TRAINING

Industry Training Courses

• Development and delivery of corporate training courses across various industries
• Course topics include: User Experience, User Centered Design, Usability, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Design of Interactive Computational Media, Embracing Technology
• Courses duration ranging from 1 hour to 24 hours of instruction

 

Delivered Courses for

• Rogers Communications
• CIBC
• Deutsche Bank
• Human Factors International – HFI
• Intelliware Development
• International Institute for Learning – IIL
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority – LAMTA
• Metrolinx
• OMERS Worldwide
• Ontario Science Centre
• PeopleSoft
• Scotiabank
• Shoppers Drug Mart

 

Workshops at Conferences & Events

• DocSHIFT Toronto
• DOC Toronto
• MaRS Tech Startups, Toronto
• Mobile Accelerator Program (MAP), OCADU Toronto
• Mobile Experience Innovation Centre (MEIC), OCADU Toronto
• Mobile Developers & Designers of Toronto (MDOT)
• Ryerson’s Digital Media UX Design Workshop
• Next Media Conference, Toronto
• SMART Conferences, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Recommendations

Participants in HFI Design and Usability Testing Courses, Online Worldwide, August 2023

Love your style of teaching… Feels very engaged in this class!

The class was fantastic and I learnt a lot! Thank you Ilona for sharing your vast knowledge and expertise! I feel like my impostor syndrome has been finally vanquished and I have the tools to make a real impact in my job!

This was a great course for an online setting. I really enjoyed the pace and the student/teacher interactions as well as stories and shared wisdom from past experiences. Thank you so much!

Today’s class was one of the best ones that I have taken so far. The instructor included rich and relevant anecdotes from her professional experience. These “extensions” of teaching have allowed me to narrow the chasm between theory and reality, especially since I have not had that opportunity to practice such activities. 

Participants in HFI Design and Usability Testing Courses, Online Worldwide, April 2021

I learned an amazing set of practical puzzle pieces for setting up a super professional and flexible usability workflow that can be applied to improve pretty much anything. I learned there are levels to this discipline and that there is a lot more to learn than I expected. This feeds and grows the unassuming spirit that I am trying to cultivate as a person and as a professional.

I recently took a design and usability testing class from Ilona as part of the CUA certification from HFI, something I’ve wanted to do for years. Ilona’s style of teaching is fun and interactive, and I learnt a lot from her. Thank you Ilona for sharing your vast knowledge and expertise! I feel like my impostor syndrome has been finally vanquished and I have the tools to make a real impact in my job!

I met Ilona when she taught an intensive Usability course at my company over the course of 6 weeks almost a decade ago. Not realizing this until we recently reconnected at a talk she was giving, her teachings and insights have been a large cornerstone to the way I approach software development as a whole, putting users first and eliminating bias whenever possible. In hindsight, I have been truly blessed to have had that experience as it floods my entire view of users and customers first in a product-driven Agile approach that I spend my days advocating. Now, if everyone else could get the same education!

Michael Glueck, Autodesk, Senior Research Scientist, October 2013

Ilona Posner taught my undergrad Interaction Design course at the University of Toronto. This was by far my favourite undergrad CS course, CSC318. She always brought enthusiasm and energy to the evening lectures, and made sure to engage all students in the material. There were always small exercises to do outside of class, such as find examples of bad interaction design in in our daily lives. Looking back, these seemingly trivial activities had the largest impact. Ilona encouraged me to develop my own awareness and critical eye and make interaction design a part of my life.

Garry Beirne,  Intelliware Inc., Director, Solutions Delivery,  January 2013

I have worked with Ilona a number of occasions She completed a usability review of a complex system for a client in the pharmacy industry. Her insights, intuition and report quality were extremely professional and comprehensive, and the report is strongly influencing the course of product development. We were so impressed with her work that we hired her to give first a full day workshop, and then a 9-week course to our developers and communications staff on Usability & User Experience. We were very happy with the outcomes this course and many of the learnings were incorporated in our development process. She is an excellent communicator, teacher and creative thinker. I can highly recommend Ilona as a powerful leader in usability and user experience.  – LinkedIn Recommendation, January 26, 2013

Rick White, Scotiabank, VP Marketing, March 2011

Ilona and I taught a graduate class for two summers.  Ilona focused on the client experience while I looked after the marketing strategy.  Ilona was tremendously collaborative and insightful in helping to make the program a challenging and solid learning experience for our adult students.  She also was a fun partner to work with.

