Olaia Ferrando

Interaction and product design

Olaia Ferrando is an interaction and product designer. She specializes in making complex, data-heavy digital products easier to use through interaction systems and user-friendly interfaces. She works independently and has also collaborated with companies such as Stellantis, Dathum, and LedissonAIT.

Selected projects

• Ancora Worker Suite: a tool for quickly collecting shop-floor data and giving industrial workers access to key information through voice and artificial intelligence. Her work included research, information architecture, interaction visuals, a design system, and user testing.
• Lifeseeker: an interface for search-and-rescue software. The work included research, information architecture, interaction, UX/UI design, a design system, and user testing.
• Class Companion: an app for quickly collecting data about extracurricular activities. The work included product design, research, information architecture, interaction, UX/UI, and user testing.
• Misión Azul: Pleamar (2022): art direction and UX/UI for the University of Vigo, with illustrations by Ines Vázquez.
• iior: Industrial Internet of Robots (2020): UX/UI for Ledisson AIT.
• Musu-truk (2019): branding, illustration, voice, and website for aby.group.

Professional experience

• November 2020–present: Senior UX and Lead Product Designer at Ancora Mobile.
• March 2020–December 2020: UX/UI design consultant at Centum R&T.
• 2018–2020: UX/UI designer and art director at a video game studio at the University of Vigo.
• 2018–2020: freelance UX/UI designer.
• 2015–2018: creative director and brand manager at Nikis Galicia Style.
• 2006–2018: visual and web designer at various companies and advertising agencies.

Education and certifications

• 2018: MSc in User Experience and Usability, UNIR International University of La Rioja.
• 2014: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, EASD Antonio Failde in Ourense.
• 2006: Advanced vocational qualification in Graphic Design and Advertising, AulaD.
• 2024: Accessible Technology Design, AccessibleEU – European Commission.
• 2024: Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification training, EDPM Project Management School.
• 2023: Basic and advanced design systems, Instituto Tramontana.
• 2022: Design and prototyping of conversational interfaces, La Nave Nodriza.
• 2019: Corporate Branding & Identity, UNIR.
• 2019: Culture, Talent, and Leadership in Organizations, UNIR.
• 2019: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), UNIR.
• 2016: Online marketing boot camp, Fundación UNED.
• 2015: The Secret Power of Brands, University of East Anglia.

Other work

She has served on the board of her regional designers' association as a spokesperson and contributed data analysis for industry studies. She teaches UX workshops for students at the University of Vigo's School of Telecommunications. She wrote a chapter on how players adopt video games as part of their identity for an academic book about communication and persuasion in the video game industry. She also created and presented a book project on urban ornithology at Marmara University's 6th International Student Triennial.