Gabriel Valdivia
Bio
I began my career in agencies and media companies before becoming the founding designer at Automatic, a San Francisco startup developing a smart driving assistant. At Automatic, I shaped strategy, product, and brand design for its award-winning debut product, which established my foundation in storytelling, usability, and collaboration.
From there, I joined Meta, where I led design for storytelling and VR experiences including Facebook Stories, 360, and Spaces, while also mentoring teams through the transition from 2D to 3D. At Google, I worked first on VR tools with Daydream and later at Jigsaw, where I helped create products like Shield for journalists and Trainer for law enforcement, addressing challenges around online safety and disinformation.
In 2019, I directed design at Canopy, launching personalization products that continued into my role at CNN after its acquisition. I later joined Patreon, where I reimagined the app’s architecture, scaled the design system, and launched Patreon Communities to give creators a direct line to their audiences.
Today, I’m a fractional design leader helping early-stage startups move fast from zero to one. I partner with early-stage teams like Daylight Computer, Workmate, Slingshot AI, and Google Ventures to shape product vision, build strong design foundations, and accelerate product development
Talks
Designing At The Speed of Startups
Config, 2026
Private By Default: Ethically Personalized Digital Products
Front Conference, 2021
UXPeditions: Can Technology Make A Safer World?
Design Driven, 2018
Designing Beyond The Screen
JAM Conf, 2017
Why Silicon Valley Loves Cuban Sandwiches
Gasparilla Interactive, 2016
Interviews
The Future Belongs to Fractional Designers
Dive Club, 2025
Episode 47 — Filling the Design Void
Full Stack Whatever, 2024
Storytelling and Designing 0-1
Dive Club 2023, 2023