Creative Mode

  For this advertisement, I wanted to balance professionalism with a sense of approachability. The image itself—a landscaper actively mowing a lush, freshly cut lawn—already communicates quality and care, so I kept the design clean and straightforward. By choosing a photo that shows the work being done rather than just the end result, I aimed to highlight the effort and reliability of the service, making it feel authentic and trustworthy. The branding elements were especially important here. I chose a griffin as the logo mark because it symbolizes strength, reliability, and protection—qualities I wanted associated with the company. I kept it in a deep green so that it matched the natural tones of the grass and plants, reinforcing the landscaping theme without clashing against the background. For the text, I used a golden-yellow color that contrasts just enough with the greens of the lawn to stay visible, while also suggesting a sense of prestige and quality. Placing “The Griffin Cr...

Today I have decided to do an exercise called: The Rule Breaker.  How It Works: Pick a rule or law of nature/society that feels unshakable . Break it—then explore how the world adapts. Use it to spark a story, setting, or character idea. My Rule Breaker: Gravity Doesn’t Always Work Imagine a world where gravity isn’t constant—it flickers on and off like a faulty light switch. Daily Life: People tie themselves to furniture at night so they don’t float into the sky mid-dream. Houses are built with nets on ceilings, and shoes have magnetic soles to cling to streets when gravity cuts out. Culture: Acrobatics and aerial arts aren’t hobbies—they’re survival skills. Entire festivals revolve around “gravity surges,” where people leap into the sky and ride the waves of shifting pull. Conflicts: Black market tech exists that lets criminals control gravity outages in small zones. Imagine a heist where a vault suddenly becomes weightless. Game Idea: Players could solve ...

 1.  Tailor Each Letter to the Job – Generic cover letters hurt your chances; highlight the exact skills and experiences the employer is seeking. 2. Keep It Short (One Page Max) – Hiring managers skim; 300–350 words, with 3–4 short paragraphs, is ideal. 3. Start with a Strong Opening – Mention the role, where you found it, and one specific reason you’re excited about the position. 4.  Highlight Achievements with Numbers – Use measurable results (e.g., “boosted engagement by 40%”) to prove your impact. 5. Tell a Story, Not Just Skills – Share a brief example that demonstrates how you’ve applied your skills successfully. 6. Match Resume Style & Be Professional – Use the same font/format as your resume for consistency; keep tone professional but personable. 7. Don’t Repeat Your Resume – Instead of listing duties, explain why your experiences matter for this role. 8. Address a Person if Possible – A personalized greeting (“Dear Ms. Smith”) shows effort; if unknow...

    Today's creative exercise is called: The Object Swap How It Works: Take an everyday object. Swap its purpose with something completely unrelated. Build a character, world, or game mechanic around that twist. My Object Swap: Umbrellas → Weapons In this world, umbrellas aren’t for rain—they’re the most common form of weaponry. Every culture designs them differently, and they’ve become a symbol of status as well as survival. Combat Styles: Some umbrellas snap open into razor-sharp shields. Others extend into spears. A few even use fabric infused with alchemy, creating wind blasts when popped open. Social Symbolism: Carrying a plain black umbrella marks you as poor, while nobles show off ornate designs—lace patterns, glowing tips, even umbrellas made of dragonhide. World Design: Cities have umbrella “smiths” who rival blacksmiths, and duels are fought by twirling umbrellas in elaborate dances. Game Mechanic Idea: Players could swap umbrella types...

       Today we're doing an exercise called "Random Word Mash-up" How It Works: Pick two completely random words (the weirder the combo, the better). Force yourself to create a character, setting, or story where those two words naturally belong together. Bonus points if it feels surprisingly cohesive by the end. My Words: Clock + Dragon So, here’s the concept: The world is powered by time dragons , massive serpentine beasts whose scales tick like gears. Every city has one chained in its center, and their steady heartbeats keep time itself flowing smoothly. But—what happens if a dragon starts slowing down? Guilds of horologists (clock-makers) are basically dragon doctors, tasked with “winding” their city’s beast by crafting enchanted gearwork prosthetics. Time thieves exist—rogue mages who steal seconds, minutes, or even years by injuring or tampering with these dragons. A game set here could have mechanics based on managing limited time, spendi...

Interview Questions for Me: 1. Can you walk me through your portfolio and explain which project best represents your design style and problem-solving process? 2. How do you typically approach a new project, from concept to final delivery? 3. Tell me about a time you worked with a team (copywriters, marketers, developers). How did you ensure your design aligned with the overall vision? 4. How do you respond to constructive criticism, and can you share an example where client feedback improved your work? 5. Design tools and trends change quickly. How do you stay up to date with new software, styles, and technologies? 6. Share a project where you faced a major challenge (tight deadline, unclear brief, client changes). How did you solve it? 7. What do you think makes a strong visual identity, and how would you adapt your designs to maintain brand consistency across platforms? 8. Have you ever worked on projects that required thinking about user experience,...

Project 2: The Family Logo   The brainstorming process for The Griffin Crew logo began with identifying the most suitable themes and imagery to represent the landscaping business. Since landscaping inherently conveys growth, nature, and professionalism, the logo needed to balance these values while also standing out on business cards, trucks, uniforms, and signage. The first key decision was the color scheme. The choice of green and gold was intentional: green symbolizes life, renewal, and the natural environment, while gold conveys prestige, reliability, and high-quality service. Together, they create a professional yet approachable aesthetic that speaks directly to customers in search of dependable landscaping services. The business name, The Griffin Crew, opened up a world of creative opportunities. A griffin, the mythological creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, is a symbol of strength, guardianship, and loyalty. Incorporating this powerful sym...

Ad of... myself      When I first worked on this image, the original shot felt too dark, which muted the natural beauty of the scene. To bring it to life, I deliberately increased the highlights and lowered the shadows. This choice made the sunlight reflecting off the water stand out more vividly, giving the entire image a bright, airy feel while still preserving enough detail in the shaded areas. By doing this, I wanted to emphasize the contrast between the cool shadows along the shoreline and the warm glow of the sunlit water, making the scene “pop” with depth and vibrancy.      For the text, I wanted it to complement the photo without overpowering it, so I pulled colors directly from the image itself. The yellow in “Behold Photographic Perfection” echoes the warmth of the sun and subtly contrasts with the cooler blues of the sky and water, helping it stand out without feeling artificial. Meanwhile, the blue used for “By Joel Velez” blends harmoniously w...

      My three options for places I could potentially build my portfolio are Adobe Portfolio, ArtStation, and Dribbble. Here are the pros and cons for each: Adobe Portfolio Pros; 1. Can be pared with Behance (another portfolio website) 2. Its free with adobe creative cloud 3. It has clean, professional templates suitable for corporate or creative roles 4. It supports images, video embeds and GIFs Adobe Portfolio Cons; 1. Limited customization compared to others 2. Less built-in SEO 3. No integrated blog feature ArtStation Pros; 1. The top platform for anime, gaming, and concept art portfolios 2. Recruiters from animation studios actively browse here 3. Free plan available with optional Pro upgrade 4. Great networking potential in the animation/art world ArtStation Cons; 1. Less suited for branding and corporate design work 2. Layouts are art-focused, not business-focused 3. Doesn’t have strong SEO or personal branding tools Dribbble Pros; 1....

 Top three places I would like to work and what I have to do to work there Instructions:      For your top 3 jobs, what is the company, what are the company's stated values, goals, and mission? Do they have a Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or other social media accounts? What did you learn about the company from their website? Did you learn anything about the company from Glassdoor, newspaper articles, industry articles, or other online/news services? Are you friends or connected in any way with anybody currently at the company?      1. MAPPA studios; Their mission is to "deliver anime that will always remain in the hearts of viewers". In other words they want to animate stories in a way to deeply resonate with the viewer emotionally. MAPPA does have a TikTok, I've personally come across it a few times. Now, MAPPA has some high expectations so here are my thoughts:      This is quite an ambitious dream, some might even call it fo...

Today I'm doing an exercise called "The Reverse Invention". Here's how it works: Pick a modern invention or trend (like social media, elevators, or fast food). Imagine a world where this thing never existed. Create a story, society, or game mechanic around how people would adapt—or what would take its place. My Pick: No Mirrors. Ever. Imagine a world where mirrors were never invented . No reflective surfaces, no still water, no selfies, nothing. People grow up never truly seeing themselves. This opens up some wild ideas: Identity is all hearsay. You only know what you look like through how others describe you. People might hire professional “Face Tellers” who specialize in describing your appearance with poetic flair. Fashion becomes performance-based. It’s less about looking good and more about how people react. Clothing might be designed to provoke emotion, movement, or sound—not just style. Illusionists and imposters thrive. Since no one can ve...

1.  Animator; Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be an animator. No amount a research will shake my passion for it. 2. Video Editor; I loved working with adobe premiere pro and, before college, I worked with CapCut so becoming a video editor doesn't seem to far fetched for me. 3. Social Media Content Creator; I already do a little bit of content creation so doing this for a living wouldn't be too hard for me. 4. Visual Effects Artist; Based on my research this job sounds fun. Its very similar to video editing. 5. Layout artist; Another job that looks like a ton of fun. Based on my research, their similar to set designers 6. Motion Graphics Designer; Based on my research, this is kind of like being an animator. 7. Social Media Designer; Because I already make social media content, gaining the skills to do this would be helpful. 8. Art Director; This is another job that sounds cool but I prefer learning/enhancing the skills necessary to do it rather than the job i...