I'm Martina,
nice to meet you.
I appreciate you stopping by to check out my work.
How I got started in design?
During my internship at the National Civil Rights Museum, I came across a flyer that caught my attention, and I believed I could make it better. I redesigned it and the conference director loved it. This led me to become the sole designer for the Gandhi King Conference on Peacemaking for the next four years. As a second-year design student, I created all the marketing materials for the conference until my graduation, and I have continued designing ever since.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with small businesses and nonprofits, which has been incredibly rewarding. I'm passionate about designing for companies that have a direct impact on communities in need. It's fulfilling to know that my work has contributed to making a positive difference in people's lives.
What I've been working on?
As a designer, my ultimate goal is to continuously improve and develop my skills to become better at what I do. To achieve this, I embrace the ever-changing nature of the design field and actively seek out opportunities to learn more. Recently, I completed a course on UX design, after developing an interest in the field. I realized that my background in graphic design could be further enhanced by integrating UX/UI design principles.
The impact of small design changes on the end user, whether it be for a website or an application, is what excites me about UX/UI design. Similarly, graphic design also involves solving design problems with creative thinking. Both disciplines require an understanding of the user or audience, as well as collaboration with other designers, stakeholders, and clients to create designs that meet project requirements and are successful.
While UX/UI design and graphic design differ in specific skills and tools used, they share many similarities, and both are crucial in creating successful visual experiences. As a multidisciplinary designer, I find it rewarding to apply my knowledge of both fields to my work. By doing so, I can design more effectively and create better experiences for users.
My most rewarding experience.
One of the most rewarding and challenging experiences in my career was when I started working as a high school Art Teacher. Teaching art was enjoyable, but it came with a unique challenge - working with teenagers! I had to figure out how to engage students who were only in my class because they didn't play an instrument or couldn't act. So, I tailored my curriculum to cater to my target audience, high school students with little to no art talent. I crafted an experience that they could relate to and broke it down so that everyone could learn it.
The best part of my job was being able to share my passion for art with the next generation of artists and art lovers. It was truly inspiring to see my students develop their skills and discover their own creativity.
I have many more layers to share, so let's connect! I'm currently located in Denver, CO.