PORTFOLIO 2021-2023

Kseniia Hladkikh
MA, Sociology
UX Researcher

hladkikk@gmail.com
kseniiahladkikh
01 ABOUT ME
A short work history
CASE STUDY 2

RESEARCH METHODS
04 Redefining immigrant services:
Temporary Foreign Worker

02
Journey
& TOOLS
An overview of my mixed
methods research
05 CONTACT INFORMATION

03 CASE STUDY 1
Website Design for Ukrainians
Seeking Refuge in Canada

Hi there!
I am a skilled mixed-methods UX
researcher with 5 years research
experience.
I am passionate about
understanding people's
behaviours across diverse
settings. I enjoy building rapport
with each person I engage and
delving deeper into their
experiences.
In every project, I strive to push
the boundaries of UX research,
combining methodologies and
designing unique and impactful
solutions.
Work Experience
Research Analyst, Pivotal Research Inc
(2021-2023)
During my 2 years at Pivotal Research Inc., I
contributed to over 40 projects, leading 10 of them. I
excel in designing research studies from scratch and
interacting with clients.
I take pride in facilitating 70+ online sessions with
200+ participants with high client and participant
satisfaction.
.
Education
Master's in Sociology, McMaster University
(2019-2021)
During my Master's I completed classes on Race &
Ethnicity, Gender & Sexuality, Social Psychology,
which provided me with in-depth understanding of
human behaviour and sparked my profound interest
in research.
 RESEARCH METHODS
My toolbox consists of a spectrum of UX research methods. I choose my method based on
stakeholder input, constraints (budget + timeline) and the research questions we intend to answer.

Journey Maps 1:1 interview Persona Focus Groups Process Maps

(remote / in-person) creation

Co-Design Surveys Diary Studies / Mobile A / B Testing Qualitative Data

Workshops Ethnography Analysis
 DIGITAL RESEARCH & DESIGN TOOLS
I am also well-versed in using digital tools for
UX Research & Design.

Some of my favourites include:

Miro - for remote collaboration, interactive

workshops, and journey maps
NVIVO - for data coding
Indeemo - for mobile ethnography (diary)
studies, qualitative data collection
Recollective - for online panels (qualitative
data collection)
Figma - for wireframing, prototyping
Qualtics, VoxCo - Survey creation, online
quantitative data collection
Visio - for process mapping
 MY JOURNEY TO UX RESEARCH

Program Assistant, Master's in Research Analyst,

Parliament of Canada UX Design
National Democratic Sociology, Sep 2021 - present Certifcation
Member's Assistant
Institute Sep 2019-June 2019 40+ market & UX

May-July 2022
Feb-Aug 2019 research assistant, research projects
website
development of first multiple research

improvements, social
public consultation projects, thesis

media, surveys
instrument in Ukraine (30 interviews)

MY JOURNEY TO UX RESEARCH

While I've been working as a research analyst for a consulting agency since 2021, I've
recently started improving my UX Design skills by taking a Brainstation course.

I'm constantly working on diversifying and strengthening my UX Research/Design portfolio.

me

Toronto, July 2023

Case study # 1
 Website for
01 Ukrainian refugees
in Canada
I created the website design, collected
and organized website content from
scratch, in consultation with non-
profits and in collaboration with web
developer in a span of 4 weeks.

Case study # 1
 PROJECT SCOPE Website link: ukrainiansinalberta.com

Client
Non-profits based in Alberta - the Alberta Association of
Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) and Catholic Social Services
(CSS) requested website design & development for Ukrainian
newcomers to Alberta impacted by Russian aggression.

My Role: UX Researcher / Designer / Writer / Content Creator.

Key skills: background research, persona creation, creation of

low-fidelity wireframe and information architecture.

Team: I collaborated with a web developer.

Timeline: April-May 2022.
Notes: Pro bono project.

Case study # 1

 Context: Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Canadian

government has provided a response in the policy change that
allowed more Ukrainians to come to Canada. Canadian visa offices
have seen a massive influx of applications. As newcomers arrive to
Alberta, they are looking for resources to support their journey.

