Michael “Mike” Dorka
Vice President of User Experience/ Head of Research and Design
Experience
Product Strategy, Research Leadership & Team Building
External contractor at lynk.app, Kingston, Jamaica. Nov 2020 - Present
At present as executive consult building the User Research Organisation, creating research processes and Carrer paths.
Chief Design Officer
Founding member at ank.app, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mar 2019 - Nov 2020
A simpler financial world. I was the second hire and initially in charge of creating UX teams and processes. Then designing a unique user experience for people to manage their finances in an easy and intuitive way based on user research. In a great teamwork we could finally establish a solid and outstanding brand with it's visual design and a first release product in minimum time.
Head of UX
Leading User Research and Design at OLX Group. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mar 2018 - Mar 2019
To improve lives by providing local communities a vibrant online market where people can connect with each other. On the OLX platforms, people can buy and sell used goods, services, cars and properties. As head of UX at Panamera, OLX group I was responsible managing design and research teams in various countries. Besides the challenge to create a user experience for many cultural different markets (as India, Indonesia, South Africa, Latin America, etc) we succeeded applying a brand new design -and therefor replacing the previous design- to the existing OLX marketplace apps in Argentina, South Africa, Indonesia and India.
UX Evangelist
Evangelizing UX to all stakeholders previous and during IPO at despegar. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jun 2017 - Mar 2018
After creating and leading the user research team and co-creating the ux department I took the role of the UX evangelist to empower all other areas in understanding the role of UX in the company and to engage and establish the less "UX experienced" teams to work together with the UX department.
User Research Lead
Building and managing the user research team at despegar. Buenos Aires, Jan 2015 - Jun 2017
I Built and lead the User Experience Research team to support design and product teams in their decision making.
User Research and Design Consultant
As external contractor leading User Research and Design at Ministry of the Interior. Buenos Aires, Argentina an 2015 - Jun 2017
I Built and lead the User Experience Research team to support design and product teams in their decision making.
User Research and Design Consultant
As external contractor leading User Research and Design at the Research Center of the National University of La Plata. Buenos Aires, Argentina Jan 2014 - Jan 2015
As a consult for design and user research I empowered people by improving the user experience of the setup box for open digital television [televisión digital abierta] in Argentina. Help people from a very diverse segment to manage the set up box in a intuitively way bu analyzing and investing their behavior and offering an information architecture and interfaces design easy to understand and easy to use.
Teacher of Universal Design
As external contractor leading User Research and Design at the Research Center of the National University of La Plata. Buenos Aires, Argentina Mar 2013 - Mar 2014
Teacher of a specialization course in interaction design and usability accessibility standards, which took place at the National Technological University - Superior National Institute of Technical Teaching Training.
Founder, Lead User Experience Research and Design
I founded EIVO online in charge of the product definition and UX lead. Buenos Aires, Argentina Jan 2012 - Sep 2013
Since the Argentinian government supported public schools with free notebooks but lacking software I founded a platform which allowed teachers and administrators to create online tests for any topic. This platform became the base for another governmental online platform offering online the theoretical exam for the driver’s license in the province of Buenos Aires. The challenge was clearly to create an online platform that was customizable for the creation of online exams for any topic and any kind of user profile.
User Research and Design Consultant
As external consultant I was leading User Research and Design at Sonico from fnBox. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Apr 2011 - Jul 2011
Sonico was a free-access social networking website oriented toward a Latin American audience. Sonico was launched in July 2007 stressing the importance of having legitimate users rather than a massive number of anonymous accounts. Hence, their motto is "real people, real connections". Unlike other social networks, Sonico had a so-called proactive moderation consisting in a team solely dedicated to check out every new profile and content uploaded to the site. They claimed to be able to manage more than 200.000 profiles daily.
According to Sonico's CEO, Rodrigo Teijeiro, Sonico "managed to offer a useful, safe and fun social network, with real users and a regional scope" (Latin America). Agreeing with Rodrigo usability was the key of their success.
One year after its foundation, Sonico had an 88 people staff and claims to be adding some 110.000 new users every day and reported more than 20 million registered users.
Co-founder, Lead User Experience Research and Design
I co-founded Mobile Zynco, a mobile marketing SAS platform. I was in charge of the product definition and UX lead. Mexico City, Mexico Apr 2009 - Feb 2011
I was co-founder and managing partner at Mobile Zynco in Mexico. Mobile Zynco was dedicated to consulting and implementations of mobile marketing services and specialized at mobile phone services and data sales.
Earlier Experience
R133.Co-founder, managing Partner User Research and Design. Cologne, Germany Mar 2008 - Apr 2009
Deutsche Telekom Digital Labs, Freelance User Researcher and UI Designer . Berlin, Germany. Mar 2007 - Mar 2008
Vodafone, Freelance Information Architect. Düsseldorf, Germany. Jan 2005 - Jan 2007
McCann Worldgroup, Art Director. Frankfurt, Germany. Jan 2001 - Jan 2002
DDB, Art Director. Düsseldorf, Germany. Jan 2000 - Jan 2001
Cayenne Creative, Junior Art Director. Jan 1998 - Jan 2000
Skills Summary
Product Design and User Research
Interaction Design
Information Architecture
Rapid Prototyping
Usability Testing
User Research
Software
Adobe Creative Suite (XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere)
Figma
Maze
Balsamiq
Marvel (POP)
Lookback
Usability Hub
Leadership
Leadership, Mentoring & Coaching
Spearheading Design Strategy
Team Collaboration & Facilitation
Project Planning & Estimation
Organization & Prioritization
Education
Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Arts, Sciences. Cologne, Germany
Interface Design
Audio-Visual Design
Corporate Design
University of Buenos Aires, Faculty of Architecture. Buenos Aires, Argentina
Summer course on Urbanism