Carolina Gzz · Branding & Identity

Creating functional brands,
strategically driven.

Brand Designer with 8+ years of experience developing and stewarding brands end-to-end, from strategy and creative concept to visual identity systems, campaigns, storytelling, and execution. As Founder & Creative Director of Happer, I led a team of six designers and created brand work for 40+ clients across consumer packaged goods, retail, and sustainability.

All Work

Selected Clients

Selected clients
View All Work Full experience

over 8 years
creating.

Visual identity systems built to live in retail, connect with real people, and outlast.

2013

Founder of Happer

Creative Director · 2013–2018 · Advisor 2020–2025

2015

Bachelor of Graphic Design

UDEM · Best Thesis Award

2015–16

Design Intern

Pentagram Austin

2018

MFA · Research Assistant

Univ. of Illinois

2019

Mediary · Workshop

Co-founder · Event Design

2020

MFA Graphic Design

UIUC · GPA 3.95 · Petullo Fellowship

2025

Brand Advisor

Happer

Brand Designer with 8+ years of experience developing and stewarding brands end-to-end, from strategy and creative concept to visual identity systems, campaigns, storytelling, and execution.

Work Experience

Happer

Founder & Creative Director · 2013 – 2018 · Advisor 2020 – 2025

Founded and directed Happer, delivering market research, branding, packaging, advertising, campaigns and digital projects for 40+ clients across consumer packaged goods, sustainability, fashion, and finance.

• Developed and implemented SOPs for branding processes, improving efficiency and reducing typical brand identity development timelines from 5 weeks to 2–3 weeks while maintaining strategic depth, design quality, and attention to detail.

• Directed creative work mentoring a team of six designers.

• For Villarreal División Equipos (VDE), one of Mexico's leading companies in water optimization and renewable energy solutions, developed 10+ new brands from naming to visual identity, including Enerwell and Alzac. Drove cross-functional collaboration and brand stewardship across VDE's brand portfolio, maintaining consistency across existing brands while creating new systems designed for market fit.

• Created brand and packaging work for CPG and retail clients, including Tim Hortons Mexico and M de Maní. Developed custom iconography for Tim Hortons' Mexico launch to communicate the fusion of Mexican and Canadian cultures, and redesigned M de Maní's peanut butter packaging across brand standards, print production requirements, and Mexico's NOM-051 front-of-pack labeling requirements.

Mediary Planner

Co-founder & Designer · Dec 2019

Co-founded Mediary, a creative social media planning brand. Led the end-to-end planning, event design, and execution of a hybrid social media workshop, including event promotion, branded materials, educational content, and facilitation.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Teaching Assistant · Sep 2019 – May 2020

• Conducted two undergraduate classes in graphic design, guiding students through portfolio development, typography, visual systems, and design critique.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Research Assistant (Brand Strategy & Web Design) · Sep 2018 – May 2019

• Led brand redesign and website redesign for Ninth Letter literary magazine. Developed visual identity system, improved UX/UI, and executed an effective brand strategy.

Pentagram Austin

Design Intern · Jun 2015 – Aug 2016

• Contributed to identity, editorial, and digital projects for clients including Texas Monthly magazine and The Contemporary Austin.

Firmalt

Junior Graphic Designer · 2014–2015

Contributed to branding and packaging projects for a packaging production company with in-house printing capabilities, supporting concept development, visual identity, and packaging design from initial ideas to production-ready materials.

Education

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Master of Fine Arts · Aug 2018 – May 2020

• Completed the 3-year MFA program in 2 years with a 3.95 GPA. Developed an MFA thesis on how startup brands can effectively engage with their audiences through storytelling on Instagram, focusing on visual content, narrative consistency, and audience engagement.

Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM)

Bachelor of Graphic Design · Aug 2010 – May 2015

• Concentration in Packaging. Received the Best Thesis Project Award.

Volunteering

Camino a la Cima

Values Education Teacher · 2009–Present

Teaches values-based education to children from marginalized communities in Monterrey, supporting their personal growth through creative activities, reflection, and community-centered learning.

Recognitions

Petullo Fellowship

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · May 2018

• Awarded to outstanding graduate students in Art + Design (MFA).

A! Design Awards 1st Place

Packaging · Nov 2015

UDEM Distinguished Student Award & Scholarship

Universidad de Monterrey · May 2012

• Awarded for the best academic average in the class, distinguished leadership, and strong academic performance.

Brand & Design

Brand Identity & Visual Systems

Creative Concept Development

Creative Direction

Event Design

Campaign Design

Packaging & Editorial Design

Brand Guidelines

Visual Storytelling

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Illustrator

Photoshop

InDesign

Figma

Lightroom

Keynote

Google Slides

Languages

English (Professional proficiency)

Spanish (Native)

Full CV →

Let's talk.

carolgzzm@gmail.com  →