Problem: while Alberta’s resettlement sector provides a vast array

of services to newcomers, they may be hard to navigate to those
unfamiliar with the non-profit landscape in Canada.

Solution: easy-to-navigate one-stop-shop website that effectively

organizes variety of available resources to multiple groups -
resettled Ukrainians as well as those assisting in their resettlement
in Alberta.

Limitations: as the circumstances required immediate response,

the quick turnaround of the project (the sooner the better), was
necessary.
Case study # 1
 Persona #1: Ukrainian Seeking Refuge - Iryna
As the first step, I created 3 personas to better understand the future
users of the website and communicate them to stakeholders.

Emotions/Feelings: stressed due to Wants/Needs

Employment: accountant, lost her job
Employment: accountant, lost her job
Income: < $30 000 Age: 38 y.o.
Income: < $30 000 Age: 38 y.o.
Languages spoken: Ukrainian, Russian
Languages spoken: Ukrainian, Russian
English level: beginner to intermediate
lack of sleep and tiredness, scared doesn’t know the non-profit
of the unknown, concerned about lanscape in Canada, but is in
finding resources upon arrival urgent need of resources and first
necessities, such as housing.
Devices: phone. wants to understand what
. organizations are in her area that
Iryna took her phone with her as
laptop was too heavy to carry she can reach out to.

English level: beginner to intermediate

Status: married, her husband couldn't
Status: married, her husband couldn't Frustrations: Notes:
leave due to military conscription
leave due to military conscription gets overwhelmed by
Children: travelling with 5-year old son
Children: travelling with 5-year old son information provided online This persona was compiled based on
Location: in Warsaw, about to get on an
Location: in Warsaw, about to get on an doesn't know what my conversations with fellow
evacuation plane chartered by Canadian
evacuation plane chartered by Canadian organizations she can trust Ukrainians and browsing thematic
government to fly to Edmonton, Alberta
government to fly to Edmonton, Alberta doen't understand what Facebook groups where Ukrainians
supports may be available for were trying to navigate resettlement
her and her son in Alberta to Canada and asking for advice.
Case study # 1
 Persona #2: Canadian Employer - Michael

Wants/Needs
Emotions/Feelings: was devastated
wants to set a good example
to hear about the war, feels for
for other employers by hiring
Ukrainians, especially due to his
Ukrainians
heritage, concerned about
wants to provide cash
Ukrainians arriving without means.
assistance to Ukrainians most
in need or set up a recurring
Devides used: tablet, phone
donation.
Employment: small business owner
Income: > $100 000
Age: 55 y.o.
Frustrations: Notes:

Languages spoken: English

Nationality: Canadian with Ukrainian
heritage
Status: married, has a family
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Case study # 1
despite his Ukrainian heritage,
doesn’t have connections in
Ukraine, doesn’t know how to
connect with Ukrainians that
need support in Canada.
doesn’t have time to research
the actions to take to support.
This persona was created in
consultation with non-profits that
were approached by employers, and
informed by my previous research
work with Ukrainian Canadian
Congress (UCC) and projects with
Ukrainian diaspora.
 Persona #3: Canadian Volunteer - Hannah

Emotions/Feelings: disheartened Wants/Needs

reading about the war in the news, upon realizing that she has
emotional, sad, confused. unrented basement units, Hannah
wants to provide them to a
Devices: laptop. Hannah uses an older
Ukrainian family in need of
model laptop to search for a phone
accommodation. She wants to find
number to ask for help as she doesn’t
a support organization she
like to scroll through the website
Employment: retired to implement this idea.
herself.
Income: < $65 000
Owns several rental properties that
she occasionally rents.
Age: 67 y.o.

Languages spoken: English

Frustrations:
Nationality: Canadian Hannah has low vision and is not
Status: widowed, living alone. too comfortable using technology
Location: St. Albert, Alberta. as she gets easily overwhelmed
Notes: Not digitally savvy by the amount of information on
modern websites.
Case study # 1
Notes:
This persona was created based on
facebook group content, where
people offered temporary
accommodation (from few weeks to 1-
3 months) to Ukrainians arriving to
Canada and through consultations
with nonprofits.
 LANDING PAGE

I designed it to direct a type of person or

group to their required resource.

