About
I'm Víctor Solà, a design leader working at the intersection of strategy, product, and design. I help organizations understand their design challenges, shape their strategy, and evolve their design capabilities to build customer-centric ways of working.
For over 15 years, I've led and scaled product design teams at companies such as Adevinta, eDreams ODIGEO or Atrapalo. My focus has consistently been on delivering tangible impact; evolve design teams maturity, improve product quality and deliver business outcomes.
Alongside my industry work, I'm the director of a Master's degree in Innovation and Strategic Design at Shifta by ELISAVA, and I write a newsletter on Substack where I share thoughts on design leadership & culture.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with friends and family and exploring culture through film, books, series, and music. I also produce electronic music, a practice that keeps me curious and sharp.
How I understand design leadership
I believe leadership is grounded in authenticity, empathy, generosity, and the pursuit of excellence in everyday work. My approach to leadership combines people-centered values with high standards of quality, creating environments where teams can do their best work while driving organizational results.
Leadership Values
Authenticity
Being the same person at work and outside of it. Sharing decision-making rationale openly, acknowledging mistakes and knowledge gaps, and building genuine connections within teams.
Empathy
Understanding others' emotions and perspectives to humanize organizational culture. Dedicating time to identify team frustrations, adapting communication styles, and prioritizing wellbeing during difficult periods.
Generosity
Viewing success as collective rather than zero-sum. Publicly recognizing contributions, sharing knowledge across disciplines, offering support without expectation, and investing in team skill development.
Excellence
Balancing human-centered values with high performance standards. Modeling self-discipline, setting ambitious goals, maintaining quality standards, and encouraging continuous improvement.
Leadership Principles
Servant Leadership
Empower and support my team by removing obstacles, providing resources, and prioritizing their growth.
Radical Candor
Foster a culture of open, honest communication by giving direct feedback with care and encouraging others to do the same.
Continuous Learning & Innovation
Promote a culture of curiosity and experimentation, encouraging teams to constantly learn, iterate, and innovate.
Accountability & Ownership
Lead by example, taking responsibility for outcomes and empowering teams to own their projects and decisions.
Customer-Centric Decision Making
Champion the voice of the user, ensuring decisions are grounded in research and data.
Cross-functional Collaboration
Foster diverse perspectives and collaboration, creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
What others say about me
Albert Sellarès
VP of Engineering, Adevinta
Albert was senior to Víctor
"I hired Victor in 2018 to build our UX org in Adevinta Spain from the ground up and Victor immediately stood out as a high performer. Under Victor's leadership, Adevinta Spain became the reference in terms of UX practices across the entire Adevinta Group. Later as UX Director for Mobility, Real Estate & Emerging Verticals, Victor was able to do it again in a much more complex and international environment.
If you're looking for someone who can elevate your user experience practice and drive meaningful results, I can't recommend Victor highly enough."
