A design leader working at the intersection of technology & product innovation, helping organisations shape their future through user experience.
︎
Álvaro Márquez is an established figure in the field of user-centered design and experience strategy, currently serving as Chief Experience Officer at icon incar where he leads an international multi-disciplinary team in the development of future-oriented R&D projects for the automotive and mobility industry.
His work is globally recognized for his thoughtful, systematic and occasionally irreverent approach, which tends to explore idiosyncratic moments of every day life from emergent futures.
Álvaro excels not only as a practitioner but as a leader in all fields of experience design: over the last two decades Alvaro has held many positions of responsibility with organizations including frog design, Method or the ABC, holding titles such as Chief Design Officer, Head of Service Design and R&D, Creative Director, Researcher, Advisor.
While user experience design sits at the core of his practice, his focus on emerging technology and human behaviour has allowed him to explore a broad range and diverse set of facets of the discipline: from helping multinational organizations create new products and services; to establishing the innovation framework underpinning the development of an e-Currency for a sovereign national bank; or leading primary research into emerging customer behaviors around communication for one of the most historically signficant mobile phone manufacturers in the world.
In addition to his professional pursuits, Álvaro dedicates a significant ammount of time to research, education and advising, frequently lecturing and tutoring students at colleges and universities across Europe, Australia and the UK.
Born in and raised in Madrid, in 2001 he received his Bachelors in Fine Arts from the Royal Art Academy, and in 2004 he received his degree in Digital Design from Istituto Europeo di Design. Complementing his design studies, Alvaro has continued to broaden his education of User Experience around sound synthesis, audio engineering and big-data sonification, both at Goldsmiths in the University of London and the Politechnic School of Engineering in Gijón.
Álvaro currently resides in Berlin with his family.
"It was my great privilege to work with Álvaro. I learnt an enormous amount from him and I hope one day to be able to work with him again."
— Angela Clark, Director of Digital Network at ABC
[002]
— SELECTED APPEARANCES:
» A New Algorithm for People, Planet and Robots
The Barbican, London, July 2018
» A New Algorithm for People, Planet and Robots Redux Evry Moments, Stockholm, March 2018
» From Sensing Technologies to Empathic Intelligence: New Frontiers of Strategic Design Technology & Emotion – Norwegian Polytechnic Society and NTNU ARTEC, Oslo June 2017
» Technology, Business, and Robots! Becoming digital without losing your soul. Experience Fighters, Madrid, June 2017
» Key Components of Digital Transformation
Evry Moments, Stockholm, March 2017
» The Age of Strategic Design
- FinExtra NextGen Banking, Helsinki, October 2016
- Evry Innovation Forum, Trondheim, October 2016
- IXDA Trondheim, October 2016
» Design Thinking for user-centric Transformation Commonwealth Bank of Australia Innovation Lab, Sydney, March 2016
» From Design Thinking to Design Doing: Can designers save the world? Thoughtworks Summit, Sydney, March 2016
» The Rise of Customer Centered Design
Peoplebank Panel, Sydney, February 2016
» Experience Strategy through the User Lens
Chief Digital Officer Summit, Sydney, October 2015
» Design for Emergence: Cities, Networks & Platforms
Faculty Architecture & Design, University of Sydney, April 2015
» Shaping unique customer experiences through Data
MacWorld Asia, Beijing, August 2014
» The Third Wave of Computing
Interaction Design Association, Sydney, May 2014
» Accelerating Innovation
UX/UI onLAB, Tokyo, December 2013
» Design for emotion: Product and Sensing Technology
FAB Cafe, Loftwork, Tokyo, December 2013
» (im)Perfect Singularity
IT World Korea, Seoul, October 2013
» Design & Co-Design of Customer Experiences
Wasabi in Motion, Madrid 2011
» Aesthetics of Failure
MADinSpain, Madrid 2006
"Álvaro has the rare blend of being a thought leader and a craftsperson; a hands-on visionary which builds credibility and trust from peers."
— Brett MacFarlane, Organizational consultant and Advisor.
