immediate solutions cost early momentum, but ensured the new experience fixed root causes, not just the visible symptoms.
Embedding with development from day one traded design production time for early alignment
Iterative testing extended the timeline, but it was the only reliable way to confirm changes worked for engineers
RESULTS
New core task flows experience reduced the number of steps by 30%, validated through iterative usability testing with engineers.
My research surfaced and documented more than 20 critical workflow pain points,
Engineers now navigate and manage documentation faster and with fewer errors, thanks to core usability principles applied throughout: error prevention, system visibility, and visual consistency across the entire system.
Reflection
Working with the aerospace industry was a very different experience, I learned to work with highly technical users and their specific needs. Gradually earning stakeholders trust with each delivery and showing real value in my work was a unique experience. Making even more room for direct interaction with end users on future projects it's a takeaway that I'll carry forward.
Adressing +20 pain points for Embraer's Aircraft Documentation System
Reimagining Embraer's 20 years old aircraft documentation tool through user research, a scalable design system, and continuous usability testing with engineers.
Role
Product Designer
Industry
Aircraft
status
In Creation
Year
2024
Overview
Embraer's aircraft engineers relied daily on a software system that had been in use for over two decades. The tool managed aircraft manuals, a high-stakes category of documentation where accuracy and speed directly affect aircraft maintenance and safety compliance. Over those years, the software had accumulated more than 20 unaddressed workflow pain points, with no systematic effort to resolve them
Challenge
The legacy tool had become so limited that it reshaped how engineers worked, instead of the software supporting their workflow, they built workarounds around its constraints:
Slow navigation
Heavy documentation management
Avoidable errors
The task wasn't to patch surface-level issues, but rethink the experience as a whole:
Uncover the true root causes of the friction
Make deliberate, principled decisions about what needed to change and why
Validate every design decision directly with the engineers who relied on the tool daily
Getting to know the customer
Starting with discovery rather than solutions
Opening with structured discovery sessions and usability research with aircraft engineers before any design work began. This was done by me personally, on the factory floor, together with the engineers.
Working alongside development from day one
Working closely with developers from the start meant design decisions were tested against technical constraints in real time
Validating through iterative usability testing
Aircraft engineers have specific mental models, a solution that looks right on paper can still fail in real use. Only iterative testing with end users confirmed changes actually reduced friction.
Prioritizing features using RICE score
Since the tool had many features, we prioritized the ones with the greatest initial impact for the least effort, ensuring strong results without using too many resources.
Results
Choosing discovery over immediate solutions cost early momentum, but ensured the new experience fixed root causes, not just the visible symptoms.
Embedding with development from day one traded design production time for early alignment
Iterative testing extended the timeline, but it was the only reliable way to confirm changes worked for engineers
RESULTS
New core task flows experience reduced the number of steps by 30%, validated through iterative usability testing with engineers.
My research surfaced and documented more than 20 critical workflow pain points,
Engineers now navigate and manage documentation faster and with fewer errors, thanks to core usability principles applied throughout: error prevention, system visibility, and visual consistency across the entire system.
Reflection
Working with the aerospace industry was a very different experience, I learned to work with highly technical users and their specific needs. Gradually earning stakeholders trust with each delivery and showing real value in my work was a unique experience. Making even more room for direct interaction with end users on future projects it's a takeaway that I'll carry forward.