Senior CX/UX Strategist

I turn complex enterprise and federal systems into experiences people can actually use.

20 years across the Executive Office of the President, federal agencies, healthcare, and enterprise software. I facilitate the research and workshops that bring stakeholders to shared decisions, and I build for WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 from the start.

Work experience

Two decades where the systems are complex and the stakes are high.

Federal agencies, healthcare, and enterprise software, from the Executive Office of the President to the USDA Forest Service.

WCAG 2.1 Section 508 Agile / Scrum Adjunct Professor, Howard University
  1. Senior CX/UX Strategist at Actian Corporation

    2022 – Present

  2. Senior UX Strategist at TechTrend Inc. / USDA

    2019 – 2022

  3. Senior UX Lead at American College of Cardiology

    2016 – 2019

  4. Senior UX Designer & Developer at VMD Systems Integrators

    2013 – 2017

  5. Senior UX & UI Developer at CGI Federal

    2012 – 2013

  6. UX Designer & Developer at U.S. Government Publishing Office

    2007 – 2012

  7. UI Designer at the Executive Office of the President

    2006 – 2007

Work

Decisions I drove, and what changed because of them.

USDA Forest Service shield patch
FederalResearch

USDA Forest Service · 2021

Replacing three tools with one claims system

Contextual inquiry with staff led to centralized search and built-in reporting for legal claims.

Read the case study
A refugee family smiling together: two women, a man, and a young girl
NonprofitPrivacy

Global Shout · 2021

Matching refugees with volunteers without exposing anyone

Role-based portals and field-level privacy for refugees, volunteers, and admins, designed in six weeks.

Read the case study

Earlier work: Diversity of Africa, an interactive map (MFA thesis, 2018)

How I work

From the problem worth solving to proof it was solved.

01

Data-Informed, Not Algorithm-Driven

Find the problem worth solving

User interviews, contextual inquiry, analytics review, and competitive analysis point investment at the highest-value gap.

02

Alignment Across Teams

Bring people to one decision

Workshop facilitation and journey mapping turn competing priorities across teams into a shared plan.

03

Outcomes Tied to Business Goals

Measure what changed

Usability testing, A/B testing, and Pendo or Google Analytics show whether the experience improved, and by how much.

What colleagues say

Trusted to bring teams together.

“He has a process, a perspective, and is thoughtful in how he puts together his work and can explain his rationale.”
Experience Strategist, Actian
“Delivered strong value during the migration by effectively managing the project, ensuring timely follow-ups, and maintaining professionalism across stakeholders.”
Stakeholder, Actian
“Aquib was a solid contributor to the success of our website operations at EOP. He was part of a team that functioned beautifully in an often stressful environment focused on fast delivery and detail orientation.”
Senior Solutions Manager, EOP (via Unisys)
Portrait of Aquib Sylvester

About

Find the problem. Align the people. Measure the result.

Hi, I am Aquib. I've spent 20 years designing for organizations where a confusing screen costs real time and money, from the White House to legal claims at the USDA Forest Service. My job is to find the problem worth solving, get the right people agreeing on it, and measure whether we solved it.

  • MFA, Web Design & New Media, Academy of Art University
  • BFA, Computer Arts, Howard University
  • Adjunct Professor of Web Design, Howard University