How did you discover your passion for digital design and get started in the field? I started my career working with graphic design and branding several years ago. Although branding is a discipline of which I still consider myself an aficionado and admirer, I remember falling in love with digital design in the early years of my career. Digital design is a discipline where everything we do is constantly changing; it is guided by user needs instead of pure aesthetics. So, this approach made more sense to me as soon as I started working on digital products daily. Back then, I was fortunate enough to work at a digital agency in Brazil, so I had a great introduction to the world of digital design, working directly on designing websites, digital ads and mobile apps. After that, I never looked back. It’s been thirteen years of working purely on interactive and digital services.

What makes me passionate about digital design is that a potent mix of creative expression, problem solving and technology drives this discipline. I find joy in translating ideas into compelling visuals and user flows, tackling design challenges, and crafting experiences that resonate with audiences. The constant evolution of technology fuels my passion for learning and adapting, while the ability to influence users’ perceptions provides a profound sense of purpose.

What do you do in your role as a design lead at Google? I lead UX projects for mobile and wearable devices. I focus a lot on excellence and use my skills to solve complex problems for different people at different moments of their lives.

What have been some of your favorite projects that you’ve worked on in your career? It’s hard to pick my favorite projects, but I can think of two big projects I worked on in the past that resonated with my work and, fortunately, had a substantial positive impact on a global scale.

During my time at design consultancy Fjord/Accenture, I designed the very first mobile app for the Rio de Janeiro International Airport—one of South America’s most significant and busiest airports. I was responsible for leading the team, and our initial prompt was to design a way to follow flight information and get notifications about the status of your flights. However, to go the extra mile, we thought about improving the general indoor navigation of airports. We all know airports are enormous and sometimes confusing to navigate, so to enhance the overall experience, I convinced the airport to install thousands of beacons to guide passengers to their boarding gates, restaurants, cafés and restrooms, as well as an app through which they could ay the parking lot. This project was a fantastic example of a great partnership between design, technology and business. More than 65 thousand people use this new experience daily while traveling through the airport. A project of major significance to the design and tech field as a whole, it has established a historical mark for Brazil in terms of airport navigation and digital experience for passengers, and it has also influenced other airports on different continents all over the world.

Another project that had a strong and positive impact was Inviu, the first fully digital investment mobile app in Argentina, which I helped develop during my time at consultancy McKinsey & Company. After years of designing digital financial experiences and working with several financial companies and banks, I had the opportunity to create Inviu from scratch and lead the entire design process. The way my team and I prioritized the users was definitely one of the key things that set this player apart from any other financial service in the market. We deeply understood the primary needs and most significant pain points faced by Argentinians using financial products and designed a simple-to-use platform that familiarized them with these services. Inviu is still being used as a reference for innovation in financial services in the country today.

As a UX designer, what do you think are some of the challenges inherent in your discipline that differentiate it from others? UX and digital design stand apart due to their inherent focus on the subjective human experience, demanding deep empathy and understanding of diverse user needs within varying contexts. My daily work is filled with iterative refinement based on user feedback and evolving technological landscapes, as well as navigating the complexities of stakeholder alignment and balancing business goals with user-centric principles. To me, digital designers must bridge the gap between human perception and technological implementation, requiring a unique blend of analytical, creative and communicative skills to create meaningful and compelling digital experiences for users.

You advocate for fellow UX designers to find inspiration in the physical world. How do you think this can benefit them, and what are some ways you’ve found inspiration off-screen? I like to say that the best projects I’ve ever made were ones where I spent time away from screens and observed the world around me. There is something magical about observing other disciplines, such as nature and architecture and observing how they use creativity to solve their problems.

This approach fascinates me a lot, and I want to make other designers and creatives try this in their daily work. I’ve been invited to write and talk a lot about this subject lately, where I explain how this simple approach could improve the outcomes of your digital work. We tend to confine UX and digital design thinking to screens, focusing on online interfaces and current digital styles. However, crafting smooth, satisfying user journeys demands a broader vision. Exploring fields like physical product design and tangible goods can spark novel ideas and improve our UX skills. A quality chair exemplifies this: beyond looks, it prioritizes comfort, usability and user needs. Product design creators emphasize fit, materials and engagement—all key to UX. Truly effective professionals study how people move, use spaces and overcome daily obstacles.

Why is human-centric design integral to creating effective UX? It’s the cornerstone of effective UX design; it places user needs, behaviors and emotions at the forefront. By fostering empathy, designers gain a deep understanding of user needs, enabling them to create intuitive and satisfying experiences. I believe this approach goes beyond mere functionality, aiming to solve real problems and enhance user satisfaction, ultimately leading to increased loyalty and advocacy.

Human-centric design promotes inclusivity by considering diverse user needs, such as accessibility. This focus drives innovation by identifying unmet needs and opportunities. In essence, prioritizing the human element ensures that digital products and services are not only usable but also meaningful and enjoyable, resulting in a positive, impactful experience.

What emerging technologies and innovations will have the biggest impact on how you design in the next few years? Over the last few years, I have used, worked with and integrated AI extensively into my process. People who think AI will replace jobs don’t understand the truth behind this technology.

In the coming years, digital designers will be significantly impacted by AI’s increasing integration for personalized experiences and by the expansion of XR technologies like AR and VR, which will require new spatial design skills. These advancements will necessitate designers to create more intuitive, immersive and personalized user interactions across diverse platforms. We designers can enhance our work efficiency and streamline some design processes and tasks that usually take time. Automated testing, pattern recognition and predictive analytics are just a few examples of how we can use AI to boost our performance and focus on what matters most: the craft.

What is the most exciting work in UX design that you’ve seen recently? Not long ago, I used the IKEA mobile app while searching for new furniture and was completely impressed with the overall user experience. The application enabled me to experience and experiment confidently with its product portfolio using 3-D models. I can easily use device cameras to get inspired and try many different products, styles and colors in real-life applications with a swipe of my finger. I was able to literally see how a sofa or a dining table would fit in my living room in real time. The app automatically scaled the products based on my living room dimensions—that was game changing for me.

Do you have any advice for people just starting in the field of digital design today? Try to surround yourself with people smarter than you. Looking back on my career, I see how important learning from other individuals has been in shaping my own ambitions, knowledge and direction. I love the sentence that says, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.” People matter more than titles and projects. Focus on building a strong network of people you admire and make you feel good to work with them.

My other advice is to focus on your craft. In a competitive market such as design, your craft will make your work different from others. To excel at digital design craft, prioritize fundamental design principles like composition and color theory. Practice daily with specific goals. Learn from design history and peers through critique. Remember to master your chosen tools, but focus on problem solving, not just software proficiency. It’s also important to cultivate curiosity by staying updated with trends and embracing a growth mindset. Mastery takes time and consistent dedication—don’t rush. ca