Hi, I'm Jose!

Strategic designer with fifteen years of experience turning ambiguity into action through services, operating models, and capability building. Experience spans banking, aviation, retail, insurance, education, and the public sector, across organizational contexts and international institutions in Europe and Latin America.

Over the last two years, my practice has become AI-native. I design AI adoption programs, translate strategic-design methodologies into AI-enabled systems, and build the workflows that support them: agents, reusable skills, structured context, and human-in-the-loop automation.

I'm currently embedded with Iberia's Innovation team, bringing that same combination of stakeholder alignment across business, technology, and leadership, and hands-on AI design, to a live, large-scale organization.

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José Antonio Ávila

Strategic Design

Working at the point where complexity becomes direction. From service blueprints and strategic narratives to operating models and organizational frameworks. Comfortable working with senior leadership and C-level stakeholders to align intent with execution.

AI Systems & Agentic Design

Designing AI adoption programs and translating strategic-design methodologies into AI-enabled systems. Building the workflows that support them: agents, reusable skills, structured context, and human-in-the-loop automation.

Design Leadership

Building and leading design practices from the ground up. Experience managing cross-functional teams, defining design principles, establishing DesignOps structures, and creating the conditions for teams to do their best work consistently.

Organizational Design

Defining how teams operate at scale — governance, OKR frameworks, rituals, and capability building programs. Experience structuring large design disciplines and connecting team activities to measurable business outcomes.

Foresight

Translating emerging signals into strategic scenarios teams can act on. Building foresight capabilities inside organizations and turning uncertainty into something concrete enough to steer by.

Product and Service Design

Shaping products, services, and ecosystems from early opportunity through validation and execution. Across financial services, aviation, and public sector — from diffuse briefs to structured, testable concepts.

Mentoring and Coaching

Supporting designers, strategists, and founders through critical decisions, methodology, and career development. Experience mentoring at IE University, Fledge Accelerator, and across independent practice.

Senior Strategic Designer WPP · VML The Cocktail · 2021 — Present
Adjunct Professor IE University · 2023 — Present
Co-Founder Yunizon · 2019 — 2021
Service Designer Garaje de Ideas · 2021
Strategic Designer NADIE · 2019 — 2021
Freelance Researcher and Strategist Independent · 2018 — 2021
Design Lead IED Madrid · 2014 — 2018
Mentor Fledge Accelerator · 2016 — 2018
Industrial Designer Ciszak Dalmas · 2013 — 2017
Masters in Strategic Design IED Madrid · 2012
BA Industrial Design and Fine Arts PUCP Lima · 2006 — 2011

Contact

Open to strategic design leadership, AI deployment strategy, and agent strategist roles, as well as advisory and consulting work. Always open to chat with other passionate professionals!