Yinka Ajibola

Hi, I'm Yinka

I’m a UX researcher and academic focused on how people engage with technology in real-world contexts. Grounded in the belief that tech is socially constructed, I use the SCOT framework and UX research methods to center human needs, culture, and lived experience in design. My research explores gig translators in Kenya and how they navigate platforms, autonomy, and policy—contributing to more inclusive design and equitable digital policy. Across both academic and applied work, I’m committed to culturally responsive design in under-researched contexts.
View my journal publications

Featured Work

1. Symplicity Mobile App
Design Research Intern (Arlington, VA)
Improving Retention Through Gamified UX
Surveyed 109 students to uncover motivations behind app drop-off and presented gamification-based solutions to increase engagement.
2. Base App
UX Research Consultant (Madison, WI)
Inclusive Health Tech for Multilingual Users
Led diary studies across African users to inform culturally sensitive design in Swahili, Hausa, and Oromo for a mobile health app.
View Case Study
3. Smart City Engagement (IEEE)
UX Researcher (National Team)
Bridging Gaps Between Tech and Communities
Interviewed city planners across the U.S. to study citizen inclusion in smart city design — findings published in IEEE.
View Case Study

Interest Areas

  • Digital Labor & Platform Policy

    Investigating how gig workers engage with digital platforms — and how those platforms shape autonomy, equity, and regulation.

  • African Tech Ecosystems

    Studying how technology emerges, adapts, and impacts across African communities and infrastructures.

  • Culturally Responsive Design

    Designing with deep respect for users’ lived experiences, languages, and local realities.

  • Inclusive, Evidence-Based UX

    Blending mixed methods and inclusive strategy to create tools that are both usable and meaningful for diverse users.