Unexpected Journey

     If you had told me back in high school, struggling through a Photoshop class and wondering why anyone thought layers and masks were fun, that one day I’d be nearing the finish line of a college degree in graphic design, I probably would’ve laughed. Back then, it felt like the whole world of design was speaking a language I didn’t understand. Once I joined the United States Navy, I felt that four years of my life as a mechanical engineer were shaped by discipline, structure, and purpose, none of which involved anything remotely creative. Design wasn’t just off my radar, it didn’t even seem like something people like me pursued. But as I transitioned out of the military, I found myself searching. Not just for a new career, but for a new voice. Something that let me express parts of myself I’d kept quiet or didn't even know existed. The problem was simple, I didn't see myself as a creative person. My only real experience was a Photoshop class that was frustrating. I had written off anything artsy as “not for me.” And yet, something kept pulling me toward visuals, toward stories told without words. I enrolled in a graphic arts and design program not because I was confident, but because I was curious. That curiosity quickly turned to doubt. In my first few classes, I felt behind. I didn’t have a sketchbook full of ideas, or a long list of designs. I felt like an outsider, someone who took too long on assignments, second-guessed every choice, and struggled to understand tools that others seemed to pick up instantly.

     One moment that stands out was my first project using Photoshop. I had to create a poster for a destination location for a travel agency, and after hours of working on it, I still felt it looked like something pulled from ClipArt.I feel that the real battle wasn’t with the different software we would learn to use almost every month, but it was with my mindset. I had to learn that everyone is creative and artistic in their own way, even me, we just have trouble tapping into that side of our creativity. Most people think that you’re either “born with it” or not. Untrue, because slowly, I began to see design as a craft, not a talent. Something that could be shaped, improved, and sharpened with time and patience. What helped me a lot in this process was that I started to reflect a lot on my blog post and the designs along the way. I watched YouTube tutorials, read other classmates' design blogs, and even began posting responses to projects done by my classmates, which both helped me learn how to do things. It helped me see how even in my very own work, I could use improvement on. Every critique became a map to get to where I wanted to be as a designer. Now, nearing the end of my associate’s degree, I see design differently. It’s no longer a world I don’t belong to, it's a language I’m still learning, but one I now understand how to speak. 

    From one of my most recent branding projects, where I explored emotional storytelling (like my Beats by Dre poster), to social media ads I built from scratch in Premiere Pro, I’ve started to build a body of work I’m proud of. This journey has taught me resilience, patience, and a new definition of creativity. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being persistent. It’s not about flashy visuals, it's about clear communication and listening to the clients and learning their story and understanding their mission that best tells the world who they are. As I look ahead, I see design not just as a job, but as a way to contribute meaningful visuals.  Whether I end up designing for nonprofits, a big corporate company, or even if I go into freelance work for myself. I know that design can tell stories that matter, and that is what I intend to do.

Quiet Haven

 For my Social media Ad, I decided to do it on a company I made up called Quiet Haven. It is a company designed to support people who feel lonely, emotionally isolated, or silently struggling with their mental health. It serves as a safe space, either in person or online, where individuals can find community, compassion, and quiet understanding. 

Haven Sheds

Haven Sheds

 For this Brand identity, I decided to create a fictional brand called Haven Sheds. It was founded on the belief that everyone deserves a personal space they can call their own. Whether it’s a garden retreat, a home office, or a storage solution, our sheds are crafted with care and built to last. We value craftsmanship, simplicity, and the idea that big dreams can live in small spaces. At our core, we bring practical beauty to backyards and help people create their own little haven.

For my logo design, I wanted to keep it fairly simple and clean, a simple shed silhouette with the roof peaks forming a soft arch to give a sense of warmth and safety. Underneath, a clean sans-serif text with the company name. My color scheme includes a forest green for nature and calm. A warm beige more for wood tones and warmth, like every home should be, and some slate grey for strength and durability. 

 

The visual identity of Haven Sheds is focused on comfort, craftsmanship, and personal space. I chose a simple shed shape for the logo to show that these sheds are more than just buildings, they’re places people care about. The soft curve of the roof makes the logo feel more friendly and welcoming instead of sharp or cold. For the color scheme, I used forest green, warm beige, and slate gray. These colors were picked because they feel natural and grounded. The green represents nature and the outdoors, the beige looks like wood, and the gray gives it a strong and dependable vibe.

