A maker who operates at the level of strategy. And a strategist who still designs.

Carlos works at the intersection of deep human insight and elegant systems thinking. Across 18 years of experience in multiple fields of design, the focus is always there : Find the profound human truth underneath a challenge, asking the right questions, then build a response that is simultaneously systemic, emotionally resonant, and beautifully experienced.

His work gravitates around complex challenges : Children with disabilities, overlooked communities, multi-platform surgical devices, A future for transportation where people actually move. Simply because in the extremes and the non evident is where the most honest design lives.

A specialist in concept and vision, but a generalist with depth in many fields: industrial design by core, UX, brand, product strategy, visual+Comms and storytelling, Carlos leads with his work, navigating design strategy, product innovation, organizational transformation across mobility, deep-tech, and human-centered innovation. Always in service of the same instinct:

See it
Build it
Make it matter

A bit about my creative journey

Five years at IDEO supporting complex global mandates across mobility, autonomous vehicles, public health, the future of food, education, Robotics and medical systems.

Seven years co-founding CIXI, leading a multidisciplinary and multicultural design organization built from zero, governed a full product and brand portfolio, and led hardware end to end — from vision and concept through prototyping, testing, manufacturing, connected systems, communication, commercialization to market launch across France, India, and Germany.

Internationally recognized across design, innovation, and industry with 40+ awards: Cannes Gold Lion, D&AD, IDEA, Red Dot, Good Design, Innovation by design, iF, Time magazine. I’d like to think that when a concept is powerful enough, is relatable and easy to understand, it becomes a message. it comes to life and travels, in some cases publications amplify the impact of these projects by reaching millions of people. Some of my projects had been featured on multiple international media – social, digital, printed, radio, TV, exhibitions, events.

From 2008 with a full scale model portraying a future of personal transportation exhibited in one of the biggest motorshows in the world. Then around 10 years ago, a prosthetic that empowers children creativity and independence. IKO traveled in physical exhibitions around 27 countries in iberoamérica, had a 3 year residency in the Ars Electronica center in Linz and was featured as one of the best inventions by times magazine; although it didn’t become a product, the concept reached a disproportionate impact. And more recently, a vision for a healthier future in transportation where people is at the center of a breakthrough technology: Active Mobility has become a widespread term across industry, policy and markets .

One of my favorite publications if you happen to run into it, was published by LEGO along other amazing inventions and stories.


    • 2025 · Awarded - Good Design Award
      PERS Chainless Pedaling System (Sports & Recreation)

      2024 · Winner | Product Design - IF Design Award - IF Gmbh
      PERS Chainless Pedaling System (Bicycles and E-Bikes)

    • 2024 · Winner | Excellent Product Design - German Design Award
      PERS Chainless Pedaling System (Bicycles and E-Bikes)

    • 2024 · Awarded Lápiz de Acero - Proyecto Diseño
      LOOK x CIXI / Rover 45 (Concept design)

    • 2018 · Jury - DIMAD + BID18 Bienal Iberoamericana de diseño
      Product design, Service design, Interior design, Graphic design

    • 2016 · Best inventions - TIME Magazine
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System (Life Category)

    • 2016 · Grand Prix - NetExplo
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System

    • 2016 · Winner - NetExplo
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System (Healthcare)

    • 2016 · Grand Prix - New York Festivals
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Healthcare - Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2016 · First Prize - New York Festivals
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Healthcare - Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2016 · Winner - FastCompany Innovation by design
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System / User Experience Category

    • 2016 · Honorable mention - FastCompany Innovation by design
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System / Social Good Category.

    • 2016 · Keynote Speaker - TEDx IST Alameda
      The Human Side of Design

    • 2016 · Design & Innovation - DIMAD + 5 Bienal Ibero-americana de Diseño
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System

    • 2016 · Product Design - DIMAD + 5 Bienal Ibero-americana de Diseño
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System

    • 2016 · White Pencil - D&AD Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Creativity for Good - Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2016 · Yellow Pencil - D&AD Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Innovative Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · Shortlisted - BraunPrize - BRAUN
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System

    • 2015 · Awarded - Core 77 Design Award
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System (Open Design) / Student Winner

    • 2015 · Gold CLIO - CLIO Healthcare
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · Gold Lion | Product Design - Cannes Lions Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · Gold Innovation - El Ojo de Iberoamérica Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · Gold Product Design - El Ojo de Iberoamérica Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · Grand Prix | Design - El Ojo de Iberoamérica Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Product Design) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · IDEA GOLD - IDSA
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System / Students designs winner.

    • 2015 · Awarded - IF Student Design Award - IF Gmbh
      PIRA (Survival + emergency) / From 12.000 entries worldwide / Team Partner: Martin Edlund.

    • 2015 · Finalist - INDEX Design to Improve Life
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System (Body Category)

    • 2015 · Awarded Lápiz de Acero - Proyecto Diseño
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System (Concept design) / Colombia’s top design award.

    • 2015 · SPI Awarded - Plastics Industry Trade Association
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System / Students Design Awarded Project.

    • 2014 · Silver Lion - Cannes Lions Festival
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Health - Pharma) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2015 · Sol de Plata - Festival Iberoamericano de la Comunicacion Publicitaria
      IKO Creative Prosthetic System - Funtastic Hand (Innovation) / In association with Publicis Colombia.

    • 2014 · Finalist - IDSA
      PIRA (Medical, science) / Team Partner: Martin Edlund

    • 2013 · Awarded Lápiz de Acero - Proyecto Diseño
      BOOMER RC_M (Concept design) / Colombia’s top design award

    • 2012 · Awarded - Red Dot Award
      BOOMER RC_M (Mobility concept) / From a total of 3.672 entries.

    • 2011 · Shortlisted - Renault + Designboom
      R4Life concept - 40 / 3525 projects worldwide

    • 2011 · Scholarship - Umeå Institute of Design
      Full tuition fee for the full MFA program.

    • 2011 · NAIAS Destroit motorshow - Michellin
      RUGGED / Utilitarian low cost vehicle.

    • 2010 · Michellin DESIGN challenge +10
      RUGGED / Utilitarian low cost vehicle.

    • 2010 · Product Design - DIMAD + II Bienal Ibero-americana de Diseño
      Peugeot RD selected and awarded.

    • 2009 · Full scale - Auto Shanghai Motorshow
      Peugeot RD / Exhibited at full scale.

    • 2009 · Laureate Thesis - Universidad Nacional de Colombia
      Symbolic displacement of the object to the contemporary music context. < 5.0 / 5.0 >

    • 2008 · Winner - Peugeot World Design Contest
      Peugeot Rd / Awarded first 1 From 2900 projects worldwide.n text goes here

Drop me a message

Originally from Tunja, Colombia. I’ve lived abroad for about fifteen years across four countries: Sweden, Denmark, USA, and France.
I’m currently in Annecy, a little city in the middle of the french alps. I can speak to you in Español, English but if you prefer french, I can give it a try.

Up we go again