Hey there 👋 I’m Leandro Fernandez, though most people call me Leo. I’ve been working as a product designer in Toronto, Canada for over a year.
Before that, I studied design and front end development at Humber College, with a focus on UI/UX design, UX research, and interaction design.
My earliest memory of where this passion originated from dates back to my childhood. My family immigrated from Argentina with no plan other than to provide a better life for their children. It was a lonesome experience for them at times, yet the moments that I most remember were their reactions to being able to connect to their families across the world. 


Whether through video calls, social media, or messaging apps, the way their eyes lit up and the infectious laughter they shared with their families on the other side of the world was always something I wanted to recreate.
Now that I work as a product designer, I want to make people feel the same delight my parents felt when they discovered video calling with every product I get the pleasure of working on.
Being a design generalist, I come with a wide range of skills that allow me to adapt to different team dynamics, solving problems in a very collaborative and strategic manner.
‍
From defining a problem to bringing a product to launch, I'm flexible enough to take on varying tasks at different points of a product's lifecycle. This adaptability allows me to excel in startup environments and can be a great asset in a larger design team.
I strive to create inclusive environments within every company I work with by encouraging open communication and being transparent in my process. I find that this behaviour is the key to empowering teams to deliver successful products.
My approach to design is what allows me the ability to confidently marry the needs of a business and their users — delivering exceptional user experiences while simultaneously exceeding company goals.
Worked with the You X Ventures team to design the MVP for their product Unicorn Dojo (B2B).
Led design efforts on a cross-functional team, delivering end-to-end solutions as the sole product designer for the Nanny Lane product (B2C).
Worked on the redesign of the eCompliance app (B2B, SaaS) from concept to MVP, involved directly in weekly design sprints, user research, design and testing.
Provided design consultations, along with CMS support to improve the existing sitemap for web pages in the Student Success and Engagement (SSE) department.
Designed the branding for the Data Driven 2.0 event hosted at Google in Toronto and provided additional web design support for the Journalism department at Humber College.
Led a team of multi-disciplinary students through the design thinking process to design and build the TOgether project, an audience-led interactive installation.
Reflected the IKEA brand identity across multiple platforms, designing, printing, and installing: posters, flyers, web banners, booklets, vinyl & super graphics.
This collection of values is my guide to ensuring I’m constantly evolving as both a designer and collaborator.
Making mistakes is an inevitable part of life. The sooner you make them, the sooner you can learn from them, and the sooner you can make sure you don’t make those mistakes again.
It’s important to always remain curious. Asking “why?” will allow you to dig deep into a problem and open doors to areas that were never considered.
It's important to collaborate, ideate and get feedback from others often. The best solutions come from the inclusion of other peoples’ perspectives, ideas, and expertise.
Whether it be how you manage your time or how you set up your folder structure, always make sure to keep your work and life organized. Your future self will thank you in the long run.
The problem-setting should be just as important as the problem-solving stage of a project. Ensuring the problem is properly defined will pave the way for successful products.
When tasked with something that may be out of your comfort zone, remember to embrace every single challenge that comes your way. If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.
