Freelance/ Design Researcher / Psycho-Aesthetics Specialist

RKS Design; Thousand Oaks (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

RKS Design in Thousand Oaks, CA seeks a Freelance Design Researcher to apply Psycho-Aesthetics® alongside AI-powered strategy tools, turning insights into design directions for Industrial, UX, and Strategy teams.

The role emphasizes uncovering latent needs, translating them into clear research directions, and working across product categories in a fast-paced consulting environment. Prior P/A experience is a plus, with a strong research foundation essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in design research, consumer insights, qualitative research, design strategy, or a related discipline.
• Background in design research, psychology, anthropology, behavioral science, or related field.
• Strong interviewing, observation, and synthesis skills with ability to explore motivations beyond stated.
• Experience selecting/applying qualitative and quantitative methods appropriate to project scope.
• Ability to connect research findings to emotional needs, user aspirations, and business objectives.
• Experience translating complex findings into clear visual frameworks and actionable recommendations.
• Strong analytical judgement and ability to distinguish evidence from interpretation.
• Confidence collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and presenting to clients.

Responsibilities

• Plan and lead research studies across qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Uncover needs and motivations shaping relationships with products, brands and experiences.
• Manage research execution including recruiting participants and coordinating logistics.
• Analyze market and competitive landscape to identify unmet needs.
• Develop Psycho-Aesthetics maps translating research into opportunity zones.
• Synthesize findings into personas, journey maps, and strategic briefs.
• Test concepts, prototypes, and products; translate findings into recommendations.
• Collaborate with Industrial Design, Engineering, UX and Strategy teams.
• Present clear recommendations with evidence vs assumptions.

Skills

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Interviewing

Synthesis

Research methods

Design strategy

Job description

Thousand Oaks, United States | Posted on 11/10/2026

Freelance Design Researcher / Psycho-Aesthetics® Specialist

RKS Design – Thousand Oaks, CA

Freelance / Contract | In-Office |3-20 years depending on experience and credentials

About RKS Design

RKS Design is a global innovation and product-development firm with over 40 years of experience delivering breakthrough solutions across consumer, medical, industrial, and digital categories. We blend human-centered design, business strategy, engineering, and our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® methodology to create products, services, and experiences that resonate emotionally and perform commercially. Our team works end-to-end, from insight and strategy to design, engineering, and go-to-market execution.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Design Researcher / Psycho-Aesthetics® Specialist to consult on a freelance basis with our multidisciplinary team. You will uncover what people need, want, and aspire to—including motivations they may struggle to articulate—and translate those findings into clear direction for our Industrial Design, Engineering, UX, and Strategy teams.

Central to this role is Psycho-Aesthetics® (P/A), RKS’s proprietary methodology connecting human psychology, emotional needs, and aspirations with design and business strategy. Created by RKS founder Ravi Sawhney and refined through decades of application, its principles are documented in Predictable Magic: Unleash the Power of Design Strategy to Transform Your Business, co-authored by Sawhney and Deepa Prahalad and published by Wharton School Publishing, and further developed in Psycho-Aesthetics 2.0. Publisher excerpt , Psycho-Aesthetics publications

P/A’s application has also been explored through the Harvard Business School case study on RKS Guitars and the classroom exercise “An Exercise in Designing a Travel Coffee Mug,” which guides students through applying the methodology to research, competitive analysis, persona development, and concept creation. Harvard Business School exercise

P/A examines how products, brands, and experiences influence people’s sense of identity, confidence, belonging, and possibility. By mapping people’s needs and aspirations alongside competing offerings, it reveals unmet emotional demand and opportunities for meaningful differentiation.

You will apply Psycho-Aesthetics® (P/A), RKS’s proprietary human-centered design strategy methodology, alongside Eydora, our AI-powered strategy and decision-support platform, to turn research into clear design direction. This requires looking beyond usability to understand how an experience builds confidence, expresses identity, earns trust, and helps people achieve their goals.(eydora.ai)

In this role, you will combine rigorous design research with the application of P/A to inform what we create, whom it serves, and why it will matter. This engagement is ideal for a curious, empathetic researcher who enjoys working across industries and product categories in a fast-paced consulting environment. Prior P/A experience is valuable; equally important is a strong research foundation and the ability to learn and apply the methodology with depth.

What You’ll Do

• Plan and lead research studies: Conduct qualitative and quantitative research appropriate to each project, including in-depth interviews, contextual inquiry, ethnography, in-home and in-clinic observation, surveys, and usability testing.
• Uncover needs and motivations: Explore how people’s behaviors, cultural context, emotional needs, and aspirations shape their relationships with products, brands, and experiences.
• Manage research execution: Recruit and screen participants and coordinate research logistics with clients and vendors.
• Analyze the market and competitive landscape: Research competing products, services, brands, and trends to understand existing offerings, consumer perceptions, and unmet needs.
• Develop Psycho-Aesthetics® maps: Translate research into P/A maps of user groups, competitors, and brands to identify opportunity zones, unmet emotional demand, and directions for meaningful differentiation.
• Synthesize findings into strategic direction: Create evidence-based personas, journey maps, opportunity areas, and strategic briefs that connect functional needs and emotional aspirations to actionable design recommendations.
• Test concepts, prototypes, and products: Evaluate usability, emotional response, perceived value, and alignment with user aspirations, then translate findings into recommendations for design and engineering teams.
• Collaborate throughout development: Work closely with Industrial Design, Engineering, UX, and Strategy teams to ensure research and P/A insights inform concept development, design decisions, and the intended customer experience.
• Present clear recommendations: Prepare research plans, reports, P/A maps, and presentations for client workshops, executive reviews, and internal teams, clearly distinguishing evidence from assumptions.
• Type: Freelance / Contract
• Location: In office, Thousand Oaks, CA

Requirements

What We’re Looking For

• Experience in design research, consumer insights, qualitative research, design strategy, or a related discipline.
• A background in design research, psychology, anthropology, behavioral science, or an equivalent research-driven field.
• Strong interviewing, observation, and synthesis skills, with the ability to explore motivations beyond what participants explicitly state.
• Experience selecting and applying qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriate to the question, project scope, and stage of development.
• The ability to connect research findings to emotional needs, user aspirations, business objectives, and practical design decisions.
• Experience translating complex findings into clear visual frameworks, compelling narratives, and actionable recommendations.
• Strong analytical judgment and the ability to distinguish research evidence from interpretation and assumptions.
• Confidence collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and presenting to clients and stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage research activities across project-based engagements.
• Prior experience with Psycho-Aesthetics® is a plus; a willingness to learn and apply the methodology is essential.