Tom Pokinko

Experience

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  Tom Pokinko

  Jan 2002 - Sept 2015

  Freelance Illustrator

  Editorial illustration, book covers, digital art. https://www.behance.net/tpokinko08afSelect clients:- Oxford University Press- Alfred Hitchcock Magazine- Grantland Quarterly- The Progressive Magazine- United Nations Association in Canada- University of Toronto (neuroscience comics)

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  Carleton University

  Sept 2013 - Apr 2014

  Contract Instructor
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  OCAD University

  Mar 2014 - Sept 2014

  Graduate Research Assistant

  Created low-fidelity mockups in Garageband, Adobe Creative Cloud and Processing to help low-vision and blind users “see” data visualization (charts, graphs) using sound (sonification in conjunction with text-to-speech). Ran user tests on medium-fidelity prototypes in Javascript and conducted ethnographic research on low-vision users. Worked as part of a team of academics, graduate student researchers and cognitive psychologists.

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  Baycrest

  May 2014 - Sept 2014

  Summer Student, User Experience Designer

  Designed a prototype iPad application for older adults with mild to moderate dementia. Full iterative agile UX design cycle (3 rounds): user research (focus groups & user testing); edge personas; storyboards; flow diagrams; mockups in Balsamiq; click-through prototype. Worked as part of a multidisciplinary team that included business experts, psychologists and caregivers.

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  Disability Rights Promotion International, York University

  Jul 2014 - Dec 2015

  UX/Web Designer

  Led a 3 person team on the redesign of DRPI’s website to make it more engaging and accessible (WCAG 2.0 AA) on desktop, laptop and mobile. Project included qualitative research, content analysis and verification, information architecture, visual design and UX/UI to develop learning modules and an interactive interview guide for disability rights monitors. Full UX design cycle including: user surveys, usability testing, storyboards, user flow diagrams, sketches, wireframes and prototypes. In charge of project management and tracking design deliverables. Show less

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  Jumping Elephants

  Aug 2015 - Oct 2015

  User Experience Researcher

  3 month contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) on UX design and research for canada.ca content. Responsible for heuristic review, comparative analysis, content inventories, card sorting, personas and user testing administration and analysis. Refined information architecture (IA), wrote test plans and scripts and set up remote user tests in English and French including tree tests on proposed IA (using Treejack) and card sorting (using OptimalSort).

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  Simply Accessible

  Jan 2016 - Mar 2016

  Product Owner for Agile UX and Accessibility Team

  Responsible for maintaining and building momentum with clients, ensuring scope integrity and project success for both client and UX design teams, and ensuring projects proceed in accordance with Agile methodologies. Created user stories, test plans, unit lists. Provided UX and accessibility feedback to client-side UX teams for desktop, tablet and mobile interfaces. Considered user flows and WCAG accessibility requirements to identify testable components on client websites. Tracked issues in JIRA and communicated with design and development teams to ensure that all accessibility requirements were met. Show less

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  Open Inclusion

  Jul 2016 - Apr 2023

  Responsible for growing Open Inclusion’s inclusive design research capabilities, defining and leading innovative user research in varied and complex settings, mentoring highly specialised teams of user researchers, and overseeing the growth of Open Inclusion's research community of non-expert users who have one or a combination of: vision, hearing, mobility or dexterity impairments, neurodiversity, mental health, fluctuating/ complex conditions or those who are “just older” (65+).Over the course of nearly 7 years, I am proud to have helped provide award-winning research and design solutions spanning both digital and built environment accessibility as well as inclusive user experience for hundreds of public, private and third sector clients. Central to my client-facing role was communicating and collaborating with multi-disciplinary researchers and UX teams; translating rich insights from diverse users to actionable design recommendations; and working alongside other UX and research agencies to help champion inclusive UX insights alongside non accessibility-focused research. Show less

  • Research Director

    Oct 2016 - Apr 2023

  • Research Manager

    Jul 2016 - Oct 2016
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  Self-employed

  Apr 2023 - now

  Inclusive Design and User Research Specialist
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  Money and Pensions Service

  Aug 2023 - now

  Responsible for improving engagement, customer satisfaction and customer outcomes for MaPS's core services, including its financial guidance website which attracts 1.4 million unique visitors per month. Plan and lead inclusive research and design as well as provide guidance and oversight to designers and researchers from MaPS's Digital Delivery Partner.

  • User Centred Design Lead

    Apr 2024 - now

  • Lead User Experience Designer

    Aug 2023 - Mar 2024