Hi, I'm Tommaso Armstrong, PhD, a UX researcher passionate about designing technology that connects people.
I'm currently looking for industry UX research and service design roles in San Francisco.
About me
My expertise is in conducting end-to-end research on how technology mediates connections between people and working with sensitive (or otherwise specific) groups. Everything from designing custom methodologies to investigate how technologies shape experiences, to leading (participatory) design explorations, prototyping outcomes in design tools (or code), and presenting findings and recommendations to partners.
My PhD research investigated how to improve the design of social platforms for and with queer young men. As part of that I worked with 60+ queer and trans young people and have presented findings and design recommendations to many of the social platforms I studied.
Alongside my research, I’m a strong facilitator. I’ve taught Interaction Design and Design Innovation classes, and run events along with my peers at the San Francisco chapter of the Service Design Network. I’m also on the committee for CreativeMornings San Francisco where I’m the volunteer photographer.
My research
LGBTQ+ young people depend heavily on social platforms to find peer support and explore their identities. However, they’re often not considered in the design of such platforms.
My research focuses specifically on queer and trans young men and uses ethnographic and research through design approaches to address this gap.
Overview of research
- Recruited and worked with 60+ queer and trans young people.
- Used semi-structured interviews and a custom-designed probe kit to understand current experiences.
- Ran co-design sessions with technology designers to generate 11 new concepts for social platform features.
- Validated concepts in evaluation sessions with end-users.
- Published findings in peer-reviewed articles and at conferences.
- Presented work to social platform and dating app companies as part of invited talks.
