Hi, I'm Adie.
I care about the intersection of design and social justice. I am interested in designing for systemic, complex problems through an accessible and inclusive lens.
5+ years
of working experience in user-centered design and research.
3+ years
of working experience with clients in various sectors to craft digital strategies, roadmaps, and services.
2+ years
of working experience designing accessible digital products.
Work Experience
BiblioCommons
Product and Experience Designer
From
July 2017
To
Present
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Role Description and Responsibilities
BiblioCommons provides a suite of web-based software solutions for public libraries across North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
I am fully embedded in an agile development team. I lead the UX and product design initiatives for new features, improving existing features, and conducting user research to better understand where we should focus design and development.
I work collaboratively with product owners, front-end developers, and various other stakeholders to gather requirements and create user stories, wireframes, mockups and prototypes. I review ongoing development efforts for accessibility and usability.
Usability Matters Inc.
User Experience Designer
From
February 2014
To
May 2017
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Role Description and Responsibilities
At Usability Matters, a deep understanding of user needs aligned with business goals, guided every client engagement.
User interviews, contextual inquiries, and usability tests, stakeholder workshops and facilitated co-creation sessions were the foundation for strategy and design deliverables like prototypes, wireframes, user profiles, journey maps, and creative concepts.
I’ve had the benefit of working on design and research projects with clients in many industries, including travel, healthcare, education, finance, logistics, and software.
Dundas Data Visualization Inc.
User Interface and Product Designer
From
September 2012
To
February 2014
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Role Description and Responsibilities
At Dundas, I collaborated with a team of front- and back-end developers to design the user interface of a Business Intelligence product, from user flows, to visual design specifications.
I also worked alongside consultants and analysts on the professional services team to design custom business intelligence solutions for clients worldwide.
University of Toronto at Mississauga
Undergraduate Course Teaching Assistant
From
January 2012
To
December 2012
Location
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Role Description and Responsibilities
TA-ing for undergraduate introductory courses in Biomedical Communications and Forensic Visualization, I prepared and delivered a series of remote screen-cast and in-class tutorials.
I also created custom handouts and learning materials on:
- Technologies including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
- Design principles and the use of typography for print- and web-based media
Education
Ryerson University
AODA and Beyond: Accessibility Practices Certificate
From
September 2015
To
Present
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Toronto
Master of Science in Biomedical Communications
From
September 2010
To
June 2012
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Toronto
Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology
From
September 2006
To
June 2010
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Skills and Experience
Design Research
- Planning, moderating, and synthesizing the results of:
- Formal, informal, in-person, and remote usability tests
- Contextual inquiries, user and stakeholder interviews
- Conducting heuristic evaluations, accessibility audits, and competitive analyses
- Developing personas, profiles, and user journeys based on primary and secondary user research
Experience Design
- Prototyping products for any screen size and fidelity, from user flows to wireframes to click-through prototypes
- Creating detailed feature sets and interface design specifications
- Producing rich visual designs for responsive interfaces
- Documenting accessibility in designs to ensure they can be developed and launched accessibly
Design Consulting
- Facilitating product discovery and requirements gathering workshops
- Presenting research, strategy, and design work to clients through informal/interactive sessions, to formal presentations and reports
- Writing and delivering workshops around accessible and inclusive design tools, techniques, and practices
- Mentoring clients to develop internal competencies focused around accessible, user-centered design
Volunteering
Biomedical Communications Alumni Association
Co-President
From
October 2012
To
December 2014
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Role Description and Responsibilities
Held quarterly meetings with the alumni association committee to plan events, discuss budget, and brainstorm ways to boost alumni engagement.
Planned and implemented a variety of events, from casual social nights to formal galas/fundraisers.
Created a new sponsorship package to boost event funding from BMC-affiliated companies and employers.