George Kalmpourtzis
Verified Expert in Design
Designer
Paris, France
Toptal member since March 8, 2021
George is an award-winning instructional designer, L&D director, and user researcher with 19 years of experience driving usability, learning innovation, and digital and organizational change. An author of two books on learning design, engagement, and gamification, he has worked with global names such as Disney, Forbes, Amadeus, Starbucks, the European Commission, BNP Paribas, and top universities to craft impactful digital experiences.
Experience
- Mixed Method Research - 17 years
- User Research - 17 years
- UX Design - 17 years
- Gamification - 17 years
- Product Strategy - 17 years
- Instructional Design - 15 years
- Digital Transformation - 15 years
- Human-centered AI - 6 years
Portfolio
Tactileo Education
CoastalPro
Auto Pilot
Work Experience
AI in Education Researcher and University Lecturer
Université Côte d'Azur
- Performed research in the field of human-AI interaction in education.
- Conducted research in the field of human-computer interaction and game studies.
- Taught the following courses in the MSc SmartEdTech Program: Disruptive Pedagogy, Digital Cultures & Ethics, and Interdisciplinary Project.
Principal Instructional Designer and Digital Transformation Consultant
Infinitivity Design Labs
- Oversaw 15+ learning management system deployment projects as well as the design of several curricula and learning strategies for academic institutions, the public sector, and private organizations.
- Contributed to the AI strategy of different academic institutions and research centers, including aspects related to explainable AI and human-centered AI.
- Acted as the principal consultant of a design agency focusing on user research, digital transformation, UX design, gamification, and instructional design.
- Served as a human-centered AI and explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) consultant.
- Built the Kabuji Legends blockchain-powered NFT narrative universe, including world-building, narrative design, and game design.
- Provided gamification consultancy on R&D projects with clients and partners from banking, insurance, healthcare, education, training, research, and academia.
- Designed over 20 mobile applications and video games.
- Coached and trained on user research, UX strategy, gamification, and learning experience design.
- Worked on several generative AI projects on content creation for interface design, character design, and ideation.
Lead User Researcher
European Commission
- Led user research initiatives for the European Statistics Institute, focusing on generative research.
- Set up ResearchOps for the European Statistics Institute.
- Proposed training initiatives on user research, UX, and design thinking.
- Designed a Power BI dashboard and analytics for a user research insights presentation.
Instructional and Documentation Designer
Draganfly Inc
- Coordinated with stakeholders to identify user needs and learning gaps and perform task analysis to propose a learner-centered curriculum configuration that met organizational needs.
- Provided design and development of the curriculum for a UAV training program.
- Performed content audits and inventories and interacted with organization stakeholders to identify needs for content development.
Lead User Researcher
Forbes Media - Q.ai (Fintech)
- Designed and executed qualitative and quantitative user research studies on improving Q.AI's mobile app interface.
- Coordinated with various company stakeholders (from C-level to delivery) on planning, framing, and executing research studies, drafting hypotheses, and identifying priorities.
- Oversaw the execution of user research studies, from research scope framing, research design, user recruitment, session running, analysis, synthesis, communication, and dissemination.
- Set up the organization's ResearchOps configuration to make user research available and accessible to all organization stakeholders.
UX and Gamification Designer
BH2 Innovations Inc
- Designed the gamification strategy of a medical equipment maintenance software portal.
- Built an MVP for a medical equipment maintenance software portal based on a previously established gamification strategy.
- Conducted preliminary research, helping myself and the team make more informed decisions.
User Researcher
HealthCare
- Organized and oversaw the recruitment process for HealthCare's user research studies. Set up ResearchOps to streamline the recruitment processes in the future.
- Conducted exploratory research for several HealthCare projects.
- Ran remote moderated usability feedback sessions for new interfaces proposed by HealthCare.
Lead Product and Games Designer
The Kabuji Project
- Oversaw the scope and vision definition of the Kabuji project, including MVP scope, vision, and technical stack selection.
- Designed and oversaw the game mechanics, NFT distribution, and worldbuilding of the narrative universe of the project.
- Oversaw the design of the project's visual elements, working with different artists.
Lead UX Strategist & Instructional Designer
BNP Paribas
- Conducted usability research for the company's fintech products.
