Packaging Designer and Creative Director with 10+ years of experience in branding and packaging design, turning strategic thinking into design that works.
Work Experience
Founder & Creative Director · Jan 2013 – July 2018
Founded and directed Happer for 5 years, delivering market research, branding, packaging, advertising, campaigns and digital projects for 40+ clients across food, retail, fashion, sustainability, 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 6+ graphic 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.
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.
Design Intern · Jun 2015 – Aug 2016
• Contributed to identity, editorial, and digital projects for clients including Texas Monthly magazine and The Contemporary Austin.
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 3.94 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 · Concentration in Packaging · 2010–2015
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.
Core Skills
Brand Identity
Brand Strategy
Packaging Design
Naming & Positioning
Creative Problem Solving
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Editorial Design
UX Design
Campaign Design
Print Production
Attention to Detail
Tools
Adobe Creative Suite
Illustrator
Photoshop
InDesign
Figma
Lightroom
Canva
Languages
Spanish (native)
English (fluent)
Over a decade creating visual systems for brands that want to be remembered.