Wences Sanz-Alonso has spent more than 20 years close to the design industry, building the places where it meets, learns and finds work. Co-founder of Domestika, founder of MadinSpain and PlayRestart, curator of Paradís in València and, until recently, Creative Experiential Director at Magnific, where he led Upscale Conf in Málaga and San Francisco.
Along the way he has sat on many sides of the table: founding a strategic design studio for NTT Data, judging Cannes Young Lions and Awwwards, teaching at IE University and mapping 1,300+ independent studios in Just a Design List. What he enjoys most is connecting the right people, ideas and work.

Selected work ↓ (Madrid — available worldwide)
Experience Valencia 22 posters on a street wall in València
Experience ValenciaCurator & Director, 2021–2022A Signature Event of World Design Capital València 2022: six days (13–18 June) of keynotes, workshops, concerts and parties across La Marina, La Rambleta and Veles e Vents. I curated the programme and speakers — Brian Collins, Yuri Suzuki (Pentagram), Liza Enebeis (Studio Dumbar), Kaave Pour (SPACE10), Caterina Bianchini (Studio Nari), Álex Trochut, Rebeka Arce — with live music from Kamaal Williams and Alfa Mist. Brand with Koln Studio, website by Cuchillo.
[Image — Upscale Conf, to come]
Magnific — Upscale ConfCreative Experiential Director, 2024–2026End-to-end vision and execution of an international design and technology conference inside a creative AI company, across four editions in Málaga and San Francisco. The San Francisco edition at SFJAZZ gathered 600+ people with speakers such as John Maeda, Julie Zhuo, Chad Nelson (OpenAI), GMUNK and Andrea Trabucco-Campos (Pentagram).
Paradís event poster, World Design Capital València 2022
Paradís ↗Curator & Director, 2023–nowValència's design festival, organised by the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana at CaixaForum as a featured event of Valencia Disseny Week. Each edition pairs disciplines so they brush against each other — from Pentagram, Ableton and Scuderia Ferrari to Zak Group and Your Majesty. Early-bird tickets for 2025 sold out in under three hours.
Chazz lightbox sign being installed in the studio
Chazz ↗ — everis / NTT DataFounder, Head of Lab & Culture, 2017–2019everis wanted a leading strategic design studio and couldn't buy one, so I built it from scratch: naming and brand with Erretres, the team, the culture and the commercial offer. Chazz grew into a global studio in Madrid, Lima and São Paulo (opened in 2018), working end-to-end from concept to new products, services and business models as part of NTT Data's design network.
Domestika website screens
Domestika ↗Co-founder 2000, General Manager 2007–2011Started in the early 2000s by a group of friends to share knowledge, it became a turning point for design in Spain and the largest Spanish-speaking creative community. As General Manager I helped professionalise it — new website, job board, online portfolios, events. Today it's a Spanish unicorn.
Mitula brand identity system
Fjord — Accenture SongSenior Business Developer, 2014–2016Strategic design projects for clients like BBVA, Servihabitat and Mitula — mostly digital, sometimes branding.
The Art of Science exhibition poster by NTT Disruption
NTT DisruptionHead of Design & New Formats, 2020–2021NTT Data's innovation spin-off in Madrid and San Francisco: an online art exhibition, a hybrid product with CBRE and new marketplaces.
MadinSpain event website with speaker lineup
MadinSpain ↗Founder & Director, since 2003Started in 2003 as a small gathering to bring international designers to Madrid — and to let Domestika's online community meet in person. It grew into a two-day event at the Palacio de Congresos with talks, exhibitors and a closing party, an identity by Interbrand and 1,800+ attendees, with speakers like Hillman Curtis, David Carson, Pentagram, Wieden+Kennedy, Kyle Cooper and Alex Trochut.
Julius brand identity cards
Julius Brand ConsultantsManaging Director & CCO, 2019A Madrid branding and packaging consultancy within Commcracy Group. I joined as Managing Director & CCO to reposition the studio, starting with its own rebrand.
PlayRestart poster for a Massimo Vignelli tribute
PlayRestart ↗Founder & Director, 2014–2021Small, intimate design events in Madrid, Bilbao, Barcelona and València — 37 by 2019 — with speakers such as Mucho, Spin, Erretres, Boa Mistura and Alberto Corazón. Part of 60+ events organised since 2003.

Also: UST, Head of Design Studio · Universidad Europea de Madrid, Art & Design Area Director · IE University, lecturer · Mormedi, Head of Marketing & Communications · MSD, where I helped set up the in-house creative agency · Arthur Andersen and iXL, working for clients like Morgan Stanley, Telefónica and Sol Meliá.

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