Daniel Utrilla Mellinas

I'm a UX leader who bridges research, strategy, and craft — helping teams build products that people genuinely want to use.

Currently Director of UX and Research at kununu, the leading employer review platform in the DACH region, where I lead a multidisciplinary team focused on making the job search more human.

Before kununu I spent two and a half years at onlyfy by XING (formerly Prescreen) designing tools for recruiters and HR teams — and before that, four years at Impact Hub Vienna as a Design Lead, running design thinking workshops and building community experiences for social innovators across Europe.

My background is a little unusual: I studied both Industrial Engineering and Product Design at university, which gave me a rare combination of systems thinking and hands-on craft. I'm certified in UX research methodology by the Nielsen Norman Group, human-centred service design by IDEO U, and UX management by the Interaction Design Foundation.

I'm Spanish, based in Vienna since 2015, and I spend my free time chasing good espresso, training for half-marathons, and reading every design book I can get my hands on.

Experience

Oct 2025 – Present

Director of UX and Research

kununu

Jun 2023 – Nov 2025

Head of UX Design & UX Research

kununu

Dec 2022 – May 2023

Product Designer

Runtastic GmbH (adidas)

May 2020 – Nov 2022

UX Team Lead · Senior UX Designer · UX/UI Designer

onlyfy by XING (formerly Prescreen)

Sep 2016 – Apr 2020

Design Lead & Design Thinking Expert

Impact Hub Network

Oct 2015 – Apr 2020

UX & CX Design Consultant

Freelance

Feb 2014 – Oct 2015

Product & Digital Designer

Luis Eslava Studio

Education

2011 – 2015

Bachelor's in Product Design and Development

Polytechnic University of València (UPV)

2007 – 2011

Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering — Mechanical

University of Castilla-La Mancha

Certifications

  • Analytics and User Experience
    Nielsen Norman Group
  • Human-centered Service Design
    IDEO U
  • UX Management: Strategies & Tactics
    Interaction Design Foundation

Outside of work

  • Coffee — I make it at home and seek out great cafés wherever I travel.
  • Running — Everything from 5K fun runs to 42K marathon distances.
  • Design books — Books are one of my favourite ways to stay curious and inspired.