Jose de la O

Trained as an industrial designer with a Master’s in Conceptual Design from Design Academy Eindhoven and currently a PhD candidate at RMIT University, de la O is the creative force behind delaO design studio. He adopts an epistemological approach to design, studying its role in society and envisioning future possibilities for how technology could impact society.

As Director of delaO design studio, he has led Human-Centered Design Research projects with companies such as Spotify, Google, Space 10, Wellcome Trust, Dubai Future Foundation, and What Design Can Do, TU/Delft, among others. De la O is a member of Reach, a network of design research agencies worldwide, which has provided him with extensive experience working with multicultural teams. In 2022, he was honored as Designer of the Year by MDF and Rimowa.

As a product designer, de la O has partnered with local and international companies, including Philips Design in the Netherlands, Mater Design in Denmark, and Mirai Innovation Lab in Japan, designing lighting, furniture, and household products while engaging in advanced industrial design.

For eight years Jose was Design Researcher at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he focuses on nationwide research projects, collaborating with institutions like the Politecnico di Torino, Centro 32, an NGO for migrants in Tijuana and global organizations such as the World Design Organization. He led academic and pedagogical initiatives across Mexico through Tec de Monterrey for international exhibitions.

Previously, he was the Regional Director of the Design Department in the Mexico City Region at Tec de Monterrey, where he played a crucial role in promoting design literacy and knowledge dissemination within academia and beyond. Through his academic programs, he has collaborated with institutions such as The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, IKEA’s Home Smart division, MIRO, and various NGOs.

José is currently an Associate Professor at Pratt Institute in New York City

His work has been showcased at The Palm Springs art Museum in the US, the Milan Design Fair, Dutch Design Week, The Future Perfect in New York, the Design Museum in Taipei, the Shanghai Museum of Glass, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin, and the Museo de Arte Moderno and Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo in Mexico City.

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Off-Shore.

PhD Candidate, Design.

Full Scholarship

2023-2017 (expected)

Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM).

Mexico City.

Diploma in Accounting and Finance.

2014-2015

Design Academy Eindhoven.

Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Master Degree, IM Conceptual Design on Context.

2008-2010.

Universidad Iberoamericana Plantel Santa Fe.

Ciudad de México

Bachelor in Industrial Design. 

2000-2006.

• THE PREDICTION GENERATOR: A TOOL FOR CREATING MEANINGFUL SPECULATIONS
• CRITICAL DATA: TEACHING DESIGN THROUGH CRITICAL DESIGN, PHYSICAL COMPUTING, AND DIGITAL DATA
• APLYING CRITICAL DESIGN TO COMMUNICATE CULTURAL INSIGHTS EMPATHICALLY: A CASE STUDY
• TOWARDS A BETTER HUMAN CENTRE DESIGN PRACTICE IN AN ACADEMIC CONTEXT
• DESIGN IN CONVERSATION: CONVERSATION BETWEEN JOSÉ DE LA O AND RENATA FENTON