In 2023, a new chapter brought me to Madrid after being selected as one of the scholarship winners for the Master of Design and Innovation at IED Madrid.

When preparing my motivation letter, I decided to be completely honest about how I understood architecture and design — and, more importantly, about what I believed they could become.

The question was:

How can a Master in Design and Innovation contribute to technological advancement and the future of work?

My answer started with a simple idea: design goes far beyond creativity and aesthetics.

Beyond the Creative Idea

We often associate design with innovation, creativity and the ability to generate ideas. But professional experience reveals that this is only the visible part of a much larger system.

Behind every successful idea lies research, strategy, planning, execution and an understanding of how value is created.

An idea alone is not enough.

Developing a project requires connecting knowledge, identifying opportunities and applying creativity to solve problems. In many ways, managing and delivering a project can demand just as much creativity as designing it.

Architecture taught me precisely that.

Before drawing the first line, we observe, analyse and understand needs. We define the problem before attempting to solve it. And through that process, we begin to identify possibilities that may not have been visible at first.

Design as a Strategic Tool

Every design decision can therefore become more than an aesthetic response. It can reflect an understanding of people, systems, value and impact.

This is where I became increasingly interested in the intersection between design and business.

If designers and architects can create environments, products and experiences, they can also become project developers, strategic thinkers and opportunity seekers — professionals capable of transforming an initial idea into a viable proposition.

For me, pursuing the MDI represented an opportunity to expand that perspective: developing the skills to become a stronger leader, identify opportunities and create meaningful value through design.

Between Physical and Digital

At the time, the world of work was undergoing a profound transformation. Hybrid environments, digital collaboration and increasingly interconnected experiences were challenging the traditional boundaries between physical and virtual space.

For architects and designers, that intersection felt particularly relevant.

We are trained to imagine something that does not yet exist and translate it into something others can understand, experience and eventually build. The tools may evolve, and the environments may be physical, digital or somewhere in between, but that ability remains remarkably valuable.

Technology simply expands the territory in which we can operate.

Designing What Comes Next

Looking back, the motivation behind my decision to pursue the MDI was not about moving away from architecture.

It was about expanding what architecture and design could allow me to do.

To understand design not only as the creation of spaces or objects, but as a way of identifying opportunities, developing strategies, building value and navigating change.

The future will continue to introduce new technologies, behaviours and ways of working. The role of designers will evolve with them.

And perhaps that is one of design’s greatest strengths: not simply responding to change, but learning how to shape what comes next.