translating complexity into clarity
I design for the gap between technical complexity and human understanding. It started in Medellín, teaching myself design before I knew there was a word for it. That hands-on foundation led me to formalize my thinking through degrees in Graphic Design and Human Computer Interaction, but the real education came from building things and watching how people actually interact with them.
Early stage startups taught me to move at velocity, wearing product, design, engineering, and business hats simultaneously. You learn fast what actually matters.
LinkedIn showed me how to think at scale, design systems, process, specialization. I led Sales Navigator's community but learned the trade-off: you own a piece of a larger puzzle, not the whole vision.
Okta changed everything. Working directly with security and identity experts, I learned that complexity isn't an excuse, it's a problem to solve. The breakthrough: understanding both the technical system model and the user's mental model, then designing the conceptual bridge between them. That's where simplicity lives. It's also where I grew the most, building all dimensions of design leadership: hiring, mentoring, embedding design into product thinking, scaling without losing quality.
Apollo and now ServiceNow let me apply those lessons at higher stakes. I wanted to repeat the Series C building phase, recruiting a design team, shipping 0-to-1 products. At ServiceNow, I'm working on some of the most impactful systems: AI Control Tower, helping ITAM reach $750M ARR and climbing toward $1B.
Every role taught me something different, but they all point to the same belief: the best design translates the illegible into the intuitive. That's what I'm looking for in my next chapter, collaborators who think the same way.
Beyond Work
I've been practicing Capoeira since childhood and now teach it, finding the same philosophy in movement and rhythm that I do in design, translating complexity into flow. I compete in CrossFit and apply that same discipline to continuous learning and pushing constraints.
Outside the studio, I spend time with my two kids, ☀️ and 🌙, riding bikes, playing sports, exploring museums, and traveling. They're my reminder that the best design is the one that makes people smile.
A few of the teams I’ve built for
Kind words
I had the privilege of working alongside Johnatan in my capacities as Senior Product Manager at Apollo.io. Johnatan was an outstanding design partner and leader; competent, thoughtful, strategic, and human. On the management side, he consistently identified and addressed challenges before they became major issues, all while maintaining a calm, sincere demeanor that positively impacted the entire business unit. His ability to guide his design team was exceptional, and I'm very grateful for the time we worked together. If you're on the hunt for a senior product design leader, you found your man.
Matthew Roknich
Technical Productivity @ Anthropic
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I've had the chance to partner with Johnatan during a time of significant growth and complexity for our team at Apollo. He did an amazing job at maintaining a holistic understanding of the many moving parts within the group while helping drive team growth and strategy. An example of great ownership and product knowledge came when we partnered together to lead key initiatives, such as developing the end-to-end vision and design for the 'Win and Close' use case with tight timelines.
Ryan Chien
Product @ Zillow
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Johnatan is one of the best Product Designers I have ever had the privilege of working with. He has a unique ability to understand complex technical problems and use design to simplify them and deliver unique, enjoyable experiences. His humility, empathy, and understated intelligence make him an invaluable collaborator on any project!
Ryan Bradley
Product at Snowflake
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Johnatan is awesome. I've worked with him at Okta, for over 2 years across multiple projects that are complex and require a deep understanding of the problem to be solved. Johnatan leads from the front and takes ownership to talk to customers, ask the right questions and brainstorm on the best designs that would make it simple for customers. Hands down, an awesome thought partner, and someone you would love to work with!!
Vijay Pitchumani
Product @ Okta
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Johnatan is an incredible utility player that can do it all! Whether the need is in development, design or delivery, he is the ideal team player that demands excellence of himself and has a fantastic attitude. His ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams sets him apart from the typical designer. His work ethic and ability to produce high quality work quickly is unmatched. I hope to work with Johnatan again one day, I would hire him again in a minute.
Trish Sparks
CEO at Clever
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In addition to being a talented designer with the skills to wear many hats, Johnatan is a pleasure to work with. Johnatan was instrumental in filling critical gaps with his diverse skillset, as well as identifying innovative design solutions in the face of technical and budgetary constraints. His contributions were critical to the success of the project, and I hope we have an opportunity to work together again soon.
Jacob Wills
Product Leader | Product Strategy | 0-1 Product Development
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I had the pleasure of hiring Johnatan as a designer for LinkedIn's Sales Solutions Customer Education Operations team. He instantly created innovative materials for our internal and external customers and introduced tools and platforms that scaled our efforts. He's a constant learner and his passion shows through when improving processes and overcoming design challenges – he thrives on it.
Vicki Lyons
Customer & Partner Success @ LinkedIn
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Johnatan did most of the UI work for Khaylo's rather complex iOS app, using Sketch, Xcode's storyboard, and Adobe Creative Suite. The screens look good, the videos are fantastic -- whatever success we have will have his fingerprints on it. Johnatan is a pleasure to work with -- easy-going and personable. I'd work with him again anytime.
Nicholas Sterling
Chief R&D Officer at Virdio Health
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I really enjoyed working with Johnatan, not only is he a really great person, but he is dedicated to his work.
Alex Moran
Software Engineer
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Johnatan is a great designer and leader. We worked together at Virdio and he helped control the at times chaotic design process at a startup. His management skills enabled me to be a better designer and focus on creating an effective product.
Hridae Walia
Interaction Designer | Prototyper
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