The images I chose show real people using their sheds for painting, working, or gardening. This helps tell the story that sheds aren’t just for storing stuff, but can also be personal spaces for creating and relaxing. Overall, the design I made is meant to feel warm, reliable, and personal, showing how Haven Sheds can help people build more than just a shed, they’re building a special space.

 "Plumbing is a Crap Job” 

Theme “Overconfidence meets reality”

My Story is about a quirky, overconfident plumber with a flashy monopoly man mustache called Lucky. He also has a YouTube channel showing the world the day to day housecalls he does. This story takes place in a suburban home bathroom. Lucky enters dramatically, wearing a towel as a cape, while holding a plunger like a sword. Lucky then tells the homeowner, “Relax I've handled worse”. He then starts to work on the pipe problem and turns the wrench the wrong way, causing the pipe to burst, spraying water everywhere. He tries to fix the problem with multiple solutions that all fail, like using duct tape over the leak. Or even using a potato as a type of wedge for the pipe. Each fix fails more spectacularly. The leak gets worse, and the room is slowly flooding. He finally attempts a dramatic final fix, he yells “FOR PLUMBIA!”(his YouTube Channel) and dives under the sink 

BOOM! The entire sink rips from the wall, crashing into the tub. Water sprays from every fixture like a Las Vegas water fountain. Lucky is then sitting in the flooded bathroom in a kiddie floatie while the homeowner is staring him down. Lucky mutters Next time, just call a real plumber, as he leaves drenched in wet clothing but still optimistic.

Week 4 Creative Exercise

 For this week's creativity exercise, I was tasked with creating a drawing that explores time-based metaphors using visual metaphors. The real purpose of this activity was to challenge the way I think about storytelling through imagery. It pushed me to take something invisible like time and give it shape, emotion, and meaning.

I created a set of drawings using the idea of a time machine. One of the key images featured an hourglass with different scenes in each half, the top showing a person facing a sunset over hills resembling the past, and the bottom showing another person sitting in a futuristic city (the future). As sand trickled from one to the other, it symbolized how time continuously flows, pulling us forward while still being shaped by what came before. 

I learned that visual metaphors are powerful for expressing complex ideas and emotions. This exercise helped me shift from just drawing what looks good, to drawing what means something. I’ll use metaphors more intentionally in future projects to add depth and communicate ideas clearly, especially in illustrations, posters, and any creative storytelling work.

week 3 Creativity

 For this week's creative exercise I really liked last week's exercise on visual metaphors so I decided  to do  a creative exercise out of it. So for this week I was tasked with exploring the use of visual metaphors and symbolic images that represent abstract ideas without relying on text. The goal of the assignment was not just to draw, but to think more deeply about how objects, animals, and scenes can be used to communicate complex thoughts, emotions, and situations through symbolism and visual storytelling. 

I created three visual metaphors

“Couch Potato” A literal potato slumped in a green armchair, representing laziness or inactivity.

“A Duck Out of Water” A confused duck holding a dripping water bottle while standing in a small puddle, symbolizing feeling out of place or uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.

“Under Pressure”  A person trapped between two brick walls, pushing against them with both hands, showing the emotional or mental strain of being overwhelmed or constrained.

This exercise taught me how powerful visuals can be when they go beyond what is literal. One of the most valuable takeaways from this activity was learning how to express ideas visually that would normally require explanation. It made me think differently about how I design and communicate, especially in a world that moves quickly and where images often speak louder than words. In the future, I can use this exercise to generate stronger design concepts, brainstorm, or create more emotional illustrations. Most importantly, it reminded me that creativity isn’t always about making something new, it's often about seeing something old in a completely new way.

 My Three Metaphors 

 Life Taking Its Toll

 The grim reaper symbolizes the weight of mortality, stress, and hardship, looming behind a weary man who appears emotionally and physically drained, highlighting how life's pressures can feel like death slowly resting its hand on your shoulder.

 Time Passing You By

 The hourglass with wings represents how quickly time flies, while the sad, still figure emphasizes a sense of being left behind or stuck as life continues to move forward without her.

 Carrying The Weight of The World on Your Shoulders

The person struggling to hold up the Earth represents the overwhelming burden of responsibility, stress, or pressure that feels too big to bear alone.

Exercise 3

Over the past year in graphic design, I’ve worked on everything from magazine covers to ads and advocacy posters. To reflect on my growth, I created a collage of 8 pieces of my work. As I looked at them, I noticed common themes like bold visuals, emotional tones, and strong storytelling. My classmate described my style as intentional and message driven, which matched what I was seeing.

