Jacob Ikola

Digital Product Development

Designing Experiences.
Delivering Code.

About me

The digital product landscape often presents a divide between technical development and design aesthetics. My strength lies in navigating that space—crafting intuitive, delightful experiences by pairing an understanding of technical capabilities with a user-centered design perspective. I believe exceptional digital products emerge from a holistic approach, where functionality, usability, and visual clarity are thoughtfully intertwined.

Beyond the screen, I pursue a mix of creative and physical passions, including playing guitar, visual design, skateboarding, and martial arts!

Past Experiences

February 2022 - July 2025

Full-Stack Developer, UX/UI Designer

Made significant contributions to both internal infrastructure and client-facing solutions. I ultimately led the initiative to create and implement a company-wide design system. Simultaneously, I served as a dedicated 1:1 client-facing developer, managing expectations, translating business requirements into technical solutions, and consistently delivering exceptional end results. I also contributed to the ongoing development and maintenance of Auctioneer Software—including feature development, bug fixes, and performance optimizations.

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March 2021 - January 2022

Design & Development Consultant

Consulted on diverse design-focused projects, collaborating closely with both clients and more senior designers to deliver engaging and functional user experiences. My focus was on ensuring the technical feasibility and alignment of design solutions, working to address challenges and deliver practical, scalable outcomes. I leveraged tools like Figma to create detailed wireframes, mockups, and prototypes, as well as consistently provided technical consultations to proactively identify and resolve potential design or implementation issues.

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May 2019 - July 2020

Full-Stack Developer

Led development efforts, working alongside product, design, and sales teams to create a Learning Management System intended to help software developers grow and thrive through specialized learning paths. My role included balancing technical execution with user feedback and ensuring scalable, maintainable solutions. I regularly facilitated communication between technical teams and stakeholders through product demos and user interviews, and played a key role in creating a user-friendly e-learning dashboard that improved developer onboarding.

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Project Feature

Availo

Group plans without the group text

Some of the best plans start with a quick run-in, a shared moment, or a mutual “sure, why not?”. This app makes it easy to float ideas, discover who’s free, and turn everyday moments into shared experiences. Less overthinking, more showing up—just like it should be!

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