Ana Serrano, Director of Habitat New Media Lab at Canadian Film Centre, May 2006

Since 2000, Ilona Posner with her experience and enthusiasm has made valuable contributions to our Interactive Art and Entertainment training program.

Jackie Garrow, DOC Toronto, Managing Director, November 2011

Ilona’s paper-proto-typing workshop was a hit with the professional documentary filmmaking community. Each time we invite her back her session consistently ranks as a conference favorite!

Richard Lachman, Ryerson University, Assistant Professor, Digital Media  & DocSHIFT Labs Incubator Lead Mentor, Feb 2011

Ilona’s paper-prototyping presentation and workshop was one of the most highly-regarded invited-talks of our incubator.  The participants appreciated Ilona’s clear insights, fantastic examples and knowledgeable presentations.

Alice Tolar, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Transportation Planning Manager, Central Area Team, November 2010.

Thank you for the time you have been able to spend with our staff.  We have all benefitted greatly.

Zbigniew Duszak, OMERS Worldwide, Director Information Technology Solutions, Sept 2009.

After your course people started thinking about users and usability, and now we are doing it!

Usability Workshop Participants, OMERS Worldwide, December 2008.

“Usability should be part of every iteration throughout software development lifecycle.”

“This course opened my eyes to many different levels of user skills & knowledge.”

“An extremely valuable workshop!  Would like to have had more time for the workshop.”

“Course taught me ways of getting user inputs in building a system.”

Matt McPherson, President & COO, Infonaut Inc. & Graduate Student, University of Toronto, February 2011

I had Ilona as my professor for a graduate course in ‘Design of Interactive Computational Media’ – and she had everything you want in a teacher: accessible, nurturing and an expert in the subject matter (User-Centred Design in this case)… her style was engaging, garnering the undivided attention of the class. We need more teachers like Ilona. – LinkedIn Recommendation, February 7, 2011

Matthew Zukowski, 4^th Year Computer Science Student, U. of Toronto, April 20, 2005

I found the course extremely interesting. … Without a doubt taking your course has resulted in a much better product for my company, its client, and perhaps most importantly for its users. It is very rewarding to see how the detailed design process pays off …  Thanks to careful application of the various design and evaluation methods, our users are now reporting nothing but satisfaction with how our product has made their jobs easier.

Ronald Baecker, Professor Computer Science, University of Toronto, June 10, 2004

The more I think about it, the more I’m very pleased with the great job and innovations you brought to csc318 (course) this year.  Thanks again for all that you’ve done!!!

CFC Interactive Art and Entertainment Program Participants. 2000 – 2011

“Ilona has teaching under her skin…  I wish we had more time with her.”

“Very relaxed and comfortable instructor to be around. I was thrilled to have her great experience and wisdom in the group. I would have liked more time to spend with Ilona.”

“She was a mentor, teacher, thought-provocateur and beacon of shining light to me at the CFC…  Thanks for making me think!”

Kathryn Saunders, George Brown College, Program Coordinator, January 30, 2006

Thank you so much for coming to speak to the Advanced Digital Design students today.  When you left, they requested that you come back to ‘hang out’ (i’m NOT kidding)  — because you were so interesting.  (That’s gotta make your day! :-)…. Ilona, you were a BIG hit.

David Modjeska, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto, March 1, 2002

Thanks for an interesting talk. I really enjoyed hearing about the case study, as well as some points about how usability is done in practice. A very entertaining lecture!

Christine Pilkington, Executive Director, DigitalEve Toronto Chapter of Women on the Web Organization, February 21, 2002

Thank *you*!  I was very very pleased about your presentation – and many others who attended shared the same sentiment. You are a terrific speaker who communicated the information clearly and effectively…  A very entertaining lecture!