CHANDAN PAI
Hey, my name is Chandan.
I try to figure out why things fail and try to fix them.
Most systems are broken because nobody talks to the people using them. I learned this the hard way at Mercedes-Benz, sitting in an office designing repair workflows I'd never actually watched someone use. The moment I saw a technician struggle with what I built, everything changed. A mentor told me: Every conversation is not perfect and you cannot get everything out of it, but it could prepare you for next.
That's how I think now — every failed assumption, every moment you realize you were wrong, that's not failure. That's preparation.
Now I don't design anything without watching real people do real work. I've applied this across education, public-sector design, automotive repair, and medical device manufacturing. Every project taught me where friction actually lives — and it's never just the interface.
I'm based around the Twin Cities at University of Minnesota. If you care about real workflows, real users, and building systems that actually work under pressure, reach out.
My journey
2026
- Graduated from the University of Minnesota with my Masters in Human Factors Engineering
- Activaly searching for a job in the field of Human Factors Engineering or UX Research
2025
- Refreshed this portfolio site
- CampusSync shipped for University of Minnesota students — tunnel navigation, mixed-methods UX, live product
- Major Personal events Travelled to India Twice for parents and family visits
- Became a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Human Factors Engineering course at the University of Minnesota
2024
- Quit my Mercedes Benz job to pursue my Masters in Human Factors Engineering at the University of Minnesota and moved to USA
- worked on two major projects during my Masters: Initiator Fellowship website and Boston Scientific Wolverine blade line
2023
- Got Promoted to Engieer at Mercedes Benz Research and Development India Pvt Ltd
- Started building repair concepts upcomming for Mercedes Benz cars and automating multiple processes
- Realization hit that I want to do more than just CAD work and I want to be a part of the design process
2022
- Graduated from the SDM College of Engineering and Technology, Dharrwad, karnataka, India with my Bachelors in Mehcanical Engineering
- Started working as a Graduate Engineering Trainee at Mercedes Benz Research and Development India Pvt Ltd as a CAD Engineer
Earlier
- Mercedes-Benz internship — repair throughput, cognitive load on the line; learned how bottlenecks hide in real workflows
- Built habit of validating systems in the real world — from go-kart steering to production constraints, not just slides
My life outside work
I make time to travel, be outside, and reset away from screens. Here are a few moments that keep me grounded.
P.S. When I am stuck on a problem, I still reach for a pen before a new slide — drawing helps me see the system.