Design Policy
In 2019, I was appointed to assume as Head of Design Policy at the Ministry of Culture in Jalisco—Mexico’s first government office focused exclusively on public policy for design. Over nearly five years, the department significantly expanded its scope and budget, developing a range of tools to support the design ecosystem through public funding, education, exhibitions, and residencies.
One of our main priorities was to build public funding schemes specifically for design, similar to what existed for theater, film, and music. We designed a series of funds that responded to key stages of the design process—from early prototyping to public engagement. These included Pre-Diseño, Mexico’s first public fund for prototypes and research in design, and Horizontes, launched during the pandemic to support cultural projects transitioning to digital formats with the help of design mentors. We also created programs that introduced children and teens to design in hands-on ways, through workshops focused on making, crafting, and experimenting.
The first public office in Mexico focused on developing policy for the design sector
Beyond funding, the department championed design as a public conversation. We developed traveling exhibitions that brought design to communities across Jalisco, including small-format showcases designed to be mobile and easy to set up in remote spaces. We also organized large-scale exhibitions in partnership with organizations such as Archivo Diseño y Arquitectura and BKT mobiliario urbano, and commissioned immersive shows like Rastros, which explored interactive design and data.
Public events were another key component—like Diseño y Personas, a major gathering at Teatro Degollado that brought together perspectives from product design, branding, UX, and design for social impact.
At the heart of it all was Pad Jalisco, a fully government-funded design residency program focused on social impact. We built the physical space, formed partnerships with organisations as GAIA (furniture), designaholic (media), SPACE10 (exhibition), Rosenfeld Media (books) and more. After several cohorts, Pad Jalisco has supported projects in biomaterials, sustainable fashion, gender, urban farming, and more.
The program was featured internationally, including at the Civic Design Conference in the U.S. and in the Design Management Review.