Salvador Orara is a “best of both worlds” designer with deep expertise across industry and academia in building teams, developing skills and abilities of designers, and motivating cross-functional teams, leadership, and collaborators towards a unified vision; with over 20+ years of designing brands, products, services, and systems. A champion of the “voice of the customer” in all aspects of decision-making and business planning to instill ethical and humane values and principles in balance with business goals and technical feasibility. He is currently the director and professor of an academic program focusing on innovation through human-centered design and creative problem-solving at the University of Portland.
CV and select work upon request.
Available for consultation.
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Available for consultation.
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(case studies and reflections are on the way for various experiences below)
Industry Timeline
2019 – Present, Director of Innovation
University of Portland
2019 – Present, Director of Innovation
University of Portland
2015 – 2019, Lead User Experience Strategist
Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover
2016 – 2019, Chapter President, Interim Treasurer, Content Director
AIGA Portland
AIGA Portland
2014 – 2015, Creative Director (User Interface & Brand)
Beatshare Inc.
Beatshare Inc.
2012 – 2015, Founder & Creative Director
The Rare Studio
The Rare Studio
2010 – 2012, Teaching Assistant Undergrad & Graduate courses
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
2005 – 2010, Senior Graphic & Interaction Designer
The Map Office
The Map Office
Notable Freelance Experiences
Research Advisor
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Research Advisor
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
User Experience Researcher and User Interface Designer
Pentagram
Pentagram
Photographer
Pentagram
Pentagram
User Experience Strategist
Downstream
Downstream
Brand Designer
Pentagram
Pentagram
Creative Technologist & Installation Engineer
Like Now
Like Now
Design Researcher
Nokia
Nokia
Teaching Timeline
2019 – Present, Innovation Professor of Practice
University of Portland
2019 – Present, Innovation Professor of Practice
University of Portland
2018 – 2019, Adjunct Associate Professor, Graphic Design
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Pacific Northwest College of Art
2013 – 2015, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Interaction Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
2013 – 2015, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
Woodbury University
Woodbury University
2012 – 2013, Adjunct Instructor, Communication Arts
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Notable Talks & Workshops
Warm Up to The Future. Hosted by Graduate Integrated Design at USC
Warm Up to The Future. Hosted by Graduate Integrated Design at USC
Nursing Faculty Development Consultant. Hosted by the University of Portland
Design Thinking for Nurses Training Seminar Director. Hosted by the University of Portland
The Rare Studio: Lost Friendships. Fuck Up Night, hosted by Pacific Northwest College of ArtSocial Innovation Pathways. CODE240, hosted by Jaguar Land Rover
Rapid Prototyping & Physical Computing Workshop. Razorfish: Austin TX
Presenter & Workshop Facilitator: Journey Mapping Non-Profit Experiences. AIGA Chapter Retreat
Guest Speaker. Art Talk, hosted by George Fox University
Designing Automotive Innovations. Design Week Portland (2018), hosted by Jaguar Land Rover
Published Presenter. IEEE VISAP, Baltimore, MD
Published Presenter. Critical Information Series, School of Visual Arts
Some Awards
Shiley Summer Research Grant
Graphis Poster Competition
Art Center Thesis Scholarship
Art Center Research Grant
Art Center Student Scholarship
AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers
AIGA 365 Poster Award
Armin Hoffman Award for Excellence in Graphic Design
UArts Senior Project Award (Interactive Media)
Art Directors Club of NJ (Web Design)
Shiley Summer Research Grant
Graphis Poster Competition
Art Center Thesis Scholarship
Art Center Research Grant
Art Center Student Scholarship
AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers
AIGA 365 Poster Award
Armin Hoffman Award for Excellence in Graphic Design
UArts Senior Project Award (Interactive Media)
Art Directors Club of NJ (Web Design)