When asked to name the one thing that most excites her in the current world of design, Julia de Bono speaks in terms of intelligences, plural. "Human intuition, machine learning, material behavior, cultural memory and, of course, the ultimate intelligence: nature," she says. "Design now happens in the dialogue of many forms of intelligence."

As CEO of Designworks, BMW Group's global creative consultancy, Julia has led the design of visionary concept vehicles including the BMW Vision Next 100, Mille Miglia Concept, and 3.0 CSL Hommage. Formerly head of BMW's Concept Car Team and Global Design Strategy, she now drives cross-industry innovation—advancing AI-augmented creativity, circular product ecosystems, and future mobility experiences for BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and external partners across technology and transportation.

For Julia, this convergence of multiple intelligences represents a fundamental expansion of what design can be. "The role of the designer is expanding from 'maker of objects' to 'creator of intelligent systems,'" she explains. "When we embrace that shift, design stops being about control and starts being about possibility."

Wrestling With Ideas

Asked about concerns for the design field, Julia reframes the question itself. "I don't believe in worry. Worry freezes. Creation moves," she says. Instead, she pays attention to something more specific: "designers giving away their agency—letting speed replace intention and output replace authorship."

The risk, as Julia sees it, lies in disengagement from the creative process. "When we stop wrestling with ideas and making deliberate choices, design risks becoming decoration or automation. Creation is an act of responsibility, and staying engaged in that responsibility is the work."

It's a perspective that acknowledges AI and automation not as threats but as tools that make intention and authorship even more critical. The question isn't whether to use these technologies but whether designers maintain their active role in shaping outcomes.

Challenge Assumptions

As jury captain for the Transportation & Mobility category in the 2026 Core77 Design Awards, Julia will be looking for work that demonstrates courage alongside craft. Her advice to entrants challenges them to push beyond comfort zones.

"Ask 'What if?' until it makes you uncomfortable, and then ask 'Why not?' anyway," Julia says. "The work that stays with you is rarely the most polished or predictable; it's the work that challenges an assumption, reframes the question, or dares to imagine a different future."

She concludes with a reframing of risk itself: "Risk isn't the opposite of rigor, it's often proof of it."

For designers entering the Transportation & Mobility category, her perspective is clear. The most compelling work will take on the complexity of contemporary mobility while maintaining clear authorship and intention. Rather than simply refining existing solutions, the entries that stand out will question the assumptions behind them and imagine what mobility could become next.

2025 Winner

The winning Transportation & Mobility Professional entry from 2025 was Strollee Kids, a modular and versatile stroller system taking one stroller from bassinet to one-seat, two-seat, urban (4 wheels), jogger (3 wheels) and even a wagon when the kids outgrow the stroller.

If you have a forward-thinking idea that could spark a fire with our jurors, share it with us through the 2026 Core77 Design Awards.

Don't delay - the final deadline for entries is Friday March 27!