AIRIAL LIMITED
Matt Ward
product design
In touch with tomorrow
At Airial, we provide human factors and UX research expertise to help businesses deliver highly-usable and satisfying human-centred products.
Matt is a qualified military and civilian helicopter test pilot and User Experience specialist, with a rare ability to clearly see product design problems and patterns of seemingly disconnected events. By drawing on his unique blend of industry knowledge, evaluation methods, human factors skills and military leadership, he guides and facilitates decision-making with due regard to risk.
PRODUCT DESIGN ADVICE
We have the specialist skills to support product design and development activities at any level from detailed design to overall programme management including the provision of high-quality planning, product testing and reporting.
Whether your business is established or just starting up, our advice will save you time and money, while keeping you honest with respect to safety risk management.
HUMAN FACTORS
We dedicate ourselves to user-centred design solutions. We incorporated best practices from over 20 years of experience and developed a flexible and robust framework optimised for complex or mission-critical UX projects.
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
We believe that Risk Management should be simple; simple to implement, simple to maintain and simple to review. Our specialist experience in hazard analysis and risk assessment aims to help answer the fundamental safety question, "How do you know you are safe?"
Coupled with our knowledge of human-centric design and error management from the military and aviation industries, our strategies are designed to keep you safe.
ABOUT ME
Independent consultant with deep domain knowledge of flight Test & Evaluation, human factors and risk management, coupled with a passion for User Experience design and Artificial Intelligence in Business.
I am an experimental test pilot with over 20 years' experience in aviation, having flown over 50 types and 3,500 hrs including aeroplanes, helicopters and gliders. I served as a helicopter pilot and instructor in the Royal Navy for 16 years, before training as a test pilot at the UK's Empire Test Pilot's School in Salisbury, gaining a Bachelors' degree in Flight Dynamics and Evaluation. Once qualified, I was the lead Royal Navy test pilot on all marks of the Sea King helicopter (Queen of the skies!) and the Chinook Mk3.
On leaving the Armed Forces, I worked for QinetiQ - a global defence contractor - at their Flight Test Organisation based at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire as an EASA-certified Flight Test Instructor for 10 years.
I left QinetiQ in 2020 to pursue my passion for Human Factors and User Experience design, retraining as a UX practitioner. With my previous testing centred around evaluating the human-machine interface of cockpit systems for their effectiveness in a specific role, the transition to the UX and UI world has been hugely fulfilling. In 2021, I trained in Agile Project Management methods and completed Oxford University's Artificial Intelligence in Business programme.
Matt is tireless in his commitment to any task he is given. He is always well-researched and well prepared, pro-actively tackling every challenge in accordance with the specified scope. But refreshingly, he also brings innovative suggestions for improvements to process, task design and analysis. I always had full confidence that whatever task we were working on, he would execute his elements with precision and pace, whilst keeping all other stakeholders informed of his progress. If you want to work with someone who will bring enormous energy and a “can-do” attitude to your project, then he’s your guy! I’m always very glad to have him in my corner.
Throughout this mission, Ward exhibited the highest standards of leadership and moral courage, providing the ground commander with clear and detailed information about a significant threat to Multi-national Forces. His composure and professionalism, coupled with his highly effective use of the assets and resources available to him, ensured that his performance was in keeping with the finest traditions of Commando Aviation within the Fleet Air Arm and his award of the GOC’s Commendation is thoroughly deserved.