Ukrainian and Canadian flag animation

was used for a welcoming effect.

Page includes FAQ organized in accordion,

fitting a lot of information, while allowing
the user to filter for the information most
needed at
the moment of search.

Case study # 1
 PAGE FOR UKRAINIANS This page has to make users feel welcomed in Canada, which is
why the first thing user sees is “Welcome”. The page provides
RESETTLING IN ALBERTA information about the helpline and its time of operation as first
support resource.

Cultural context: link to Telegram channel. While Telegram

social media is not commonly used in North America, it is one
of the most popular social networks in Ukraine. The page
provides a link to the channel for easier monitoring of the
available resources and information in Ukrainian/Russian.

The page also links such important resources as Alberta Health

Services, information guide for Ukrainian developed by
Ukrainian Canadian Congress and provincial government

website.

The table of organizations providing services is also provided

for Calgary, Edmonton and other areas as an easy shortcut for
navigating settlement sector landscape in Alberta.

Case study # 1
 PAGE FOR VOLUNTEERS & EMPLOYERS

Since volunteers and employers may have

overlapping motivations (e.g. employer and
volunteer may both want to provide
accommodation), I decided to create one
page for these users instead of two.

The page was named “I want to help” instead

of "Volunteers" or "Employers" to make it more
relatable and easier to locate.

The page contains the following sections with

links: Cash Donations, Corporate Donations,
Housing
and Hosting, Employment
Opportunities (allowing employers to submit
their offers through Job Bank Portal), Volunteer
Opportunities (with a list of non-profits in need
of volunteers).

Case study # 1


KEY WEBSITE FEATURES

Social media integration

Easily adjustable as needs of Ukrainians
and Canadian government policies can
change at any time
Multiple contact points to influence the
audience to act
Mobile optimization to cater to a variety
of users, including those on the move
Clear Call to Action buttons - multiple
buttons for faster navigation
Eye-catching social media icons entice
audience to navigate to the social
media bysticky icons on the side of
the webpage.
To maintain the clean look of the
website, direct display of social media
feeds is avoided.

Case study # 1
 KEY DESIGN & CONTENT DECISIONS
People photos: as only women are allowed to travel
(men aged 18-65 cannot leave Ukraine due to military
conscription law), I decided to use photos of women
and children.

Importance of easy phone navigation: I assumed that

many Ukrainians would be in a hurry, searching for
information on their phones, not web.

Colours: due to AAISA’s and CSS’s request, and to

promote brand recognition among newcomers looking
for newcomer settlement services, it was decided to
use both AAISA and CSS colours in fusion according to
their brand guidelines.

Landscape photos: Ukrainian and Alberta landscapes

were chosen for a welcoming and calming effect.
Ukrainian flag is also showcased several times.
Case study # 1
 CONCLUSION
Project Uniqueness
First website to organize provincial resources for Ukrainians launched in
spring 2022 - in time for Ukrainians arriving to Canada.

Outcomes: website continues to provide information. It was presented

during an event conducted by Ukrainian Canadian Congress in 2022 and
lead to a request to prepare the Employer Toolkit for hiring Ukrainians.

What I would do differently:

Deeper dive into personas: If I were to do this project again, I would

interview end users (Ukrainians (family/single/different ages),
employers and volunteers to better understand their needs and usage
of the website to provide better customized experience.

Accessibility: In addition, to accommodate for users with different

abilities, I would do more testing. While the website includes
translation into 3 languages, contrasting colours with white space for
attention focus, I believe it could be even more accessible.

Case study # 1
Case study # 2
 02 Temporary
Foreign
Workers
Journey to
Canada

Case study # 2
 PROJECT SCOPE

Redefining Immigrant Services: Foreign Worker Journey

Clients: Non-profits based in Alberta - the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies
(AAISA) and Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS).

My Role: Qualitative Research Lead.

