aldo padilla
Now...
I’m Head of Product & Experience at AccelOne, where most of my work lives where AI meets everyday use: voice agents that act on someone’s behalf, computer vision that replaces manual work, and the platform that decides which models a company can trust with its knowledge.
How I work...
I design systems, not screens, and I work as a product leader as much as a designer. I set the outcomes and the metrics, then care just as much about how it feels to use. And when what users need and what the business needs pull apart, I look for the version where both win.
Across cultures...
I’ve built digital products and experiences in the US, Canada, Mexico, London, the Middle East and across Latin America. The method starts with setting my own assumptions aside, then goes to the field: interviews and ethnography with people across the full range of a market. On Spin by OXXO, onboarding that built confidence in one market created drop-off in another, so the design changed by market rather than shipping one flow everywhere. I’m bilingual, and I draw on intercultural communication frameworks to read how a team exchanges information and to adapt to it.
Before...
Experience Design Director at R/GA for Samsung, Fossil, Google and Walmart. Venture Head of Design at BCG-X (formerly BCG Digital Ventures), building new businesses from Monterrey to the Middle East. Founding team at allUP. Product and experience design for WordPress and Day One at Automattic. Work across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, in English and Spanish.
Off the clock...
I’m an explorer of life, ideas, humanity, art and craft. I balance building in the digital world with building by hand: off-grid projects, film photography, long days outdoors.
Education...
Electronics Engineering at Cal Poly. Communications and art direction at CSU Fullerton, where I studied intercultural communication with Stella Ting-Toomey. M.S. in Business from VCU Brandcenter, focused on Experience Design and Creative Technology. I’ve taught interaction design at the School of Visual Arts and lectured at USC and CSU Fullerton.
“His superpower is putting the user always in front of the business and being the user’s advocate.”
“Everyone leaves the room with a much deeper sense of understanding, clarity, and simplicity.”
“He’s a systematic thinker, but also a creative problem solver, and he can switch between different levels as projects evolve.”
“On top of being an amazing designer, he’s also a great product manager.”
“Equally effective leading design and product teams. It’s really a special combination.”
“I know when he says something’s gonna happen, it just happens.”