APB

Portrait of Alessandro Piana Bianco, Product & Strategic Design Director

Hello, my name is

Alessandro L. Piana Bianco

I'm a Product & Strategic Designer with over 20 years of experience working with iconic global brands in the EU and MENA regions.

At the intersection of strategy, design, and product innovation, I guide organizations toward transformative growth and excellence. Using system thinking and data-driven insights, I develop impactful solutions that meet user needs and business goals. My strategic vision and understanding of complex systems deliver products and services that resonate globally.

In my personal time, I enjoy exploring music, delving into books, photography, intermittent fasting, yoga, and meditation. There are days when everything aligns perfectly.

"You never learn by doing something right because you already know how to do it. You only learn from making mistakes and correcting them."

- Russell Ackoff

As a seasoned Product Director and Strategic Designer, I spearhead transformative change and innovation, emphasizing systemic thinking and data-driven insights. With over two decades of experience, I have partnered with global brands across diverse industries and markets, working alongside premier design agencies and consultancies.

Agile
Leadership

Empowering teams &
Driving Innovation

In my capacity as a senior leader, I've excelled in orchestrating teams within organizations and externally, leveraging Agile methodologies and Design Sprints to drive rapid prototyping and iterative development.

Championed Agile methodologies and Design Sprints, fostering a culture of rapid prototyping, iterative development, and continuous improvement.

Started the Fjord Italy studio, building a robust design team from scratch. Managed over 30 designers at Deloitte Digital, demonstrating my expertise in leadership and team development.

At Globant, I lead remotely distributed, multidisciplinary teams across different time zones, with a focus on:

  • Clear communication
  • Strategic alignment
  • Driving exceptional outcomes in complex environments

Product &
Strategic Design

Innovating at the
Intersection of Strategy & Design

My role as a Product Director and Strategic Design leader is characterized by a deep commitment to driving innovation and addressing complex market challenges through a data-informed, human-centered approach.

Cross-Industry Impact. Spearheaded product design and development initiatives across various sectors, particularly in the travel && leisure industry in the MENA & EU regions, and smart cities projects.

Tech-Driven Solutions. Led projects in media & entertainment and developed pioneering digital ID, booking, and ticketing systems, integrating:

  • Emerging technologies
  • User engagement strategies
  • Enhanced security measures

Strategic Vision. My approach combines data-driven insights with a human-centric focus, guiding products from conception to market triumph and setting new benchmarks in digital product and strategic design.

Experience
Design

Mastering User-Centric
Design

With over twenty years dedicated to Service and Experience Design, I have honed a mastery over organizing information across complex systems, significantly improving content findability and accessibility.

Complex System Navigation. Specialized in organizing information across intricate systems to dramatically improve content findability and accessibility, through:

  • Metadata & taxonomy design
  • Retrival & Recommendation logic

Intuitive Design. Crafted seamless UIs for data integration and developed UX patterns for a vast array of platforms, including:

  • B2C, B2B, and B2B2C web products
  • Integrated GIS, un/structured data dashboards

Engaging Digital Experiences. My work consistently focuses on delivering compelling, user-centered digital experiences, underpinned by a profound understanding of user needs and strategic business objectives.

Positions

Below is an overview of key roles I have held in my career.

2022 - present

Product & Strategic Design Director

Globant

Spain / UAE / KSA

2017 - 2022

Strategic & Experience Design Director

Delotte Digital

Italy

2014 - 2016

Service Design Director

Fjord (Accenture)

Italy

2013

Mobile Experience Product Owner

Mr. Green

Malta

2008 - 2010

Information Architect

Teachers TV

UK

2005 - 2008

Digital Projetcs Lead

Dorna Sports

Spain

Gigs

Agency
Republic

London, UK

AKQA

London, UK

Brand
Union

London, UK

Fjord

Madrid, Spain

Friday

London, UK

Huge

London, UK

Radical

London, UK

Viaden

London, UK
Minsk, Belarus

Virgin
Media

London, UK

Clients

I have worked with a diverse range of clients across various industries and markets. Below is a curated list of those.

Automotive

  • Alfa Romeo
  • FCA
  • Ferrari
  • Jeep
  • Lamborghini
  • Maserati
  • Octo Telematics
  • Pirelli
  • Stellantis

Gaming

  • Mr. Green
  • Sisal

Media

  • Sky Italy
  • Viaden
  • Virgin Media

Consumer Goods &
Retail

  • Maison Emé
  • Bata
  • Calzedonia
  • Danone
  • Eastpak
  • Illy
  • Intimissimi
  • Nike
  • Swatch
  • Tezenis
  • Tissot

Healthcare &
Pharma

  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Janssen
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Menarini
  • Nobel Biocare
  • Pfizer

Sports &
Entertainment

  • Dorna Sports
  • La LigaTech

Fashion &
Luxury Goods

  • Bulgari
  • Brunello Cucinelli
  • Poltrona Frau
  • Prada
  • Richemont

Insurance

  • Atradius
  • Fideuram Vita
  • Generali
  • Intesa Sanpaolo Vita
  • Sace

Travel &
Leisure

  • Alpitour
  • Costa Crociere
  • Diriyah Gate Development Authority
  • Explora Journeys
  • Miral
  • MSC
  • Qiddiya

Financial Services

  • Agos
  • BBVA
  • Danske Bank
  • Eurobank
  • Fideuram
  • ING
  • Intesa Sanapaolo
  • Mediolanum
  • Banco Sabadell
  • Santander
  • Unicredit

Oil, Gas & Power,
Utilities

  • Engie
  • ENI
  • E.ON
  • RePower
  • Sorgenia
  • Wood Mackenzie

Telco

  • Telecom Italia
  • Virgin Fibra
  • Vodafone Italia

Methodology

My approach to driving transformation and innovation is guided by a selection of proven methodologies and strategic frameworks.

These methodologies represent a mindset of continuous learning, adaptation, and strategic foresight, essential for leadership in the dynamic landscape of digital product and service design.

System Thinking Design

Understanding complex systems, identifying interdependencies, and designing solutions that address root causes for sustainable and impactful strategies.

Scenario Planning &
Competitive Landscape Analysis

Anticipating future developments and understanding the competitive field to guide strategic decision-making.

Service Blueprinting &
Value Proposition Design

Mapping service interactions and crafting compelling value propositions to meet customer needs and stand out in the market.

Envisioning Workshops &
Field Research

Facilitating creative sessions to uncover insights and gather real-world data, fostering innovative thinking and grounded strategies.

Speculative Design &
Rapid Prototyping

Exploring future possibilities and validating concepts quickly through creative narratives and prototyping.

Customer Journey Mapping

Charting the customer's path through interactions, identifying key touchpoints for enhancement and innovation.

In the press

Il Servizio Funzionerà? Molto dipende dal design

Service Design Companies (pdf)

Linköping University Electronic Press - ServDes2018. Service Design Proof of Concept, Proceedings of the ServDes.2018 Conference, 18-20 June, Milano, Italy

DTB21 - DEBATE [Alessandro Piana Bianco]: The Symbolic object of Design Thinking

Design Thinking for Business: the floor to Deloitte Digital

DEBATE [Alessandro Piana Bianco, Deloitte Digital]: The Synergy between Profiling and Empathizing

The Design Thinking for Business Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano was founded in 2017 and aims to be the point of reference for the community of innovators who adopt pioneering approaches like Design Thinking in creating value for their companies

Contact

You can contact me at: a@pianabianco.com

You can find the ConTeXt template files for you to use and format your own cv on my GitHub account: here.

I have a few Midjourney prompts up for sale on Promptbase.