Key skills: journey mapping, workshops/focus groups, ecosystem mapping, background

research, recommendation development.

Timeline: October - January 2021.

Team: I collaborated with a team of researchers and graphic designer.
Constraints: tight timeline (3 months).

Case study # 2
 Context: A partnership of 14 immigrant-serving organizations in
Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan provide coordinated service
delivery approach to Temporary Foreign Workers meeting their
urgent needs while facing multiple policy, funding and service
delivery challenges.

Objectives: increase capacity of project partners to execute

informed advocacy, policy development, research to strengthen
TFW-serving ecosystem.

Approach

1)Conduct a review of literature and identify research gaps

2)Analyze project data to identify emerging trends and needs
3)Visualize TFW journey to identify painpoints and opportunities
4)Develop recommendations to redesign service delivery to TFWs

Case study # 2
 METHODOLOGY
1) Literature review scan
2) Legislative analysis
3) Project data analysis (monthly narrative reports) & Stakeholder engagement
(2 workshops with non profit leaders)

Why these methods were chosen:

To provide the partnership with feasible recommendations (considering multitude of

constraints organizations face), it was necessary to understand the program from all angles:
TFW program requirements, provincial legislation, activities of non-profits and bring all
components together for recommendations.

Additionally, I undertook extensive literature review to better understand the program, keep
up-to-date with what has already been found and identify gaps to inform the research.

Case study # 2
 LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review was the first step to inform the further research stages. It provided
understanding of the issues surrounding TFW program in Canada, as most studies
interviewed TFWs.

Main insights from literature:

TFWs can be easily abused by employers/recruiters and often are.
The main reason TFWs are vulnerable to be exploited is lack of knowledge that
extends not only to life in Canada, but workers' rights, TFWP requirements, TFW
protections and resources available.

Quality Assurance: In addition to the literature review, I contacted and interviewed

leaders of two research networks on immigrants and foreign workers in Prairie provinces
specifically, who confirmed that the literature is scarce and validated the main insights.

Case study # 2
 PROJECT DATA ANALYSIS
Since narrative reports by non-profit staff provided a
detailed picture of TFW experiences and included
their quotes, they served as good depiction of
workers journey in Canada.

I looked for common themes and patterns and used

colour-coding and affinity diagrams to organize the
data.

I sought to understand the challenges and needs of

both TFWs and partners and other organizations
involved.

I also deep dived on certain sections to understand

the varying roles of service provider and umbrella
organizations.

Case study # 2
 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
SPOs were engaged in two stakeholder workshops to better understand their experience serving
TFWs and to validate findings.

I used Miro in breakout rooms to allow all non-profit leaders to provide feedback as well as
visualize and record it in real time.

Case study # 2

 JOURNEY MAPPING This is one of the first sketches

I created for Foreign Worker Journey.

This map was informed by meticulous analysis

and review of literature (37 references),
provincial policy and legislation as well as
narrative reports.

I broke down the journey into three phases: 1)

Home Country, 2) In Canada (During Program),
and 3) After Program, each of which has unique
challenges. I also showcased touchpoints with
all actors: recruiters, immigration consultants,
employers, government and SPOs.

Due to complexity of the journey and various

components, we later decided to rework the
layout with graphic designer, making the flow
vertical, instead of horizontal.
Case study # 2
 This is the final visual for the
JOURNEY MAPPING Current TFW Journey.

The red signs with exclamation

points clearly showcase the
painpoints (where TFWs lack
crucial knowledge) and provide
understanding at what stage
intervention is necessary to
prevent unwanted
circumstances.

The third stage (Post-Program)

is complex as it depicts all the
possibilities of TFWs' future
after the program:
staying in Canada legally,
returning home, overstaying
their visa and possible
Case study # 2 consequences (deportation).
 JOURNEY MAPPING
This is the final visual for the
Ideal TFW Journey.

The cleaner layout shows a

more smooth journey of TFWs.

To fill in the knowledge gaps, it

is suggested to create
mechanisms, institutions and
partnerships that would
prevent lack of knowledge and
vulnerability of TFWs.

