🎯 Featured Work | 🧪 Research Exploration | ✨ About Me | 💌 Let's Connect
Hi! I'm Daniela. I'm an Ecuadorian designer and researcher crafting meaningful futures through human-centered approaches and strategic innovation.
| strategic designer + researcher |
🎨 Research + Design
Featured Work
All Projects
Libby McDonald, Sher Vogel, Anne Thibault, Daniela Teran, Arya Yadama, Kim Trageser, Kasia Jakimowicz, Nathalia Mendoza, Alejandra Medina
2020 to 2022
Mink'a | Harvard Master in Design Engineering
Daniela Teran Endara Board of Advisors: Libby McDonald, Ariana Mazzeo, Doris Sommer
2019 to present
Harvard Master in Design Engineering
Taylor Greenberg Goldy - Mitsue Elisa Guerrero - Mia Zaidan
2019
🧪 Explorations on Design Research
🔮 Research Philosophy
Research as a toolkit, not a blueprint │ Curiosity drives discovery │ Design By users not just design For users │ Collaboration is the ultimate productivity hack │
🎯 Research Approach
Empathy and Contextual Awareness
- Deeply understand user and stakeholder needs through empathy-driven research.
- Navigate diverse cultural and organizational contexts with bilingual fluency (English & Spanish).
- Deliver tailored solutions grounded in real-world insights.
Co-Creation and Collaboration
- Collaborate seamlessly with cross-functional teams, clients, and users.
- Foster inclusive participation to ensure alignment with business goals and user needs.
- Engage stakeholders throughout the process for stronger buy-in and impactful outcomes.
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Systems Thinking and Decentralized Design
- Address systemic challenges by identifying root causes and interdependencies.
- Develop resilient, context-aware strategies for long-term success.
- Empower teams to adopt decentralized, sustainable design approaches.
Capacity Building and Long-Term Impact
- Equip teams and organizations with creative problem-solving tools and frameworks.
- Deliver actionable insights and strategies that drive sustainable outcomes.
- Build client and team capacity to innovate beyond project timelines.
Storytelling and Translation
- Simplify complex ideas to foster understanding among diverse audiences.
- Use storytelling to align teams, clients, and users on shared goals.
- Inspire confidence and action through clear, compelling communication.
Playfulness and Curiosity
- Infuse creativity, play, and curiosity into research methods to uncover fresh insights.
- Energize teams by fostering a dynamic and engaging problem-solving environment.
- Discover opportunities others might overlook through innovative exploration.
✨About me
I'm passionate about leveraging design, research, art, and technology embracing the plurality that is required to engage with and affect large complex systems. My work as a designer has allowed me to work with a wide range of people and organizations to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. My research skills have allowed me to dive deep into understanding the needs of the people I'm designing for and with, and I'm always focused on ensuring that design is accessible and inclusive. My process involves a blend of design thinking, systems thinking, and participatory design research.
🌍 My Story
My journey as a designer and researcher hails from Ecuador, taking root on participatory design practices in architecture. In the path of creating spaces to include the people on the process of design, I established a studio dedicated to social innovation, where the power of design became evident as a tool for justice and change beyond the built environment. My quest for knowledge took me to Harvard, where I earned a Master in Design Engineering. Here, I learned to tackle systemic injustices and complex challenges through a blend of design, systems thinking, and technology. I've been privileged to work for esteemed institutions such as MIT D-Lab and IDEO. I'm passionate about leveraging design, research, art, and technology embracing the plurality that is required to engage with and affect large complex systems.
My professional and academic experience have been instrumental in grounding my practice in the mission to support and uplift the creative capacities of individuals and communities, unlocking the agency needed to achieve liberation and well-being. I'm committed to fostering systemic change, ensuring that justice, regenerative sustainability, and equitable technology integration are not distant dreams but tangible realities for all.
This commitment has culminated in the birth of Asombro, a design and research organization that envisions and builds an equitable, regenerative future through decentralized design.
Learning Journey
- B.Arch USFQ [2008 - 2013]
- Harvard MDE [2018 - 2020]
- MIT D-Lab Research [2019 - 2021]
- IDEO Experience [2021 - 2023]
- Creative Service Club [2024 - now]
Fun Facts
- Favorite Research Method: Card Sort
- Current Reading: 100 Years of Solitude
- Design Superpower: Empathy
- Latest Experiment: Quantitative Research using Instagram Stories
Skills & Tools
- Research Methods 🌳
- Design Strategy 🌳
- Facilitation 🌱
- Systems Thinking 🌳
- Tech Integration 🌱
Values & Vision
- Human-Centered Design
- Systemic Change
- Inclusive Innovation
- Sustainable Futures
💌 Let’s Connect
