J. PACAL
I am an explorer with background in art, product design, user experience, and entrepreneurship.

This intersection of domains creates a fascinating playing field I study in my work. My work tends to concern itself with systems we use for value creation or improvements to human experience.

My latest obsessions are around:

• Helping individuals reach their potential.
• Bringing scientific method to corporate innovation.
• Business venturing.

My projects tend to be meta-inquiries into a particular field, seeking improvements, optimizations and better predictability.

Work history

  • Independently consulting

    2009-present • 
    Explorer for hire
    I've been consulting since my first degree in graphic design. In the years my focus changed from branding & graphics, through user experience, to business-focused product design.

    My approach is through deep understanding of a client's business and proactive search for opportunities where user- and value- centered design methodologies will improve bottom-line.

    I am available for hire, advisory, and personal mentoring.
    Let's work together

  • Yousician

    2015-2017 • 
    UX Lead
    At Yousician, I established, defined and scaled the UX function and created supporting systems, while updating the platform.

    Notably I spearheaded creation of an iterative processes allowing designers to effectively collaborate with agile development.

    I also established a scaleable UI design system in design software and in development SDK.

    And finally I proposed and executed complete architectural and visual restructuring of Yousician's line of products, preparing the platform for several years of upcoming feature growth.

  • Pitchme

    2014-2015 • 
    Founder • Chief of Product
    Pitchme was an inquiry into workplace communication, attempting to help organizations capture, rank, and validate ideas using the wisdom of their crowd.

    The solution piloted with organizations such as Microsoft, Nvidia, as well as smaller Finnish companies, but eventually was sunset as we failed to find and address any real need.

    Most ideation platforms seem to have reached similar fate.

  • Tgthr Events

    2013-2015 • 
    Founder • Chief of Product
    Tgthr Events was a project with the goal of improving personalized program and networking experience for conference attendees.

    Our innovative solution served Finnish event organizers, delivering a high-performance networked solution for thousands of attendees at a time.

  • Leadin

    2013 • 
    Jr. Visual Designer • Internship
    At Leadin, I delivered complete UI designs for a number of industrial customers.

    Notable projects include an improved usability & efficiency for a garment manufacturer resulting in hundreds of thousands in recovered man-hours and improved customer experience.

  • Fontai

    2010-2012 • 
    UI Designer
    For Fontai, I created interaction and interface designs for a complex database management system.

    During the time together, I've also designed their internal project management software and supported a dozen of client projects from branding to UI design.

Educational history

I've completed two professional degrees:

A Maturity Diploma in Graphic Design and Branding in Czech republic. My focus was on branding and brand experience.

And a B.A. in Interactive Media from a Finnish University of Applied Sciences in Tampere. My minor focus was on user experience, business and entrepreneurship.

Do good work. Spark positivity. Keep it playful. Don't stop wondering. Help others up. Keep tomorrow in mind. Think globally. Pursue honesty & justice.