tomek_zemla (u/tomek_zemla)

tomek_zemla commented on Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (August 2025) · Posted by u/whoishiring

tomek_zemla · a month ago

Data Interfaces Designer

Location: Montreal, Canada

Remote: Yes

Willing to relocate: No

Technologies: JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, Three.js, D3, Canvas API, Node.js, MongoDB, OpenAI API, Anthropic API, Claude Code

Keywords: UX, UI, Information Design, Data Visualization, Interface & Product Design

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pixelbox

Email: tomek@pixelbox.com

I am a former software developer who, over the years, transitioned to product design roles. I specialize in data visualizations and design of interfaces to complex data and computation systems.

I worked on a variety of software projects using big data, ML / AI / LLM, computer graphics and sophisticated algorithms. I am a generalist designer who gets along with technical and multidisciplinary teams and fits well in R&D laboratories and startup environments. In recent years, I have worked on a number of cybersecurity products.

I make data and computation visible.

https://www.pixelbox.com/about/PortfolioTZ.pdf

https://www.pixelbox.com/about/ResumeTZ.pdf

https://www.pixelbox.com

tomek_zemla commented on Ask HN: Who is hiring? (July 2025) · Posted by u/whoishiring

bill_duckduckgo · 2 months ago

DuckDuckGo | Multiple Roles | Remote | Full-time | $178.5k + equity

We are looking for candidates that are excited to join us on a mission to raise the standard of trust online. All of our roles are fully-remote, except where specific locations are noted.

Most of the software engineering positions have been repeating here for years because we've been continually hiring for them, scaling our whole team to now over 300 people—many of those hires have come through Hacker News. We've been improving our hiring process over time, and we know some good candidates may have fallen through the cracks. Some people who tried in the past have had success going through it again, and we still pay for hiring projects.

Senior Software Engineer, Windows Desktop App - $178,500 USD + equity — https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/duck-duck-go/47e569c6-f995-4955-a89...

Senior Android Engineer - - $178,500 USD + equity https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/duck-duck-go/57eea673-2519-4afc-a9a...

Senior Backend Engineer - $178,500 USD + equity https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/duck-duck-go/abb953ee-5bb7-4637-9f6...

Product Designer (Senior, Lead or Principal) $178,500 - $243,800 USD + equity https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/duck-duck-go/06c4084f-8044-4837-b1d...

Senior Frontend Engineer, React/Typescript - $178,500 USD + equity https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/duck-duck-go/5d3e230c-ecf4-407a-a3a...

https://duckduckgo.com/careers

tomek_zemla · 2 months ago

The Product Designer link above does not work...

tomek_zemla commented on Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (June 2025) · Posted by u/david927

tomek_zemla · 2 months ago

I continue iterating on my vocabulary builder for ESL (English as a Second Language) students: https://www.dictionarygames.io.

tomek_zemla commented on Ask HN: What are you working on? (May 2025) · Posted by u/david927

tomek_zemla · 3 months ago

A modern take on ESL (English as a Second Language) vocabulary building flashcards. It might also be fun for native speakers who like language games. It is in beta and feedback is very welcome - iterating to improve it... https://www.dictionarygames.io

tomek_zemla commented on Show HN: I made a word puzzles app for improving your English vocabulary dictionarygames.io... · Posted by u/tomek_zemla

jamesdhutton · 3 months ago

@Tomek_zemla: The people in this thread are trying to help you. We are taking the time to tell you about our experience using your app. Feedback is a gift. Be grateful for it. Do not get defensive. If somebody tells you that they found your app baffling and difficult, then you are not going to change their mind by arguing with them. Instead, you should think about how you can change your app so that people find it useful and fun. You have the germ of a good idea for an app here. It needs more work before it's viable. We are trying to help you identify what you need to do to make it good.

tomek_zemla · 3 months ago

I am super grateful for all the feedback and not defensive. Discussing to understand the experience of users...

tomek_zemla commented on Show HN: I made a word puzzles app for improving your English vocabulary dictionarygames.io... · Posted by u/tomek_zemla

Terretta · 3 months ago

OK, another such issue:

---

Question

Find the verb having the following synonyms : collapse, crumble, shatter

Answer: disintegrate

Result: SORRY... Word implode is the answer to this puzzle.