- Provided UX strategy consulting on various international projects of the BNP Paribas Group.
- Proposed design solutions for fintech products and services.
- Facilitated ideation workshops about the creation of fintech products and services.
Lead User Researcher
Disneyland Paris
- Established the company's ResearchOps by streamlining the user research processes of the department.
- Conducted qualitative and quantitative user research to provide actionable insights for product and design teams.
- Organized and facilitated ideation workshops and design sprints with company stakeholders.
Senior User Designer and Researcher
Amadeus
- Led the user experience design and research process for various B2B products.
- Proposed design solutions, prototyped, and ran usability tests with real users.
- Established an iterative design and user research methodology based on frameworks and approaches, including design thinking and the Double Diamond.
Senior UX Designer
Technicolor
- Designed the interface of the operating system for a global consumer electronics manufacturer's smart TV.
- Ran design workshops, proposed design ideas, and prototyped them.
- Proposed a design thinking approach to designing the product.
Lead Learning Experience Designer
Maskott
- Designed the entire learning resources platform of the French Ministry of National Education.
- Built two award-winning mobile learning apps focusing on mathematics and geography.
- Created the design for six educational games on mathematics education.
- Developed applications and learning solutions for various external clients, like Orange, Microsoft, and ENS Lyon.
Education
Doctoral Degree in Educational Technology
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki, Greece
Bachelor's Degree in Education
University of Western Macedonia - Florina, Greece
Master's Degree in Advanced Information Systems
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki, Greece
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki, Greece
Certifications
Certified SAFe Program Consultant (SPC)
Scaled Agile, Inc.
Agile Certified Coach (ICP-ACC)
ICAgile
ITIL V4
ITIL
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
Scrum Alliance, Inc.
Skills
Tools
iOS SDK, OptimalSort, Miro, Articulate 360, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Confluence, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Sketch, Xcode, Lookback, Maze, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Animate, Eclipse IDE, Sketch 4, GIS, Jira, Microsoft Power BI, Hotjar, Airtable, Tableau, Moodle
Industry Expertise
Education, Education Technology (Edtech), Games, Aircraft & Airlines, Government, Hotels & Lodging, Hospitality
Platforms
Figma, UserZoom, SharePoint, Android, iOS, Ethereum
Languages
Swift, Objective-C
Other
Human-computer Interaction (HCI), User Experience (UX), Game Design, Information Architecture (IA), Training, User Research, UX Design, Gamification, Usability Testing, Task Analysis, Wireframing, UX Prototyping, Agile Product Management, Prototyping, UX Strategy, IA Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Mockups, Interactive UX, Mobile Apps, Optimal Workshop, Research, ResearchOps, Facilitation, MVP Design, Edtech Design, UX Testing, User Interviews, Qualitative Reports, UX Audits, UX Research, Mobile Prototypes, Rapid Prototyping, Journey Mapping, E-learning, Instructional Design, Learning, Adult Learning, Educational Games, K-12 Education, Business Model Canvas, Writing & Editing, Customer Journey, Learning Management Systems (LMS), Educational Platform Design, B2B, Business to Business (B2B), Ideation, Ideation Workshops, Design Sprints, Service Design, Workshops, Questionnaires, Survey Development & Analysis, UX Wireframes, Customer Experience Management, Content Creation, Video Games, Information Systems, Navigation Design, Navigation, Interviews, Higher Education, Continuing Education, Educational Videos, Educational Portals, Vocational Education, Mobile Learning, User Engagement, Customer Engagement, ICT Training, Surveys, Survey Design, Design Research, Operations Research, Google Design Sprints, Usability, Information Design, Health IT, UX Writing, Copywriting, Best Practices in Design, UX Analysis, User Testing, User Journeys, Feature Prioritization, Profiling, Personas, Jobs to be Done (JTBD), Mobile Design, Analytics, Nudge Theory, Behavioral Design, Employee Training, Training Content, SaaS, Atomic UX Research, Card Sorting, UX Workshops, Stakeholder Engagement, Financial UX, Task Flows, CX Strategy, Financial Design, Fintech, Software as a Service (SaaS), Design Thinking Facilitation, Digital Transformation, Design Leadership, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Notion, Game Design Documentation, Storytelling, Articulate Rise, Human-centered AI, HCAI, Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Mixed Method Research, Innovation Strategy, Design Strategy, Customer Experience (CX) Design, Digital Strategy, Product Consultant, Chief Product Officer (CPO), Organizational Change Management (OCM), Change Management, AI Transformation, Prosci ADKAR, kotter, AI literacy, Smart TV, Healthcare IT, Digital Health, tvOS UI, Web3, Responsible AI, Agentic AI, Mobile Development, Cognitive Psychology, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, User Personas, User Journey Maps, Design Thinking, Project Management, Product Management, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), ITIL, Agile Coaching, Accessibility, Tablet UX, Product Design, Business Design, Value Proposition Canvas, Story Mapping, Atomic Design, Interaction Design (IxD), Augmented Reality (AR), Maps, UI Design, ITIL 4, Training & Training Content Development, Video Streaming, Contextual Inquiry, Google Maps, Location Services and Maps, Adult Education, Consumer Electronics, Smart Home Technology, Documentation, Web Design, Web App UX, Focus Groups, Design Systems, Digital Resources, Web Content, Mobile Game Design, Location Services, Dashboards, Persona Development, User Flows, Blockchain, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Intranets, Web Dashboards, Sustainability, Mobile Game UX, Medical Software, Medical Devices, Blockchain Platforms, Blockchain as a Service, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, User Interface (UI), Branding, Responsive Web Design (RWD), B2B2C, Drop Shipping, eCommerce, eCommerce UX, eCommerce UI, Onboarding, Metrics, Dark UIs, Light UI, Health Insurance, SaaS Design, Web Analytics, User Onboarding, Reservation Flow, Travel, Service Blueprints, Online Banking, Discovery, Business to Business to Consumer (B2B2C), Quantitative User Research, Mobile UX Design, Design Workshops, Discovery Workshops, Dashboard Design, UX Flows, Web Accessibility, Responsive Layout, TV, 2D Games, User Profiles, User Segments, Customer Segmentation, Market Segmentation, Buyer Personas, Recruitment, Web Usability, Stakeholder Management, Data Visualization, Stakeholder Mapping, Complex Web Systems, Travel Design, Remote User Testing, User Stories, DataViz, eCommerce Design, Roadmaps, UX Roadmaps, Product Roadmaps, Usability Analysis, Web UX, Customer Experience, Agile UX, Agile, Stakeholder Interviews, Usability Heuristics, Heuristic Analysis, Heuristic Evaluation, Web App Design, Audits, Lean Startups, Heuristics, Graphical User Interface (GUI), Blockchain Game Development, UX Leadership, Leadership, World Building, Character Design, Narrative UX, Market Research, A/B Testing, Strategy, Finance, Client Interviews, Curriculum Design, Curriculum Development, Curriculum Development & Delivery, Learning Strategy, Content Management Systems (CMS), Content Management, Quantitative Analysis, Profile Design, Segment, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Data Analysis, Customer Research, User Surveys, Online Surveys, Multivariate Testing, Remote Usability Testing, Consumer Insights, Customer Insights, Market Insights, System Usability, Booking Systems, Microsoft 365, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS), Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), Artificial Intelligence Product Manager, Unmoderated Remote Usability Testing, Customer Interviews, Asset Management, Fintech Consultant, DALL-E, Midjourney, Impact Analysis, Environmental Impact Assessments, SWOT Analysis, Qualitative Analysis, Instructor-led Training (ILT), Market Research Analyst, AI Adoption, AI Product Strategy, Empowerment, Product Strategy, Product Strategy Consultant, Digital Product Management, Technical Product Management, Technical Documentation, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Innovation, Ethical Impact Assessment, AI Ethics, NDC, New Distribution Capabilities, Business Intelligence (BI), Business Intelligence Architecture, New Distribution Capabilities (NDC), Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Learning & Development, Blended Learning Design, L&D, Leadership Training, Game-based Learning, Storyboarding, Corporate Learning, SCORM, R&D, Learning Apps, ADDIE, Microlearning, Sales Enablement, AI Enablement, AI Research, Technical Training
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