A bit more about me and how I approach my work

As a versatile design leader with over 12 years of experience, I approach my work via interdisciplinary collaboration and empathy, while remaining a nimble and straightforward problem-solver.

I enjoy making useful things for people, often using technology

Get in touch!

I believe in cultivating structured empathy to afford successful experience transformations

To facilitate designing transformational improvements to people’s experiences, my goal is always to build a culture of continual interest holder engagement and robust research.

I think it’s crucially important to develop and maintain shared understandings within and between organizational teams of the actionable insights they’ve accumulated. This means both continually combating miscommunication, as well as sharing findings and building off of prior learnings, be they successes or failures.

Finally, I’m a staunch believer in setting people up to succeed with proper supports, standing by them, and trusting their expertise. From junior to senior, all team members can and will make valuable contributions to projects. It’s one of the privileges of my roles over the years to be part of others’ successes and career development.

Guiding interest holders through innovation processes

Design, research and leadership often come down to effective communication, facilitation, and coordination. One of my favourite aspects of my career is working with individuals and groups to ask about and organize their ideas, then synthesize those findings into straightforward solutions that will stand the test of time.

Service blueprinting with MERGE Insights

An organizational leader of teams and projects

I’ve been fortunate over my career to be trusted to make impactful decisions about the communities I’ve served and interest holders I’ve partnered with. I take that responsibility seriously, whether it’s developing my team, facilitating working sessions with project collaborators, or advising senior leadership to inform strategic decision-making.

Leading UX & Process Design at U of T

“What sets Michael apart is his ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. He has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to understanding the technical constraints and possibilities, which has been instrumental in bridging the gap between design and development. This synergy has led to innovative solutions that have propelled projects forward.”

Andre Kalamandeen

Manager, Student Information Systems Products and Applications

University of Toronto

“I worked with Michael for over 5 years on the User Experience & Process Design team at the University of Toronto, which is still going strong today. Our team still uses many of the design exercises and collaborative methods that he introduced when he led and managed it, like critiques and “Collaboration Fridays”. His passion for this field and for creating meaningful experiences is obvious, and I’m glad to call him a mentor.”

Laura Klamot

Senior User Experience Designer

University of Toronto

“When I, as a junior, struggled to find my footing, Michael provided a unique opportunity for me to take on a major project under his guidance. His mentorship not only built up my confidence as a designer but also emphasized the importance of fostering growth in those around me. Michael’s lasting legacy has established a supportive UX culture across the organization, and his vision and values continues to shape how I lead my teams and colleagues.”

Andrew Magnaye

Intermediate User Experience Designer

University of Toronto

FAQs

Service Design, Product, or UX? What’s your specialty?

Why not all three? I’ve always had an interdisciplinary mindset throughout my career and education (studying Cognitive Science, as well as the interplay of Science, Technology and Society), which has informed my perspectives and contributed to my versatile skillset that I employ in my work. I’m an unabashed generalist, which makes me ideal at bridging disciplines and coordinating complex work efforts across technical, business, and design disciplines, as well as the interest holders directly and indirectly impacted by my work.

What sort of role are you looking for?

I’ve grown to be happiest in leadership roles. Over the years I have spent my time producing various research and design artefacts and sweating the details of their implementation. However, I always find myself with a holistic perspective, such as about my entire team and broader organization, or beyond an individual app to how it integrates with an entire ecosystem of services. This broader perspective lends itself to a set of responsibilities that often fall under roles of formal leadership positions. That said, I think I’ll always identify at heart as a designer who likes to get my hands dirty in the actual work of making useful things for (and with) people, so I rarely pass up the chance to do some interesting and meaningful work with the right project partner.

In-house or studio services – where’s your strength?

The majority of my experience has been as part of centrally-positioned in-house teams, though I have also worked in studio environments that offer services to clients. What’s most important to me is continuity and continual improvement over time with my biggest projects. To realize the biggest-picture, longest-term visions, work efforts often require a series of progressive releases enhancing an initial deliverable. I enjoy both defining and realizing that vision, as well as the process required to see it through. Shorter-term proof-of-concept projects, microsites, one-off initiatives and various experiments are always fun and can take place in any environment.

Industry work, public-sector, academia – where do you fit in?

I get the greatest satisfaction from delivering “products” and services for communities, be that the general public or an organization’s communities. I’ve contributed to start-ups and commercial projects in the past, though these days I require close value alignment to commit myself wholeheartedly to those sorts of endeavours (I wouldn’t want to or expect to be invited to join them otherwise). If we are on the same page, however, then I’m all-in. I’ve valued and benefited greatly from my academic education and research experience, but I don’t think I’m a good fit for academia in my career. I’m too intrinsically motivated by getting my work out in the world. My dad was a carpenter and I also appreciate seeing the things I had a part in making be out there in the world tangibly serving their purpose.

Where are you based and looking to work?

I’m currently based in Berlin, Germany (👨‍🎤), though I’m relocating back to my native Canada in the near future. I’m originally from the Toronto, Ontario (🛶) area, but will be heading to West Coast next (⛰️). The most important things to me are finding the right next role where I can make a positive impact and living somewhere that affords my well-being.