# Ismael Flores Trujano > Experiential Creative Director | Neuroscience-Informed Design | 12 Years at Apple | Former Studio Founder | Building Brand Experiences That Shape Behavior & Build Trust Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/ismaelflorestrujano I design spaces that shape minds. For over 20 years, I've built brand experiences combining craft, human empathy, and strategic thinking. Most recently, I've incorporated neuroscience into my approach, understanding that great experiential design isn't just about aesthetics; it's about how environments neurologically influence behavior, emotion, and trust. WHAT DRIVES MY WORK I come from a family committed to social impact and human rights. Throughout my career, I've contributed design expertise to NGOs including UNICEF. This shaped my core belief: design is never neutral. The spaces we create have real impact on people's lives. That belief led me to study neuroscience over the past 3-4 years, specifically how spatial environments shape cognition and behavior. The insight that transformed my approach: we don't just design spaces, we shape how people think and feel. WHAT I BRING - Entrepreneurial Foundation: Founded and scaled my own design studio from zero. Later brought that builder mindset to Best Buy Mexico leading retail architecture. - World-Class Craft: 12 years at Apple leading cross-functional teams across WW and Geo markets. Managing agencies, aligning stakeholders, operating strategically and tactically. - Neuroscience-Informed Design: Understanding how spatial configurations neurologically trigger trust, safety, and approachability. Creating environments that influence behavior, not just communicate brand. - Human Skills: My success comes from empathy, communication, and the capacity to read rooms. I build relationships across cultures and create experiences where people feel genuinely welcomed. - AI + Design Thinking: Completed Ideo U's program (2025), exploring how AI accelerates creative processes and how to design for invisible, powerful technologies. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS → Founded design studio and directed marketing launch for Apple's 1st Mexico retail store → 12 years leading experiential programs at Apple across 20+ countries → Luxury retail design for Cartier (China) → BBYExpress retail innovation concept → 1st Place, Toscana International Furniture Design Competition I'm passionate about building experiences that combine technical excellence with human understanding, creating spaces where people don't just see a brand, but feel it, trust it, and connect with it. Let's connect if you're working at the intersection of design, human behavior, and innovation. ## Work Experience ### Associate Creative Director - Channel In-Store Experience @ Apple Jan 2017 – Present | Cupertino, CA - Consistently delivering superior design by translating creative intent into compelling retail and environmental design solutions, while orchestrating architecture, fixture design, visual merchandising, products, content, graphic, and digital components for multiple retail channels. - Combining 2D, 3D, VM, digital elements, and environments, knitting together all of the elements that are designed to support the customer journey, and creating great in-store interactions and outstanding store experiences. - Providing oversight for Retail, Channel programs for Apple's indirect channels, while proactively establishing rapport, credibility, and influence, and driving results throughout a highly-matrix organization. - Leading an in-house team as well as partnering with and leading creative agencies, build partners, 3D/VM Producers, and Production teams to direct the successful realization of Retail & Channel design solutions. - Planning and directing all aspects of assigned projects and serving as an integral member of the creative team, ensuring successful production, while collaborating closely with and following the direction of the In-Store Experience Design & 3DVM Creative Director. ### Merchandising Platforms Lead – Latin America @ Apple Jan 2013 – Jan 2017 | Miami, FL - Drove key strategic merchandising programs and initiatives through deep analytics of sales and customer behavior, while overseeing the immaculate implementation of Apple branded programs across multiple channels (carrier, retail, travel) in LATAM. - Leveraged analysis to determine and deliver product placement and holistic merchandising strategies to senior leadership and cross-functional partners, gaining consensus on strategy, as well as continually innovated current/future strategies. - Simultaneously operated at both strategic and tactical levels, including influencing and developing relationships with partners at all levels, while mapping the ALAC channel customer journey for each partner to deliver the best in store experience possible. - Directed process development and project management for ALAC during new product introductions in August and September 2016 and created bespoke visual merchandising directives for the Latin American market. - Directed the marketing campaign for the 1st Apple retail store in Mexico and led a team of Creatives and Producers who oversaw all marketing communications, while delivering a campaign relevant to the local market yet with a global look and feel. - Forecasted new and incremental demo products and the accompanying visual elements, as well as led the demo experience for new product launches through cross-functional partnerships, working closely with Product Marketing, Product Design, MarCom, Retail Fulfillment, and Logistics. ### Architecture & Design @ Best Buy Mexico Jan 2008 – Jan 2013 | Mexico City, Mexico - Managed end-to-end in-store marketing communications and third-party POP approvals, partnering cross-functionally to deliver cohesive retail experiences meeting brand, timing, and budget goals - Adapted U.S. store format to Mexican market, optimizing layouts for cultural preferences and shopping behaviors, early application of understanding how environment shapes customer experience - Led all aspects of retail architecture, store planning, and fixture design for Best Buy Mexico's expansion strategy - Designed and implemented BBYExpress concept, challenging retail conventions to enhance brand perception through refined environmental design and customer journey optimization - Designed Best Buy Mexico offices, including full workplace design for two story expansion, managing space planning, furniture selection, materials, and finishes to create environments where employees could thrive ### Design Manager @ DEFI Group Jan 2006 – Jan 2008 | Beijing, China - Worked as Project Manager and Store Designer for luxury brand Cartier in China, performing interior design, construction documentation, space planning and guidelines implementation for over 85 POS in one year. - Responsible for the design and store planning for Richemont group brands and Intercontinental Group in Asia Pacific region. - Developing all architecture, fixture design, and visual merchandising guidelines for the launch of the Mushi brand. - Awarded winner interior design for Eric Paris Salon flagship store and HQ in Dashanzi art gallery district, BJ. ### Director, Design Firm Partner & Co-Founder @ FLORES + GILABERT Jan 2004 – Jan 2006 | Flores + Gilabert Architects, Mexico City, Mexico Architectural design and real estate development. ## Education ### Global Master of Business Administration Thunderbird School of Global Management ### Diploma in Sustainable Design and Construction Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México ### Diploma in Developing graduate of Real estate projects and Real estate. Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México ### Bachelor of Architecture - BArch Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de México ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ismael-flores-trujano --- Source: https://flows.cv/ismaelflorestrujano JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/ismaelflorestrujano/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13