As a digital product & design executive, strategist, futurist & educator, Danny Stillion, Founder and Principal of designbivouac, has shaped advanced consumer products, emerging interaction paradigms, and the future of mobility—from strategic vision through execution.

EXPERIENCE

Founder & Principal - designbivouac, LLC
Redwood City, California
January 2021 – Present

Build, lead, and advise multidisciplinary teams creating products, services, and future visions across mobility, consumer products, SaaS, medical, and other contexts.

• Set strategic direction while remaining hands-on in experience design, product thinking, and visualization.

• Use generative-AI visualization platforms to communicate future concepts and emerging-technology opportunities.

• Advise organizations on human-centered product and experience strategy across complex domains.

Lecturer - San Jose State University
San Jose, California
January 2025 – Present

Teach graduate-level service design integrating interaction design, organizational psychology, human factors, and systems design.

• Develop and teach methods for service ecosystems, business models, service blueprints, user journeys, and end-to-end experiences spanning hardware, software, and human actors.

Vice President, Product & Design - Skyryse
El Segundo, California
January 2022 – July 2022

Led product and design for Skyryse's FlightOS and cockpit experience within an advanced aviation and mobility environment.

• Led FlightOS user-interface and cockpit design and applied a new branding system to fleet livery and internal communications.

• Recruited and hired additional product-team talent at the Director level.

Design & User Experience & Product Advisor - Skyryse
El Segundo, California
May 2021 – December 2021

Advised on early FlightOS product direction and designed key physical, digital, and end-to-end journey elements.

• Designed early FlightOS interface features and physical controls.

• Designed the mobile end-to-end journey spanning flight scheduling, aircraft access, startup procedures, in-journey, and post-journey experiences.

Executive Design Director & Partner - IDEO
Palo Alto and San Francisco, California
January 2014 – December 2020

Led strategic relationships and multidisciplinary teams for Fortune 500 clients, shaping innovation strategies and translating them into products, services, and experiences.

• Grew and led IDEO's Interaction Design discipline, managing and developing cross-disciplinary talent at strategic and execution levels.

• Established and led key mobility engagements and relationships with organizations including BMW, Bosch, Caterpillar, Ferrari, Google, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota.

• Attracted talent and clients to multi-year, multi-million-dollar engagements across mobility, medical, consumer-product, and other innovation contexts.

• Transformed client innovation capabilities and helped senior stakeholders adopt design thinking and new strategic approaches.

Senior Design Director - IDEO
Palo Alto, California
November 2006 – January 2014

Led innovation and digital-design work across mobility, medical, financial, consumer-product, and telecommunications contexts.

• Played a key global role in diversifying and growing IDEO's Interaction Design discipline into the firm's largest.

• Defined brands and interactive touch points across products and services.

• Embedded with a startup for a year as Design Director, overseeing implementation of the QUE e-reader user experience and recruiting talent to grow the digital product team.

Senior Interaction Designer - IDEO
London, UK, and Palo Alto, California
January 1996 – November 2006

Worked with interdisciplinary teams across transportation, telecommunications, medical and consumer products, enterprise software, group-work environments, and service innovation.

• Designed physical and digital interactions and created new ways of interfacing with products and services.

• Created interface wireframes, information architectures, and interface prototypes.

Assistant Professor - East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
July 1992 – December 1995

Taught interactive media, computer-related design, and videography within the School of Art.

• Created and oversaw approval of Interaction Design courses and advised graduate and undergraduate students.

EDUCATION

Master of Product Design, Focus on New Media
North Carolina State University, College of Design
Raleigh, North Carolina
Distinguished Alumnus Honoree

Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina

SELECTED CLIENTS
BMW, Bosch, Caterpillar, Ferrari, Google, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, NASA, Nauto, SAP, Toyota, Skyryse, Medtronic, Microsoft, Samsung, Yamaha

SPEAKING, TEACHING & ADVISORY

Danny has delivered keynotes and lectures on design thinking, interaction design, mobility, and the future of automobility at organizations and institutions including SXSW, Stanford University, Harvard University, Google Ventures, TEDx, SAE International, FISITA, Swissnex, and the Center for Automotive Research.

He has also served as an advisor, board member, reviewer, and competition judge across design, mobility, and emerging technology.

SELECTED ADVISORY & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Automobility LA Advisory Board, Tau Motors Advisory Board, Indy Autonomous Vehicle Challenge Advisor, North Carolina State University College of Design Leader's Council, Eyes on Design Judge, AMPA Canada Project Arrow EV Design Competition Judge