---

It not educational to suggest "shatter" --> "implode".

The original 3 words are to fall down, fall apart, or fall to pieces. My answer "disintegrate", is the opposite of integrate, and works for all three.

Implode is an inward converging motion. The 3 words are not that motion.

tomek_zemla · 3 months ago

Also... Note that the cursor indicates if you typed the correct puzzle answer before you submit it. It prevents users from suggesting words that are correct answers, but not the solutions to the given puzzle.

tomek_zemla commented on Show HN: I made a word puzzles app for improving your English vocabulary dictionarygames.io... · Posted by u/tomek_zemla

Terretta · 3 months ago

OK, another such issue:

---

Question

Find the verb having the following synonyms : collapse, crumble, shatter

Answer: disintegrate

Result: SORRY... Word implode is the answer to this puzzle.

---

It not educational to suggest "shatter" --> "implode".

The original 3 words are to fall down, fall apart, or fall to pieces. My answer "disintegrate", is the opposite of integrate, and works for all three.

Implode is an inward converging motion. The 3 words are not that motion.

tomek_zemla · 3 months ago

English is my second language so I do not create the content for the puzzles. The data comes from different publicly available sources. A quick search on Google for 'Thesaurus implode' gave me this: The thesaurus for "implode" offers several synonyms, including collapse, crumble, buckle, cave in, shatter, and fail. These words describe the act of something falling inwards or breaking apart due to pressure.

tomek_zemla commented on Show HN: I made a word puzzles app for improving your English vocabulary dictionarygames.io... · Posted by u/tomek_zemla

gumboshoes · 3 months ago

As someone who works in the linguistics space and has worked with numerous teams on games and has a wealth of knowledge on how people actually learn vocabulary and what they actually find fun when doing so, I feel like this game would benefit from a pause, a rethink, and a redo. I am in the middle of a Covid bout right now or I would say something more substantive but perhaps most important: you already have valuable feedback here you seem to be rejecting. Why? For example, what if you did allow multiple answers in the blank and scored accordingly?

tomek_zemla · 3 months ago

I am not 'rejecting' the alternative design. I am choosing one design path over another. I have a specific vision of how I want this application to work. It is designed to 'push' users to discover new vocabulary. It's not exactly a game, although it feels a bit like that. It's a new take on an ESL vocabulary practice workbook.

Most words in English have synonyms. Some have long lists of them. The puzzles are designed to make you discover (or just recall) specific words. Accepting a semantically correct alternative defies the purpose! It also makes it easier, and the learning happens when it is hard.

If the question is about finding synonym to pretty and you provide beautiful, it's great. But the puzzles are designed so you discover splendind and stunning and ravishing and glamorous and lovely and... etc.

tomek_zemla commented on Show HN: I made a word puzzles app for improving your English vocabulary dictionarygames.io... · Posted by u/tomek_zemla

satisfice · 3 months ago

By its nature, this game should accept synonyms of the synonyms it is looking for. I offered “bountiful” when the game wanted “abundant.” My answer was not wrong. When it was rejected I instantly lost interest (i.e. motivation, will, desire) to play the game.

tomek_zemla · 3 months ago

The puzzle is about finding a specific (one) word for each game/question. In your case abundant was the answer. The cursor indicates correct/incorrect word before it is submitted preventing you from giving a good answer - bountiful - which is NOT the solution to this specific puzzle. It's designed to push the students to find alternatives, i.e. yet another word that can be a solution until they find the correct one. In other words it does not accept multiple solutions by design.