CV

Publications

• 2020 – Lessio N. and Morris A. – Toward Design Archetypes for Conversational Agent Personality, 2020 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC), Toronto, ON, 2020, pp. 3221-3228
• 2020 – Lessio, N. – Virtual Creativity, Volume 10, Number 1, 1 April 2020, pp. 59-71(13) – Making SAD Home: An Exploration Into Developing an Alexa With Depression
• 2019 – Shao, Lessio, Morris – Procedia Computer Science, Volume 155, 2019, Pages 433-440 – IoT Avatars: Mixed Reality Hybrid Objects for CoRe Ambient Intelligent Environments
• 2018 – Morris, Lessio – MPS '18 Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Multimedia Privacy and Security – Deriving Privacy and Security Considerations for CORE: An Indoor IoT Adaptive Context Environment
• 2018 – Lessio,N – OCADU Open Research – Working With Useless Machines: A look at our shifting relationship with ubiquity through personal assistants

Exhibitions

• SAD Home (Depressed Alexa 1.0): NeurIPS – Vancouver BC and Online, December 2019
• SAD Home (Depressed Alexa 1.0): Meaningful Code – Mississauga Living Arts Centre, October 2019 - January 2020
• Fixations | Fortune Tasker 3.0: Bit Bazaar – Toronto, June 2019
• Working With Useless Machines: Art-AI Festival – Leicester UK, May 2019
• SAD Home (Depressed Alexa 1.0): Banff Centre Open Studios – Banff AB, January 2019
• SAD Blender: NeurIPS 2018 – Montreal QC and Online, December 2018
• Fortune Tasker 2.0: Damage Camp – Toronto, September 2018
• Fortune Tasker: Internet Yami-Ichi X Bit Bazaar – Toronto, July 2018
• Calendar Creep: Vector: Born Digital, Art On The Screens – Toronto, July 2018
• Working With Useless Machines: GradEx – Toronto, May 2018
• Working With Useless Machines: Digital Futures Graduating Show – Toronto, April 2018
• Fortune Tasker: Digital Futures Open Show – Toronto, February 1st, 2018
• Fascist Falldown: Digital Futures Open Show – Toronto, March 2017
• PoopArray: INT VAR VOID – Toronto, December 2016
• Punk Prism Power: IndieCade Official Selection – Culver City LA, October 2015
• Sext Adventure: Vector: To Utility and Beyond, Interaccess – Toronto, February 2015
• Punk Prism Power: DMG X Vector Killer Interfaces Showcase – Toronto, February 2015
• Sext Adventure: No Coins – Banff Centre Convergence – Banff, November 2014.
• Adventurebox: Cordial Calliope Tea House installation: Nuit Blanche – Toronto, 2014
• Sext Adventure: InideCade Official Selection – Culver City LA, October 9-12th 2014
• Sext Adventure: Boston Festival of Indie Games – MIT – September, 2014
• ISS Love Booth: GDC/Wild Rumpus – That Party – 2014
• ISS Love Booth: AGO / Hand Eye Society Fancy Video Game Party – Feb 2014
• Cat Quest: AGO DMG / Long Winter Takeover for First Thursday – January 2014
• Cat Quest: Toronto Long Winter – 2013
• Long Time Coming: Toronto Long Winter Showcase – March 2013
• Long Time Coming: DMG Feb Fatale showcase – November 2013

Residencies

• January 2019 – Digital Promises | Banff Centre For Arts and Creativity

Speaking Sessions

• SMC 2020 Toward Design Archetypes for Conversational Agent Personalities – October 2020
• ISEA 2020 Why Sentience: Depressed Alexa – October 2020
• FITC Toronto: Working With Useless Machines – April 2019
• PyCon Canada: Working With Useless Machines – November 2018
• Different Games: Playing With Personal Assistants IRL – October 2018
• Hacakaday.io AMA Chat: Hacking Voice Interfaces – July 2018
• Vector: Born Digital: Inner Workings | Performance Artist Panel – July 2018
• CreateTO: Working With Useless Machines – June 2018
• Maker Festival Toronto: Too Dangerous For GDC – July 2017
• Different Games Toronto: Too Dangerous For GDC – June 2017
• Networking Mixer for Makers at FITC Toronto: Too Dangerous For GDC – April 2017
• Toronto Public Library: Technology - Successes and Failures – June 12th, 2015
• Hack-a-day Toronto: Why I won't use the Word Easy Anymore. – April 2015
• Vector: To Utility and Beyond Artist Panel, Interaccess – February 2015
• FITC: Lessons learned from the ISS Love – 2014
• CreateTO: Recycled Sensors and Ongoing Game Projects – 2013

Community Work

• 2017-2020 – Organizing Team / Volunteer, Stupid Shit No One Needs and Bad Ideas Hackathon Toronto
• 2017 – Organizing Team, Different Games Toronto
• 2015 – Lead Mentor, FITC Women's Make n' Mix
• 2014 – Lead Mentor, Beyond The Code Makey Makey Workshop
• 2014 – Organizing Team, Julivewire!(DMG) –
• 2014 – Workshop Coordinator, Allied Media Conference – DIY Game Controllers Workshop

Press

• NOW Toronto – 10 Toronto makers you should know
• The Hairpin – A Fake Knife A Real throw
• Wired – I had Sex With a Bot And It Left Me Confused
• Hackaday – Friday Hack And Chat: Hacking Voice Assistants
• Built To Play 55 – Interface The Machine
• Built To Play 29 – Vector-Based Romance

Work

• Current – Freelance Technologist (Consulting, VUIs, DIY Electronics, Media Art)
• January 2018 – March 2020 Researcher in the A.C.E Lab, OCADU
• Jan 2017 – March 2017: Teaching Assistant in Strategic Foresight and Innovation
• Sept 2016 – Feb 2017: Research Assistant in the Visual Analytics Lab at OCADU
• 2012 – 2015: Independent developer for physical games, game controllers, and playful experiences
• 2004 - 2012: Web designer and developer (front end, CMS implementations) for large and small clients (TCAF, Corus, Oni, etc)
• 2002 - 2005: Graphic designer (BNMI, Shift, Terminus, Independent clients)

Education

• MDes in Digital Futures from OCAD University
• Undergrad Diploma in Graphic Design from OCAD University
• Voice Tech Global: Advanced UX for Conversation Design

Awards

• 2018 – Digital Futures, Best Creative Project, Working With Useless Machines
• 2018 – OCADU Gradlinks Scholarship
• 2017 – CGS-M Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Working With Useless Machines)
• 2016 – OCADU Dean's Scholarship