From this, I realized I want to focus more on three qualities going forward. Playful imagination to take more creative risks. Cinematic emotion to deepen my storytelling through mood and visuals. And a bold visual contrast to make my designs even more eye-catching.

This process showed me how much I’ve grown and how much more I can still discover in my style.

Impressions of Work 

(“A Year in Color, Contrast, and Creativity”) 

 energetic, colorful, confident

National Geographic cover

futuristic, educational, bold

The Conjuring IV poster

 eerie, cinematic, suspenseful

Photoshop User cover 

technical, urban, creative

Beats by Dre ad 

 emotional, sleek, powerful

Veterans Services poster 

 respectful, patriotic, structured

The Santo Domingo Bistro ad 

elegant, luxurious, warm

Legal Aid PSA (hofla.org) 

 emotional, raw, serious

Noticing Patterns

Adjectives that repeat  

bold, emotional, cinematic, structured

Color use

 Strong contrast is a theme of deep blacks, bright whites, and pops of red, yellow, and teal

Design range

You cover editorial, advertising, advocacy, and promotional work, showing clear versatility

Storytelling

Many pieces use people or figures as focal points, suggesting empathy and human centered design. 

Outside Perspective 

“Your style feels cinematic, confident, and emotional. Even when the subjects shift from space to food to headphones, there's a sense of intention and presence in each one. You seem to care deeply about how the message lands with the viewer.”

Three Qualities

Cinematic Emotion 

 I want to tell stories visually with drama and clarity

Bold Contrast 

Try to use more color and light to grab attention and guide the eye

Purpose driven messaging 

I notice my work often connects to people, emotion, or causes, but I would like it to not just look good but say something. 

Week 2 Case Study

 One Story Away 

https://youtu.be/IqkVUfYMZWM?si=Y_h55_8pLn2sBeNP

For my second case study, I decided to do it on one of my and probably many others' favorite streaming entertainment companies, NETFLIX. In 2020, Netflix launched the “One Story Away” campaign to remind the world of the emotional and transformative power of storytelling, especially during a time when much of the world was isolated due to the pandemic. 

Around this time, NETFLIX's objective with this campaign was to strengthen NETFLIX's global brand identity as a storytelling platform, and not just a streaming service. They tried to connect emotionally with audiences across cultures. Especially during the pandemic, they wanted to increase brand loyalty and engagement during a time of high content consumption since everyone was basically on lockdown for the most part. 

I think they did a great job meeting their objective because they included footage from a wide range of Netflix content, from action and romance to K-dramas, LGBTQ+ stories, African originals, and documentaries. They set an emotional tone by leaning heavily into empathy and how stories can help viewers understand people different from themselves. The media strategy they used was aired on television, YouTube, Instagram, and global outdoor ads (including subways and buses).

The title“One Story Away” was often placed centered or with generous padding, making it the focal point, showcasing great visual hierarchy. Netflix’s iconic red was subtly but consistently integrated into logos and transitions. As for the typeface they used, Netflix Sans, their custom typeface is modern, clean, and accessible. The last emotional appeal was focused more on empathy by focusing on human faces, small moments, and emotional expressions, reminding viewers of the power of connection.

From Netflix’s “One Story Away” campaign, I realized how important emotional connection is in design. Even with a simple message, the right visuals, color, and typography can make it powerful. I also learned that strong visual hierarchy helps guide the viewer’s eye, and color should match the mood of the message. I also placed the link to the video in this case study above. Feel free to watch it and see what message it delivers to you. I highly recommend watching it. I thought it was a great piece and message during that time of isolation. This really strengthened public perception of Netflix as a cultural connector, not just an entertainment company. For my future design projects, I’ll aim to create work that doesn’t just look good, but feels meaningful.

 

week 2 blog post

 Seeing the World with Creative Eyes

In this week's exercises, I was tasked with picking a simple, boring object and redesign it in a creative way. I chose to redesign a toothpick container. In my process, I first sketched the original container that was plastic, flimsy, and boring.  Then I thought of ways on how to redesign it like making a round wooden base that spins and putting a label on it that says pick me. 

