Digital experience & product leadership operational strategy at Canada’s oldest and most recognized retailer Hudson's Bay. Orchestrating pillars across design, product, engineering, analytics, site operations. Directing UX department of Strategy & Research, Content Design, Interaction Design, Design Systems and Operations for The Bay & Zellers.

Consulting for the development of design systems, operations and team management structures; mentorship and training for organizational creative growth. Problem solving for organizations ranging from startups to international corporations.

• Reliant Networks (2021–2022) – tactical design operations, foresight practices and team structures for the futures of automobility
• Climastry Inc. (2021–2022) – startup consulting for product positioning and brand narrative; team leadership growth
• QuarterMaster Inc. (2020–2022) – product strategy, positioning, stakeholder & internal vision alignment, design strategy advisory
• Hppy Hour Digital (2020–2021) – community network of independent product design consultants, specializing in strategy & production
• Clickatell Inc. (2020) – cohesive multi-product redesign production support & system design for centralization for assets

Lead and managed Toronto team of design educators and teaching assistants while delivering full-time programming (12-week cohorts) to adult professionals transforming careers. Directed design learning experiences (CX) across different campuses and channels (diploma programming, evening courses & professional workshops). Implementation of systems and mechanisms for product scalability ranging from admission processes, curriculum architecture, performance evaluation management. Validated success of learning strategies through controlled experimentation and live user testing.

Oversaw and managed the quality-control of design projects for up to 30 students per cohort, with high-quality output, consistent high educator rating, and successful placement rates.

Product lead (interaction & service design, product ownership) on strategic build and implementation of Connected Mall platform within Kinetic Commerce's PaaS, applied to major malls across Canada via Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc.

Design team leadership & management, culture building, resourcing and coaching. Strong business acumen, pitching new lines of business opportunities to clientelle on accounts upwards of 1M.

Full-stack design (strategic concepts to public release) and product shipment for the world's top Fortune 500 brands ranging in healthcare, automotive, entertainment, retail & finance. Competitor analysis, research, information architecture, wire-framing, prototyping and extensive production support on agile product teams. Developed strategic processes for sales team to engage new lines of business through pre-build engagements. Data-driven decision making.

Project coordinator for the development of interactive content on large-scale touch media devices. Worked across a variety of interactive technologies including multi-touch surfaces, computer-vision applications, interactive television displays and large scale projection units. Managed content development from offshore vendor for clients across North America (incl. Crayola, Sunlife Financial, Grand Marnier, JTI, Atlantic Lottery, and Royal Botanical Gardens Museum).

Pre-funded start-up offering a portfolio of creative digital solutions to optimize social-media brand strategies. Supported UI/UX design for a product that allows retailers to develop sales-distribution campaigns through engaging customers by proximity.

Strategic development and execution of customized design training experiences for learning institutes, including universities across China, full-time 12-week intensive accredited Canadian diploma program, and custom public introductory workshops to product design & digital transformation.

Professional career coaching with international clients from London, Berlin, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Taipei City. Clients include practicing designers looking to build meaningful career progression by diving deeper into self-awareness, intention of practice, improvement of personal craft, and leadership development.

Founder of Makeshift Studio – a design collective and studio space that facilitates collaboration between artists, designers and fabricators. Starting with a community operating since 2009, Makeshift Studio opened its doors in 2016 as a co-working studio that houses specialized spaces for physical prototyping, woodworking, fashion/textiles, photo & video production, illustration and ceramics.

@makeshiftcollective | wemakeshift.com

Design lead on full year engagement collaborating between cross-functional teams across CIBC (technology, business, security, services) to deliver forward-thinking banking interactions for business clients. CIBC SmartBanking for Business is a dynamic digital solution that integrates business banking capabilities with industry-leading third-party services to help clients make quick, informed decisions.

Other notable brands Alex has worked with:
Discovery Channel / Rogers Media / Walmart / Live Nation / General Motors / Crayola / Cineplex / AccuWeather / LCBO / Firestone / ALDO Shoes / Atlantic Lottery Corporation / Temple Street Productions

• Starkey Architect Group (architecture firm) – project management & content strategy, for website & branding project
• Mobile Plugin App – product design and development feasibility assessment; product management client workshopping
• AudioNotch (healthcare) - video production and narrative development for tinnitus sound therapy web software
• Lio & Associates Inc. (building construction) - video course development for building-envelope design consulting firm
• Extreme Startups (startup accelerator) - video documentary live-action interviews; marketing content production
• Interview Media Platform (early-stage startup) - interface design and experience strategy consulting for early-stage startup
• Fidelity Format (video production) - storyboarding, editing, videography, photography, creative and art direction
• Uken Studios, Inc. (video gaming) – live-action mini-documentary on company culture