As a result, negative
consequences (such as
deportation and employer
abuse) are eliminated.

Case study # 2
 ECOSYSTEM MAPPING

Non-profit leaders were actively involved in the design of the ecosystem maps: they discussed the linkages
between all stakeholders and offered their suggestions for improving the status quo in sticky notes.

After the workshops, I made sense of the notes from 3 breakout rooms and came up with a reimagined
ecosystem model.

Case study # 2

 PROJECT MODEL MAPPING

This was one of the first sketches I made
for the current project model map.

What I like the most about it is how all

organizations were creatively arranged
in a circle, with each umbrella
(coordinator) organization "hugging"
service provider organizations. The
linkages between service providers and
grassroots were also depicted. I used
different colours to differentiate
organization types.

I also used different lines (broken and

solid) to depict the strength of the
relationships (where its strong or non-
existent, which is a gap to be addressed).

Case study # 2
 PROJECT MODEL MAPPING
This is the final visual of the project model map. It showcases organizations and differences in provincial legislation.

During the first workshop, nonprofit leaders were presented with this map and asked to add their suggestions for
improvement as sticky notes. I organized and themed these insights for the Ideal Ecosystem Model.

Case study # 2
 ECOSYSTEM MAPPING
These are some of sketches I made for the ideal ecosystem map.

Case study # 2
 ECOSYSTEM MAPPING

Case study # 2
 Pre-arrival & orientation services
RECOMMENDATIONS
Out of comprehensive recommendations package developed, the
following focused more specifically on TFW experience:·

Pre-arrival information delivered through web & phone in TFW’s first

language while in home country

Due to lack of knowledge being one of the most acute challenges, I

recommended to address it even before TFWs arrive to Canada -
reaching them through targeted advertising.

·Coordinated arrival services reinforce pre-arrival information, with

in-person interaction and written collateral in multiple languages

While comprehensive pre-arrival provision is important to alleviate

information gaps, it is necessary to account for those TFWs who are
not digitally savvy or do not use internet. Establishing a relationship
with them in the airport is important to prevent them from slipping
Case study # 2
through the cracks as they leave to work in remote locations.
 Reimagined partnership model
RECOMMENDATIONS
Revolutionized non-profit partnership model would include:

Innovative service delivery through mobile units (to reach those

in remote locations), co-location of services and digital
engagement

Employer- and industry-engagement. In the lack of trust

between employers and SPOs, TFWs are missing out on
supports. Working together with employers is important and is
beneficial to all parties (alleviating the burden of TFWs support
for employers, better informing TFWs of supports available and
increasing capacity for SPOs)

Clearer distinction between organizational roles. Umbrella

organizations could focus on addressing research gaps and
expanding and diversifying outreach and partnership while SPOs
are focused on serving TFW.
Case study # 2
 CONCLUSION Project Outcomes

This project revealed multiple research gaps which were

addressed in two follow-up projects which I led as well that
were completed in 2022-2023. One of the projects went
further in-depth on TFW experience with recent policy
changes.

Project findings were presented at international Metropolis

Conferences 2022 & 2023.

IRCC implemented one of the recommendations - Open work

permit for vulnerable workers.

Case study # 2


CONCLUSION Project Uniqueness

The project stands out for its unprecedented scope and

remarkably quick completion. It integrated diverse components,
forming a cohesive representation of the TFW program.
The project exhibited a deep understanding of the motivations,
challenges, and opportunities faced by each stakeholder.
The recommendations offered innovative approach to service
delivery, completely reimagining the provision of services for
TFWs while addressing their unique challenges.

What I would do differently:

If I were to do this project again, I would engage TFWs in

interviews or focus groups. While narrative reports of service
providers had great information, it is good to speak with those
experiencing the program firsthand. Due to time and budget
constraints, TFW engagement was not included.
In the follow-up project that was recently completed (June
2023) I engaged 26 TFWs in both focus groups and interviews.
Case study # 2

 THANK YOU!

Do you have any questions?

hladkikk@gmail.com