This activity is all about seeing things differently. It taught me to look at common objects in my daily life and reimagine how they could be better, more beautiful, or just more fun. I feel like the purpose of this exercise was to sharpen observation and train visual creativity. I learned that a small upgrade can make everyday objects feel more thoughtful. Even something as small as a toothpick holder that is redesigned can change how people interact with it.  Moving towards the future, I believe this could help me by using this exercise as a creative warm up or even real world innovations, such as how you can look at some everyday basic item and think of ways to redesign it and make it better. 

Project 1

FEEL EVERY BEAT

    For this week's project, I decided to create a poster for a product called Beats by Dre. In this poster, the subject has her eyes closed, showing her peacefulness and how she is deeply immersed in the music. I thought this would be something viewers could relate to.  The red light evokes warmth and emotion, also very similar in color to the Beats logo I found online. It creates a feeling, not just a look.  I chose the black background so that it could draw the viewers' eyes to her face and the Beats headphones (the product). The sound waves in the background act as a symbol that she can literally feel the beat of the music she is listening to.  This is why the tag line is "FEEL EVERY BEAT," it's not just sound quality, but the emotional impact the poster is meant to show its viewers. For my typeface I chose Helvetica Neue Condensed Bold because I wanted a bold, modern, and clean look for my message. 

 

creativity exercise 1

 The Thirty Circles exercise is a rapid-fire creativity booster. You’re given 30 empty circles and a time limit to fill each circle with a recognizable object. 

I set a 3-minute timer and began filling circles with familiar things I could think of.  I can use this exercise going forward by doing 3 minutes of thirty circles before writing or design work to create some ideas, even though most won't be used. And it would be a great technique to use in group exercises. 

The Thirty Circles exercise is a practical tool. By embracing speed and creative thinking, it recalibrates how we approach creativity. Inspired by sound frameworks like Mamuw’s Creative Boot Camp, it shows that boosting idea generation can be simple and fun. I did as much as I could think of in the 3 minutes. 

exercise 2

My screen cracked

In my 3-panel comic, I decided to do it on a person dropping their phone. In scene 1 is the conflict is that the phone drops and is now broken. Scene 2 is the reaction of the person who reacts emotionally. Lastly, in scene 3, the resolution a friend shows up with support to comfort the other person. In my dramatic composition, I drew a panel emphasizing the conflict of the person breaking his phone and overreacting. In my other panel, of downplaying the conflict, I just drew the person looking at the broken phone in despair. 

Dramatic reaction 

Downplay reaction

Case Study 1

My Case Study is on Beats by Dre, originally known as Beats Studio in 2008. 

But I found that Beats by Dre launched a campaign called "The Game Before the Game" during the 2014 FIFA World Cup that was a great promotional campaign. The goal was to raise global brand awareness and connect their headphones with sports, emotion, and mental preparation. The campaign focused on showing the pre-game rituals of famous athletes like Neymar Jr., Serena Williams, and LeBron James, with a strong emotional story and dramatic music.       

They used a five-minute video, TV ads, social media, and product placement to reach people worldwide. Even though Beats wasn’t an official World Cup sponsor, the campaign went viral and boosted headphone sales. It also helped position Beats as more than just headphones, it became part of sports culture.

I learned that good storytelling makes a brand more relatable. Using emotion, real people, and cultural moments in design can make a big impact. I also learned that campaigns work better when they are shared across different types of media.

link to 

https://youtu.be/QiAgzUyCz3c?si=tEuaeemeylH-kr-x

Exercise 1

 For this Scenario I call it “Spilled Coffee Disaster” because I think that drinking coffee for the average person is a simple everyday scenario. Especially while they are working at their desk or at their computer. And I will also throw in this scenario that has happened to me on  a personal level as well. This office worker is working on her laptop at a busy cafe. Then she accidentally knocks over her cup of coffee onto her laptop.

• In Panel one she is smiling calmly, working and focused. 

• Panel 2 she bumps the coffee and sends it flying in the air onto her laptop showing her in a sudden panic, eyes wide open. 

• Panel 3 she has jumped up in shock. Horrified of what she sees, the laptop is soaked and covered in coffee. With a high stressed background. 

• Panel 4 she has come to the conclusion that she did not backup her work and her laptop is fried feeling down and depressed. Her hands on her head and facial expression changes to sadness and regret. 

Overall I had so much fun doing this exercise and drawing on my ipad using Adobe Fresco for the first time. I found it on the creative cloud included in our monthly subscription if anyone is interested in using it. Very similar to Procreate. 

Title project

 This was my take on the opening credits of one of my favorite movies, Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton.