Clarissa Rivera
Graphic / Visual Designer
Los Angeles, CA
clarissarivera.com
instagram @clarissarivera.design
Twitter
LinkedIn
Q What do you do?
“I’m a graphic & visual designer looking to bridge the gap between people and artistic expression with meaningful and colorful experiences through Modern design. ”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I went to Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and studied Merchandise Marketing because I thought I wanted to be a fashion buyer. I grew interested in the technical aspect of fashion and later became a Product Developer for a small footwear company. From there, I landed a position at a streetwear company as an apparel product developer for tees where I got to work with designers and later took on graphic design as a hobby. Fast forward 5 years later and I made this decision to make that transition into a Design career eager to learn and grow!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I have to learn something everyday. Whether that is a new technique in design, a new situation I have to face at work, or even a new recipe. I believe these are opportunities to create experiences/moments that can help shape and mold you in many different ways and can inspire you to be something great. Through my career of merchandising and product development, I got to work with many different collaborations from Anderson Paak to Walt Disney and got to learn a lot more about who they are and what they stand for. These connections later helped me learn different ways to collaborate with different people, and how that collaboration can inspire the direction of each project based on that chemistry.
Q What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on transitioning from being a product developer to landing my first role as a junior designer.
Q What’s your style?
My art style is heavily influenced by Pelican book covers, retro futurism, the entertainment I'm currently into, and my own childhood nostalgia as I remember it. I tend to go through phases of cherishing the art, music and culture of different decades before me which can also be reflective in my work.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
As a designer, the world of design is limitless! I’m stuck between wanting to do work for the food industry, and the music & entertainment industry. I would love to help small shops create a thoughtful experiences in their branding, help small bands make their first single or album cover, or even make infographics for educational purposes. I am open to any kind of experience I can learn and grow from during this transition of my career.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Since I am transitioning between careers, I have found it incredibly difficult fitting more hours in the day. I have been more serious about this transition which led it to be a 2nd full time job on top of my day job, but I know this is something I need to do. I know this is a career I can see myself doing for a very long time and like they say “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” but basically “I’ll sleep when I become a designer” …. Probably not but Hopefully.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Someone to help me with my resume and suggest tweaks to do for each design position I apply to.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I could of told myself to keep doing what I was doing on Myspace in middle school building DIV layouts and customized headers on a bootleg photoshop for fun because I’ll be coming full circle.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
It would definitely be working within the design world. The etiquette, the proper mindset to have when collaborating with others and time management.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I’m looking for a role or project that can help me learn and grow as a designer! Would love to work on brand identity or editorial projects!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
For freelance, I would love to work on branding for food & drink companies who are looking to revamp or add some flair to a new brand identity, or even work on brand identity for music artists. In general, I would love to ideally land a role with a design agency who is willing to invest their time in an ambitious junior designer like myself who is willing to hustle, learn, and grow as a designer in the design space.
Q What is your rate?
This will depend on the project and what is needed! I typically start at $50/hr. for projects.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
You got options! You can connect with me here. clarissarivera.com/contact
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I found to really enjoy Julia Schimautz risograph work!
April Seelbach makes everyday pictures have more flair.
And I strive to do cool music projects like Julia Fletcher
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I replaced social media with moodboarding.
This member profile was originally published in January 2023.