— References —
[003]
— SELECTED REFERENCES
"Alvaro is many things that I admire: a person of real integrity, a person who can deliver and can lead by example in the exemplary nature of his own work and who not only attracts talent but nurtures them. It is though, for me, his intellect and desire to design for a better world that make him extraordinary. In my experience, few truly have this courage and fewer still the skill to design forward and execute now. It was my great privilege to work and collaborate with Alvaro. I learnt an enormous amount from him and I hope one day to be able to work with him again."
"Álvaro has always been my close advisor and sounding board as I grappled with the challenges of digital leadership. His extensive knowledge and experience, continental directness and leadership are an asset to any organization. Combining both his excellent product design background with a deep understanding of the newsroom and editorial processes put him in an ideal place to help us take the product to the next level. The outcomes of his work will underpin the Newspaper’s digital strategy for the next few years."
"Álvaro's design leadership and communication skills, passion for impact and what I would call extra-ordinary presence, contributed in a very positive way to us achieving record high customer satisfaction and employee attractiveness ratings. As a leader, Álvaro is open and empathic in combination with great integrity and a strong point of view – qualities making him a great leader for modern, knowledge-based companies."
"Álvaro thinks big yet compassionately. He is calm under pressure and courageous in the face of complexity. As a modern leader, he inspires and empowers to bring the best out of people. He embodies the values of high performing leaders primed to define the next era of the Information age. He has the rare blend of being a thought leader and a craftsperson, a hands-on and visionary leader which builds credibility and trust from peers."
— Brett Macfarlane, Organizational consultant and Advisor
"His leadership enabled me to deliver the highest craft quality work of my professional life so far. Álvaro’s ability to navigate through hierarchical structures of a traditional organisation and to establish relationships was nothing short of impressive. Not only did he bring the divisional directors on the journey with us but he was also able to build strong relationships both sideways and on the floor. The work delivered under Álvaro’s watch was truly extraordinary."
— Peter Lofgren, Head of Design at Service NSW
"Alvaro cares about craft. Well beyond his inter-personal and organizational skills is his ability to bring creative solutions to life with an unparalleled attention to detail. He explores design in a thoughtful manner - bringing outside influences and inspiration back to the teams. As process is only as good as the output of the programs, he works closely with other designers to ensure a high level of quality is met and the client's expectations are exceeded."
— J Grossen, VP Customer Experience at Publicis Sapient
— Angela Clark, Director Digital Network, ABC
"Álvaro has always been my close advisor and sounding board as I grappled with the challenges of digital leadership. His extensive knowledge and experience, continental directness and leadership are an asset to any organization. Combining both his excellent product design background with a deep understanding of the newsroom and editorial processes put him in an ideal place to help us take the product to the next level. The outcomes of his work will underpin the Newspaper’s digital strategy for the next few years."
— Remy Becher, VP Product at The Economist
"Álvaro's design leadership and communication skills, passion for impact and what I would call extra-ordinary presence, contributed in a very positive way to us achieving record high customer satisfaction and employee attractiveness ratings. As a leader, Álvaro is open and empathic in combination with great integrity and a strong point of view – qualities making him a great leader for modern, knowledge-based companies."
— Daniel Grönquist, EVP Strategy & Innovation at Tietoevry
"Álvaro thinks big yet compassionately. He is calm under pressure and courageous in the face of complexity. As a modern leader, he inspires and empowers to bring the best out of people. He embodies the values of high performing leaders primed to define the next era of the Information age. He has the rare blend of being a thought leader and a craftsperson, a hands-on and visionary leader which builds credibility and trust from peers."
— Brett Macfarlane, Organizational consultant and Advisor
"His leadership enabled me to deliver the highest craft quality work of my professional life so far. Álvaro’s ability to navigate through hierarchical structures of a traditional organisation and to establish relationships was nothing short of impressive. Not only did he bring the divisional directors on the journey with us but he was also able to build strong relationships both sideways and on the floor. The work delivered under Álvaro’s watch was truly extraordinary."
— Peter Lofgren, Head of Design at Service NSW
"Alvaro cares about craft. Well beyond his inter-personal and organizational skills is his ability to bring creative solutions to life with an unparalleled attention to detail. He explores design in a thoughtful manner - bringing outside influences and inspiration back to the teams. As process is only as good as the output of the programs, he works closely with other designers to ensure a high level of quality is met and the client's expectations are exceeded."