Designer.
Systems thinker.
Human-science lens.
I started by studying how people form meaning together — in communities, across cultures, through rituals and routines. Then I went to work on digital products. It turns out the questions are identical. Today I design the space where people and AI systems actually meet — and keep the human at the centre.
“I've known Josué for twenty years, and what's never changed is how he thinks: he finds the human underneath any system and won't look away from the hard part of a problem. Long before “AI UX” was a title, he was the person I brought ideas to because he'd see the angle no one else did. He thinks like a founder and cares like a craftsman.”
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Presence-first design
Most products start with a screen and ask, what should the interface do? I start with a person and ask, what should they experience? — then design the conditions for that state to emerge. The interface becomes secondary. The experience becomes primary.
Traditional products begin with screens, features, and workflows. My work begins with a desired human state. Instead of "what should the interface do?", the question is "what should the person experience?" — and that single shift demotes the interface and promotes the experience.
This shows up differently across projects. ProteGO designs conditions for confidence — guidance that meets people at their readiness level instead of pushing them toward a conversion. JAY designs conditions for wonder — environments that respond to presence without demanding performance. Press-Sense designs conditions for creativity — an attentive room where ideas emerge through exploration, not extraction.
The through-line: technology should adapt to human experience, not the other way around.
What this means in practice
- I design for states, not screens. Every design decision starts with: what does the person need to feel — capable, safe, clear, curious — and works backward to the interface.
- I refuse the engagement playbook. Streaks, guilt mechanics, compulsive loops, dark patterns — these are design choices, not inevitable features. I name them and cut them.
- I treat ethics as a design constraint, not a disclaimer. Privacy architecture, consent patterns, and anti-manipulation defaults are built into the structure, not bolted on.
- I use anthropology as a research method. Not surveys alone — behavioral observation, thick description, situational framing. I want to understand not just what people do, but why the doing makes sense to them.
The longer story
My time studying applied anthropology trained me to observe, to hold multiple frames simultaneously, and to resist the temptation of the obvious interpretation. That lens has shaped every product I've worked on since.
My path into design came through years of working directly with people — massage and holistic therapies, personal training, yoga instruction, somatic movement, facilitation and community work. I was already designing experiences before I knew it was called that. Starting in 2022, I studied applied anthropology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) in Quito until a near-fatal accident cut my studies short before I could finish the degree, while training at Ironhack (UX/UI) and Avocademy, then built a freelance design practice under PereX — working with early-stage startups, academic researchers, and technology teams.
Over the past two years I've built deep AI-native fluency: not as an engineer, but as an operator and designer. I build with Claude Code daily — this portfolio itself was designed and assembled through that practice. I design conversational and voice AI products. I think about agent governance, human-in-the-loop oversight, and AI ethics as product problems, not policy problems.
I live with ADHD — which has made me a far more empathetic designer for anyone who processes information differently, and which I've turned into product thinking through projects like Edge and EOS.
I speak four languages: English and Spanish (native), Italian (professional working), and Portuguese (limited working). I'm a US citizen from New York, based in Barcelona — a Spain-based product designer working internationally, across European and U.S. time zones. I think in systems, design for journeys, and keep humans visible in every decision.
How this portfolio was built
This portfolio was designed in Figma with Claude Design, and built with Claude Code — an agentic CLI for software development. I wrote every design decision, case study narrative, and prototype concept; the tools handled execution — Claude Code for the code, Figma and Claude for the visual design. That distinction matters to me: I believe AI should amplify human judgment, not replace it — and this portfolio is the product of that belief in practice.
What I do when I'm not working
If you can't find me online, I am probably traveling and getting immersed in other cultures, both to learn about them and to feed my adventurous spirit.
I have a passion for scuba diving, hiking, Acro Yoga, dancing, Longboarding, capoeira, Fitness, and Obstacle races just to name a few.
I survived a serious accident while living abroad — an experience that reset my relationship with risk, time, and what I actually want to build.
What I'm working on
I'm available for Product/UX employment, contracts, agency collaboration and focused project work. Based in Barcelona and open to remote collaboration. I can help clarify a flow, design the interaction and make the proposed solution testable.
Building NuvAI (an in-progress OpenAI + n8n lead-assistant prototype — not yet piloted or shipped at scale) and running a product-discovery collaboration with a senior UX veteran, developing Solace (a circadian health product built around natural light), and preparing the Voice Agent Behavior Lab for its first pilot. No Voice Lab study results are claimed yet.
My core work is product and interaction design. I’m also open to adjacent roles in functional testing, product support and AI evaluation where my experience fits. The scope and contribution matter more than a particular job title.