Fonx Portrait

a little about me

Building strong connections between businesses and their customer base is what I do. I’m proud to say I’ve made very happy clients designing products and experiences that not only exceeded expectations but also laid the ground work for future and ongoing success.

Originally from Spain, I travelled a lot as a child. My father was an engineer from the IBM pioneer generation and they moved us around quite a bit. Early insights into the dawn of the information era together with a multilingual upbringing helped forge the renaissance mind that has enabled me to stay current and agile in today’s rapidly evolving tech space.

If you like what you see and are in need of my expertise, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to make a new connection and discuss how I may help you realize your business vision. Thanks for reading.

career timeline

I've grown up with the digital age. Here's a walk down memory lane...

  • Present

    Championed shifting to mobile-first and designing for outcomes at Polaris. Also introduced themes, epics and lean UX practices together with rapid prototyping, testing and iteration. Brushed up on pattern library best practices to build one for Valspar’s 70 sites in 25 different countries across the globe. Applied this to champion an atomic design pattern library

  • 2013-2016

    Started focusing on hardcore interaction design. First, designing for medical equipment via healthcare startups, then on Best Buy’s internal tools (web content, product management and order management systems.) Second contact with pattern libraries via USbank. Completed a product prototyping +Acumen course at Ideo. Created full responsive redesign of Buffalo Wild Wings’ rewards web site.

  • Early 2010s

    Was instrumental in transitioning focus from print catalog to ecommerce during my tenure as design director in Bluestem Brands. Started designing apps for facebook and tablet. Learned formal responsive design and Lean UX. Began working predominantly in agile cadences. Increased use of style tiles for visual design, keeping the focus on functionality and outcomes.

  • 2006-2009

    Joined Target’s wave of new talent which yielded the first profitable years in Target.com’s history. Lead the design of the job application system still used in store kiosks today (AIGA award 08) and the redesign of the corporate site (Pellegrene award 09.) Joined Facebook in 06 and Twitter in 08. First pattern library work.

  • 2005-ish

    Lead the experience-focused design of Accu-Chek/Disetronic’s online insulin pump simulator and training program complete with interaction storyboards, user personas, experience maps and wireframes, winning the rich media category award in Flashbelt 2005 (precursor to today’s Eyeo conference.) Joined LinkedIn in 2005. Worked in a scrum team for the first time.

  • 2000-ish

    Moved to the states. Wrote my first online site style guide for the National Marrow Donor Program (today’s ‘Be The Match’) in 2000-2001, as I lead the consolidation of all of their sites into a single, cohesive online experience. Abandoned practices based on passive traditional media (print, tv.) Started working with wireframes and use-case scenarios.

  • Formative Years

    Became fascinated with non-sequential communication during film school years in Madrid, Spain. A focus on storyboard design and computer graphics helped me land my first multimedia jobs. Initiated contact with social media via the IRC online communities. Designed computer animated video content for immersive experiences in bank prototypes for JRC International.

past & present clients

their testimonials

  • Alfonso is an incredibly conscientious designer who not only created a great campaign but also checked in each day on the progress of the execution and any challenges that had arisen. He is a true partner!

    Andrea Vogel Project Manager at Target
  • I had the pleasure of working with Alfonso on Bluestem Brand’s e-commerce site re-design and platform migration. I was the program manager for the initiative and Alfonso was our director of design. Alfonso is an expert in his field and provided fantastic direction to a team of designers, both in house and contracted. With Alfonso’s expertise and guidance, the design team delivered a style guide and a complete set of content for the new e-commerce site on time and within budget.

    Mary Hodapp Was Director of Program Management at Bluestem Brands
  • I hired Alfonso as a consultant to come in and work on some complex data visualizations. There was no design precedent set prior to his involvement and the data was very complex. Alfonso created the groundwork and initial concepts that grew into a student dashboard that was eventually featured in the New York Times to explain the concept of incorporating transparent competencies into a degree plan.

    Steve Scofield Was Alfonso's Client at Capella University
  • Alfonso is one of the most talented user experience professionals that I've had the opportunity to work with. He truly understands UX is not just about shiny designs, but more about taking the time to have customer empathy, solve their pain points and deliver compelling experiences. Alfonso was also instrumental in helping push the team toward a true agile framework by supporting the team through user validation research, guerrilla testing and driving lean UX practices. He is a product managers best friend.

    Robert Mews E-Commerce Product Manager
  • I worked with Alfonso on an ecommerce team for a little over a year. From the moment he joined the team, Alfonso was ready to take on any challenge that came his way. He is a true leader in a business and user experience sense. Alfonso doesn't let tools define him, but he instead uses tools in innovative ways to solve problems for users. He mentored me for over a year and truly shaped the designer I am today. I would work with him again in a heartbeat. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to think in new ways, and create effective experiences for all users.

    Barb Krueger Ux & Visual Designer
  • Alfonso is the real deal: a UX designer who actually listens to users and crafts experiences that cater to their needs, an Agile collaborator who moves fast and enhances the work of everyone on his team, and a hilarious motherf***er who’s a joy to work with. I’ve personally partnered with him on projects ranging from micro-interactions to enterprise-scale content management systems, and I can tell you: if you want a creator who can think big without missing the details, you’re going to want Alfonso on your team.

    Nathan McIntyre UX Architect, Best Buy
  • Alfonso is creative, smart & extremely talented. On numerous occasions he brought ideas to the table that no one had considered. He thinks beyond just what looks right, or what works right. He’s excellent at seeing the big picture.

    Tim Pekarna Lead Product Owner at Target.com
  • I worked with Alfonso on a large elearning project. Alfonso brought a positive passion to the project and was a pleasure to work with. He clearly understands how to leverage the unique capabilities of Interactive. Further, his elegant designs took the project to new levels. I highly recommend Alfonso.

    David Latour Backend Developer
  • Alfonso is an inspirational UX/Ix Designer with strong work ethic. I have learned a lot about LeanUX, design, usability, and the creative process from working with him. He pulls from a mix of instinct, user intuition, and keen eye for what works. I’m sure we will see many great things come from Alfonso in the future, he is a rock star!

    Evelyn Quinn Product Leader
  • Alfonso has been a joy to work with. His intense passion for UX has helped to drive our group forward. The vast experience that he’s brought to our team has been invaluable in helping us elevate our work to new levels. He’s also shown a great blend of creativity and work ethic in driving our clearance digital experiences and several internal systems forward. On top of that, he’s driven some quick turn concept work that’s helped us better communicate with the business. His talent and experience have made him an invaluable member of our UX team.

    Greg Bro Managed me at Best Buy & worked with me at Slalom
foxor5About Alfonso