About

Anything I can dream up, I can make real.
I am a senior print and production designer with a love for editorial layouts, vivid images, bold text, and extensive experience in creating digital assets.

I have managed luxury brands and popular children’s cartoon properties. I have very diverse interests and enjoy challenging myself to design new things and expand my knowledge base.
I pride myself on always putting the interests of the client first and consistently completing my designs to their utmost satisfaction.

destrella3000@gmail.com
646.623.5329

SKILLS

  • Print / Editorial / Digital design
  • Print and Digital Production
  • Image retouching
  • Compositor
  • WoodWing
  • WordPress
  • Slack, Chat, Zoom
  • Website graphic creation
  • Digital Photography
  • Brand management
  • Motion Design
  • Fluent in English and Spanish, with experience translating.
  • Extensive experience with the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Acrobat, and Dreamweaver) on both Mac and PC.

WORK HISTORY

Self-Employed
Estrella Design, NYC

03/00 – Present

Design print, digital, branding, and marketing materials for various clients including:
The Parkside Group, Ziff Davis (PCMag.com), Press 4 Kids, Mother West Records, Palm Records, Jack Morton Worldwide, Augury Books,  Bibi Magazine, and Sandeep Diamond Corp.

Print Graphic Designer – Contract
The Parkside Group, NYC

10/24 – Present

  • Designed promotional materials for local elections

Compositor
Scholastic (Contract through Adecco), NYC

03/23 – 07/24

  • Assist in making revisions to book files.
  • Package and preflight files for release to printers or media partners.
  • Review final book files for any issues before archiving.
  • Assist with technical and process issues.

Production Designer
Callisto Media, NYC

06/21 – 07/22

  • Designed sales assets to promote new releases.
  • Assisted Art Directors and Graphic Designers with technical and process issues.
  • Contributed a book review column to the Production Designer newsletter on the intranet.
  • Converted softcover books into hardcover versions (cover mechs and interior files).

Print Graphic Designer – Contract
The Parkside Group, NYC

09/18 – 12/20

  • Designed promotional materials for local elections, PR campaigns, and Not-for-Profit organizations.
  • Maintained close contact with outside vendors (printers) to ensure final product quality.

Art Director – Contract
Press 4 Kids, NYC

03/19 – 05/19

  • Designed daily children’s online newspaper: 5 articles / covers for 3 devices (iPad, iPhone, Android) every day.
  • Managed time every day by organizing and prioritizing responsibilities.
  • Maintained open communication with editorial team throughout the day.
  • Delegated minor duties to interns during crunch times.

12/16 – 09/18

Travel and contract work.

Senior Graphic Designer
Shah Luxury, New York, NYC

11/14 – 12/16

  • Managed the Shah Luxury Brand.
  • Designed and edited promotional materials, web pages, graphics, and email blasts.
  • Shot product digital photography. Created and edited social media posts.
  • Designed Trade Show signage, graphics, catalog covers, and interior pages. 

Editorial Graphic Designer – Contract
Bibi Magazine, NYC

01/13 – 11/14

  • Worked on editorial layout design and image retouching.

Digital Graphic Designer – Contract
PCMag.com (Ziff Davis), NYC

03/14 – 06/14

  • Designed and produced graphics for the main PC Mag website.
  • Redesigned modules and landing pages for a client website.

Print Graphic Designer – Contract
The Parkside Group, NYC

06/13 – 10/13

  • Designed promotional materials for local elections.

Editorial Graphic Designer – Contract
Augury Books, NYC

12/12 – 11/14

  • Designed covers and interior layouts of various books of poetry and fiction.

Art Director
A to Z Bohemian Glass, Inc., Brooklyn, NYC

09/09 – 05/12

  • Designed and edited all promotional materials.
  • Performed routine website maintenance and redesign, shot product digital photography.
  • Supervised junior designer.

06/08 – 09/09

Travel and contract work.

Graphic Designer
4 Kids Entertainment, NYC

08/03 – 08/07

  • Worked on various design and promotional projects.
  • Designed and maintained style guides.
  • Designed trade show catalog.
  • Converted original artwork into vector art.

Graphic Designer – Contract
Palm Records, NYC

10/01 – 03/02

  • Created package designs and assorted promotional materials.

Graphic Designer – Contract
Mother West Records, NYC

01/00 – 01/02

  • Established design direction for the label’s 32-page catalog/magazine,
  • Designed CDs and assorted press kits.

Graphic Designer
Scholastic, NYC

09/00 – 07/01

  • In charge of overall design and management of freelance designers for Scholastic’s Trumpet Book Club.

Art Director
Fanzine Intl. (Maxstone Media), NYC

08/98 – 12/99

  • Participated in the creation and launch of five magazines (Celebrity Style, Teen Celebrity, Gym, Burn!, and Nascar) and continued design for Teen Celebrity, Nascar, 101 Hairstyles, and ShortCuts.

Education

08/18

Noble Desktop, NYC
Adobe After Effects CC

09/96 – 04/98

Parsons School of Design, NYC
Bachelor of Fine Arts 1998, Communication Design.

09/94 – 06/96

Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic
(Affiliated with Parsons School of Design) AAS 1996, Graphic Design.

AWARDS

Finalist in two categories for the 2019 Reed Awards, the most exacting awards in political campaigns, grassroots, and advocacy.

Won the 2015 Eric Hoffer da Vinci Eye Award for exceptional cover art for The Family Cannon (author Halina Duraj, Augury Books, 2014).