Valeria Gonzaga
Design, Illustration & Photography
Valeria Gonzaga
Bringing stories to life through design, illustration, and photography
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WELCOME
My name is Valeria (pronounced ‘vuh-leh-ri-uh’ – just in case you were wondering), and I’m a graphic designer. I started my career over ten years ago. Along the way, I had the chance to build long-lasting relationships with peers in marketing agencies, media and private companies, educational institutions, and freelance projects. Whether I help you with your visual identity, website, photography or social media presence, my main goal is to bring your brand’s story to life.
An uncommon path led me here
Successful design projects require more than just talent. They must be effective in communicating your brand’s message and must look and sound authentic. There needs to be a balance between creativity, technical knowledge and a deep understanding of user experience.
There’s always something new to learn
I believe you should always be curious, and that knowledge goes beyond your area of expertise. I have many interests, and studying them helps me be a better designer. Why? Because being outside your comfort zone and learning about other subjects ultimately translates into different perspectives, experimentation and creativity.
From graphic design to culinary, here’s what I studied so far:
Bachelor’s
in Graphic Design
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
2006-2009
Certificate in UX Design & Development Skills
OCAD University
2019-2020
Master’s Degree in Editorial Design
Instituto Politécnico de Tomar
2009-2011
Certificate
in Food and Media
George Brown College
2018
Certificate in Multimedia Storytelling & Content Marketing
University of Toronto
2020-2021
Diploma in Culinary Management
George Brown College
2017-2018
An uncommon path led me here
Successful design projects require more than just talent. They must be effective in communicating your brand’s message and must look and sound authentic. There needs to be a balance between creativity, technical knowledge and a deep understanding of user experience.
Putting into action
I am fortunate to have worked in significantly different environments in various countries, which opened a wide range of possibilities. I believe this comes through in the unique and creative work I do. This unorthodox career path and diverse experience taught me how to:
- be a team-player
- adapt quickly
- always find a solution or at least a workaround to any problem
- know what questions to ask
- understand the deeper meaning of the answers
- communicate effectively
An uncommon path led me here
Successful design projects require more than just talent. They must be effective in communicating your brand’s message and must look and sound authentic. There needs to be a balance between creativity, technical knowledge and a deep understanding of user experience.
The bottom line
When you put together years of experience and diverse education, the result is a rare skillset. Throughout my career, I built and refined my expertise in different areas such as:
branding
social media marketing
styling
editorial design
photography
copywriting
web design
illustration
blogging
The proficiency in all these areas helps me create from a unique point of view. The result is design pieces that are equally beautiful, genuine, and functional.
The final product
If you made it this far, thank you! Here is where the real fun begins. You can finally see all the skills I’ve been talking about in action. Click the images below to learn more about each project and my contribution to them.
I can’t wait to hear from you
Do you think we would work well together? Want to create a project that reflects your brand’s personality? Don’t hesitate to reach out. I can’t wait to get to know you and collaborate with you to create something great.