Meet Aaron, Brafton’s Experience Designer | Brafton

Like most sane people, Aaron Neilson-Belman didn’t dream of becoming a user experience (UX) and Brand Strategy Lead as a young, spirited kid. Careers like Aaron’s unfold like the winding roads we all travel along, full of improbable detours and oddly useful skills.

Welcome to a story of constant reinvention, spinning from daredevil aspirations to photography to global freelancing, before finally docking at Brafton. Along the way, we’ll explore how Aaron picked up his technical expertise, plus his approach that treats creativity and analysis not as opposites, but as tools for decoding the complex.

From Stunt Jumps to Shutters

A hardcore adventurer from day one, Aaron’s career trajectory was unlikely to be predictable. In childhood, Jackie Chan was the role model, and bike jumps were the proving ground. The dream of becoming an action-packed stuntman carried into adolescence, until high school rerouted him toward lenses and light: photography, film and visual storytelling. 

That spark led him to study New Media at the University of Toronto, a program that combined theory and practice in a way that accommodated his hands-on learning style. There, Aaron acquired the broad toolkit that has since defined his work: coding, design, photography, audio and video. That early pivot set the stage for a career of integration and creative exploration.

The Digital Nomad Decade

Graduation catapulted Aaron out into the world, stoked by a travel bug and a business that could travel as far as his passport. For over a decade, he ran his own freelance photography and web development company, offering web creation and mixed media services. “I really fell in love with travel,” he says. 

The travels were extensive, too, including a smattering of Asia-based adventures and a six-month exploration of South America. Later came a ’79 Volkswagen roadie that carried him from Toronto all the way down to Argentina — all while working remotely.

But even nomads need to anchor from time to time. So, after more than ten years of freelancing, he sought structure and progression. A Web Projects Lead role at Brafton immediately resonated, offering a chance to plug his growing skill set into the stability and scale of agency life. Of course, it also further developed his perspectives in navigating UX challenges.

Not Today, Analysis Paralysis

Aaron candidly recognizes that “analysis paralysis” is a natural part of working across data analysis, UX and design thinking. But he’s developed a great workaround: Treat it as a signal, rather than a failure. “If you find yourself getting stuck, that’s a cue to take a new approach or, you know, get up and rethink things,” he offers. 

Every framework is just one lens, never the whole picture. Tools like heuristics, competitor audits, and user journey maps are part of a much larger kit that Aaron draws on when progress stalls or a fresh perspective is needed.

Over time, intuition joined the toolkit, too. Spending more than 15 years in the game means the gut will sometimes know what the data hasn’t yet shown. Yet, while tools and frameworks matter, Aaron’s most unexpected asset comes from a far less technical place.

The Unexpected Power of Listening

UX envelopes wireframes and analytics — but let’s not overlook the human element. One of Aaron’s most surprising assets comes not from design school but from group counselling. Training as a facilitator offered new skills in listening, empathy and creating spaces where people feel safe to speak.

Whether through persona interviews or branding workshops, Aaron’s approach always comes back to people. Putting humans at the center of design challenges is where good design begins — making sure voices are heard, needs are met and experiences feel authentic. Spend long enough in that space, and bigger questions about the meaning of experience itself inevitably follow.

A Thought Experiment of Two Lives

Asked what he’d A/B test if absolutely anything were possible, Aaron imagines running parallel lives: two different families, two different countries, two entirely different sets of circumstances. Not to determine which was “better,” but to understand how context shapes us. 

He’s quick to clarify that such a scenario wouldn’t technically be an A/B test, but rather a multivariate test (MVT) due to the numerous variables at play. It’s a designer’s curiosity with an existential twist — a recognition that experience itself is the ultimate variable.

So, what would happen if we removed design from the equation for a month? Aaron doesn’t hesitate: he’d head out on a cycling trip, tackling a decent chunk of the Silk Road. For someone whose career is framed by exploration, it’s fitting that leisure, too, leans toward movement and discovery.

What Makes Brafton Work?

So why Brafton? For Aaron, it’s about permission to build. He finds himself in an environment of constant invention — new services, new value for clients — so the job never calcifies.

After years of freelancing alone, the agency feels like steering a giant ship with a skilled crew. There’s diversity, both in projects and in colleagues spread across continents, which keeps the work from narrowing into silos. And there’s flexibility: the remote policy lets him keep a trace of the nomadic life while staying anchored.

Looking at Life Through the Lenses

Aaron’s path defies the straight line. From stunt jumps to South American road trips to UX consulting, he’s shown that careers are less about climbing ladders and more about fully embracing the art of layering your experiences. 

At Brafton, those layers come together: technical fluency, human-centered design and a restless curiosity. It’s proof that even in a field obsessed with wireframes and workflows, the most valuable asset might be the ability to see life — work, design and people — through multiple lenses.