Nestor PeñaDesign Engineer · Product Designer
Nestor Peña in a cap and sunglasses by a mountain lake

About

From Cuba to Bern, by way of a factory floor.

I arrived at 23 speaking only Spanish. Everything since then I learned by doing it badly first, then doing it again until it worked. That is still how I design.

The short version

To pay for engineering school I worked 18 months as a butcher at Micarna, the meat factory of Groupe Migros. Some days were 12 hours on the line. I learned there that long days feel different when your goal is clear. I learned French on the line and in class, then English and Portuguese along the way. In 2019 I graduated in Telecommunications from HES-SO Fribourg.

I started as the only designer and frontend developer at ECCO2, a startup that grew from 5 to 30 people while I was there. At Comfone I moved from frontend engineering into product design, and the company created its first Product Designer role for me. I ended up as the final design owner of the whole Pulse platform, reporting to the COO and the board.

Having been the developer makes me a better designer. I know what a design costs to build, and I can build it myself.

The path

  1. Age 23Arrived from CubaSpanish only. 18 months as a butcher at Micarna (Migros) to pay for school.
  2. 2016 – 2019BSc TelecommunicationsHES-SO Fribourg, major in Internet and Communications
  3. 2019 – 2022Software Engineer, ECCO2Only designer and frontend developer, 5 to 30 people
  4. 2022 – 2024Frontend Engineer / UX/UI Expert, Comfone6 data analysis apps in React, code review before every merge
  5. 2024 – 2026Product Designer, ComfoneDesign lead for 80+ apps serving 600+ mobile operators
  6. NowOpen to Design Engineer rolesAvailable immediately, Swiss C permit
Nestor posing with his dance partner in front of the Abailar logo in the studioNestor laughing mid-step in his Abailar teacher portraitNestor with fellow Abailar teachers in a group pose

Off screen

I teach Cuban salsa at Abailar.

Teaching a room of beginners is usability testing in real time. If half the class misses a step, the step was explained badly. I break it down, watch, and try again. I bring the same patience to product teams, stakeholders and users.

What people say

“We both had the same goal: getting into university. We faced big challenges, and his ability to push forward always surprised me. Besides being a great human being, he is an excellent professional.”
Orlando Lázaro Ruiloba TorresIndustrial engineer · studied together · LinkedIn, translated from Spanish
“He translated my wishes into images. He gave me ideas and guided me through the first phases of creation, and was extremely meticulous with the details.”
Daniel da SilvaSenior HR Recruiting Partner, Visana · client · LinkedIn, translated from French
“Nestor created the image of Viajero Coffee and part of our brand identity. He is very committed and puts a lot of passion into what he does.”
Carolina GobetViajero Coffee · client · LinkedIn, translated from French

Languages

Spanish
Native
English
Fluent
French
Fluent
German
A2 certified · in classes toward B2
Portuguese, Italian
Basic

Education

  • Shift Nudge, interface design training
    Matt D. Smith    In progress
  • German classes, toward B2
    Currently A2 certified    In progress
  • Professional Certificate in Accessibility
    UX Design Institute    2025
  • UI Professional Diploma
    UX Design Institute    2023
  • UX Design Certificate
    UX Design Institute    2023
  • BSc Telecommunications
    HES-SO Fribourg    2016 – 2019
See diplomas, certificates and references →

Let's talk.

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