Adriana Valdez Young

SHE / HER / HERS

  • Coach
  • Consultant
  • Speaker

Adriana is an inclusive design consultant, researcher and educator working at the intersection of design, technology, and cities. She also partners with global corporations to co-design inclusive products and experiences with BIPOC communities, working mothers, and people living with physical disabilities.

GUIDING PRINCIPLE

Designing with and for people is where real magic happens. An inclusive design practice cultivates both equity and better design.

Equity Consciousness Innovation Speakers Latinx/Hispanic Speakers Purpose Consultants Purpose Workshops Social Impact

Popular Talks

Co-Design

Why co-creating design solutions leads to more inclusive and equitable outcomes, and happier teams and consumers.

Human-Centered Design

What are creative, scrappy, and accessible ways we can consistently center the perspectives of people and their lived experiences in the design of products and experiences?

Consulting, & Coaching

Consulting

I help people apply the tools of design research, co-design, and user-centered design to create authentically inclusive products and experiences.

Coaching

I support designers and design leaders to integrate inclusive and innovative mindsets and approaches to their people, processes, and projects.

“Adriana is a an absolute gem! I had the distinct pleasure of working with her to build and teach a complete ‘Design + User Research’ curriculum for the Global Design team at Colgate-Palmolive. Adriana designed and orchestrated a brilliant (and fun!) action plan for the team to learn best practices incorporating a variety of research techniques and methods. She was inspiring, helpful and insightful as she helped the team navigate the complexities of gathering and interpreting different research outcomes. The impact of her working with us has extended far beyond the design team and has been an invaluable resource for us on on-going projects. Adriana is such a pleasure to work with, she brings a level of expertise, creativity and fun to every challenge.”

– David Cole, Colgate-Palmolive

"The combination of Adriana's beautiful design aesthetics and meticulous research skills allow for truly thoughtful projects. She is a great teacher and leader; it was a thrill working with her."
— HAYA SHAATH

Adriana is an inclusive design researcher and educator working at the intersection of design, technology, and cities. She has over 15 years of experience leading design research that focuses on elevating the voices and lived experiences of marginalized peoples and communities.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she has focused on partnering with global corporations to co-design inclusive products and experiences with BIPOC communities, working mothers, and people living with physical disabilities.

She holds a BA in History from Brown University and an MSc. in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics. She has authored articles on the politics of inclusive public space for publications such as the Journal of Urban Technology, Makeshift Magazine, GOOD, and Ethnography Matters, and CITY Journal.

Let’s collaborate to ensure a transformative experience.