Ismael Velo

Industrial designer from Northern Spain, crafting products that are evocative in their approach and precise in their execution.

Much of my work centres on Play and Wellbeing, areas in which I balance poetic expression with functional clarity through thoughtful making, a keen eye for detail, and a love for the craft.

I graduated from Elisava School of Design in Barcelona, where I complemented my Atlantic upbringing with the Mediterranean design culture.

A formative period in Norway added the clarity and quiet discipline of Scandinavian design. 

Amsterdam, where I lived and worked for more than a decade, taught me how to embrace non-conforming and independent thinking.

Together with the Japanese approach to craft, these influences continue to inform my work today.

I was the Lead Designer at FROLIC, a boutique studio working across industries, where I helped organisations like IKEA, Volkswagen and Vodafone, while contributing to the company’s shift from a tech-driven startup to a design-driven agency.

A shift in scale, as part of the in-house design team at Earthscape Play (Canada), saw me develop bespoke wooden playgrounds for renowned landscape architecture firms such as CCxA - creating high-quality playspaces that advanced industry standards.

But one of my favourite clients has always been children: hundreds of them across North America inhabit the playgrounds I helped shape, while others play with a handful of charming little wooden toys that I made in the atelier.

Some of the other things I have worked on include a nightlight (a gender-neutral design challenge), a unique piece of furniture where sustainable sourcing meets CMF, and a range of IoT products designed to give technology a touch of human warmth.

Thoughtful storyteller, design minimalist, long-hours buddy, colour master
— Nathan Schleicher

+ Digital & analog sketching

+ 3D CAD modelling

+ Rendering and visualisation

+ CMF design

+ Design research & synthesis

+ Concept development

+ Technical development

+ Soft engineering

+ Design through making

+ CNC/digital fabrication tools

+ Critical thinking

+ Multidisciplinary collaboration

+ Cross-sector communication

+ Client
communication

+ Leading teams