About
About Paula Solis
Senior Product Designer at Vodafone and design lead, based in Madrid. 15+ years in product design, design strategy and design systems.
How I work
I work where product strategy and design meet. I research what other companies do and what the business needs. Then I guide where the product goes.
I am Paula Solis, a Senior Product Designer at Vodafone since 2023. I work from Madrid with the strategy team of Vodafone UK in London. I am bilingual in English and Spanish. I have 15+ years of experience in product design, design strategy and design systems.
Before Vodafone I held design lead roles for six years, in agencies and in a startup, and designers reported to me. I also worked in brand strategy and as an innovation and strategy consultant. So I know how design works in a startup, in an agency and in a company with millions of customers.
At Vodafone I design the key flows of a product and guide the designers who build on them. I mentor designers and review their work.
My strength is a practical way to solve problems. I break a problem into parts and solve it step by step, for the customer and for the business.
Skills, education and languages
Skills
Languages
English and Spanish (bilingual)
Design tools
Figma
AI tools
Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Figma AI, ChatGPT
Education
- Master’s Degree in Research for Design and Innovation Elisava, Barcelona School of Design and Engineering 2017 – 2018
- Graphic Design University of Buenos Aires 2009 – 2013
How I lead
People and work
In my design lead roles before Vodafone, designers reported to me. At Vodafone I design the key flows and screens of a product and guide the designers who build on them. We review the work in calls, every week at the start and every two weeks later.
-
Guidance for the work and for the team
A lead gives direction on the design and looks after how the team works. I adapt both to each person.
-
Freedom to propose
I do not check every step. Designers bring their own ideas, and I listen to them.
-
Feedback that a designer can use
I start with what works and with the effort I see. Then I suggest. I do not redo the design, and I show a reference from another product.
-
Lessons from good managers
My managers at Vodafone are skilled at coaching, at hard situations and at teamwork. I am grateful to them, and I lead with what I learned.
How I think
My point of view
-
Strategy before screens
The mistake I see most is a design that is nice and ignores the strategy of the product.
-
A practical way to solve problems
I break a problem into parts, think with logic and solve it step by step.
-
The design system as a base
It connects every product of a large company under one brand identity.
-
Design as a translation
It turns the ideas and the numbers of product managers into solutions that engineers can build.
-
AI as the next basic tool
I use AI tools a lot, and I check every answer. The human eye stays the critic.
-
The wider view
Brand strategy and innovation consulting taught me to see the brand, the business and the people around a product.
Contact
Get in touch
Let’s talk. Send me a message about design leadership, product design or design systems.