Clarissa Rivera
Digital Designer / Email Marketing Designer / Illustrator / Brand Designer
Los Angeles, CA
Q What do you do?
“I’m a digital designer specializing in making an experience through digital assets. Whether that’s through web design, a launch email for a special campaign or collection, A social media suite that carries out a certain theme and yet still feels on-brand, or even e-com assets an upcoming release.”
I love how design can shape the way we feel and interact with content, and I’m always looking for ways to make digital spaces feel engaging, in a way that feels like an experience that has been genuinely curated and intentional with care.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
After a terrible break up, I made the radical decision to quit my pharmacy technician job I was miserable in, pack up my things, and LEAVE my secluded desert hometown to pursue my dream of working in the fashion industry! I enrolled in the Merchandise Marketing program at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), did a few internships with Obey Clothing and Agenda Trade Show, all while working at Forever 21 as a visual merchandiser. After graduation, I grew interested in the technical aspect of fashion and landed a Product development position for a small footwear company. From there, I landed a position at Vans as an apparel product developer, and worked on special projects where I had the opportunity to work with designers on collaborations for various accounts such as Disney, and Netflix, and products for Anderson.Paak and Barbie.
Once COVID hit and we ended up having more time at home, I picked up the hobby of drawing on my ipad and learning graphic design. I decided to pivot my career into graphic design. Since then, that decision has just felt RIGHT. Till this day, I’m always eager to learn something new everyday and eager to grow. I’m currently a graphic designer who specializes in content for growth marketing for a kidswear brand called Little Sleepies! I don’t think I would have been able to pivot if it wasn’t from my previous experience, and the amazing people I have connected with along the way.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I believe what helps me stand out in my field is my experience. I have been on the back end of working hands-on with a product itself, and seeing that product through commercialization, to the front end of making assets or content to promote a product that is often consumer facing. Understanding the lifecycle of a product has definitely helped me understand not just the intent and function of those cross-functional teams, but the dynamic of how these inner teams work together to express a brand’s voice. These experiences 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?
The last time I made a creative profile, I was actually a product developer who was trying to pivot into a career of graphic design. Since then, I have been learning and growing at my full time graphic design job. Now that I have some real life work in my portfolio, I’m currently working on how I can market myself for more freelance work in the coming year! I’m also currently taking an After Effects course and learning motion design!
Q What’s your style?
My art style is heavily influenced by vintage Pelican book covers, retro futurism, the entertainment I'm currently into, and my own childhood nostalgia (90's-00's) 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. I love working with bright color and a funky, modern experimental direction, but also a sucker for retro, nostalgic influenced branding.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
During my day job, I got a chance to dive more into email marketing, and it has become something I have been wanting to focus on more! I absolutely enjoy it. It could be my fabulous team, but I really enjoy getting the chance to design an email, because there is just so much that I get to communicate in an email. I have learned the importance of the right CTA buttons, the right images to provoke a feeling, colors to use, and making sure they are ADA compliant, and how I am able to just tell a story. The freedom and strategy behind email marketing has been really intriguing to me and would love to be able to do more work with email! Especially with the resurgence of newsletters.
Another thing I would love to focus on is more projects within the food and drink industry! I have really been into looking at menu design lately, and I would love to help small shops/brands create thoughtful experiences in their branding, menu design, or even make infographics for educational purposes. I am open to any kind of experience I can learn and grow from during this time in my growing career in design!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
As I prep to market myself for more freelance work, I find it overwhelming on what I need to do just that. Do I make a Fiverr account? Do I put a section on my portfolio for services? Is it too early to get a streamlined process in order for onboarding potential clients? I sometimes feel like I’m torn apart on what to put as priority and I end up putting it off for a day or two until I can gain some clarity, but I end up forgetting about it until I’m inspired again.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would love for someone to help guide me or mentor me on how I am able to market myself within the freelance world! Give me pointers on my portfolio, my resume, my presence online or even maintain my online presence!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Time and time again, I always think about the earlier days of the internet (‘05 - ‘07) when I was in middle school, I would code my own DIV layouts on Myspace and spent so many hours working on the details of how my profile looked. I made customized banners for Myspace on a bootlegged version of Photoshop I pirated online… and offering to make these banners for random people on forums. I didn’t think doing this for a living would be a possibility, but if I did, I would have told myself to stick it through, keep doing what I was doing, and pushed myself to pursue this as a career from the start.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Ask them how they approach freelance work! And how their process looks like when they take on a new project! Would love to see how those kick off processes and conversations look like. But also, how to navigate this work as a creative. The etiquette, approach, how to deal with difficult clients, how to communicate my thoughts, or any kind of insight that can help me grow as a designer! Also how to make connections and maintain those connections.
Same with Branding development! How does their branding development kickoff look like? Do they dictate a start from a pinterest board? Do they already have something in mind they want to try? How does the process look like to become something more refined?
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I would love to work with businesses on digital assets or campaigns for their digital channels! I have been wanting to work more on email marketing and the possibilities there, but I would also love to work on social media assets or paid ads! Possibly be able to make full campaign suites for e-com, social media or even email automation for businesses that want to focus on building a stronger online presence. I specialize in apparel, but would also love to do work for other industries as well, whether that’s food & drink, artists & bands, restaurants, mom & pop shops, local pet stores, local food trucks, showrooms, foundations, etc. Anyone who is wanting to create meaningful experiences!
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
The ideal client for me is someone who I could have a genuine connection with! A client who appreciates my work and visions me as the one to bring their designs to life. A client with pure intent and I can sync super well with is always an amazing feeling, especially when you were able to design something exactly how they envisioned through that connection. Those are the kind of moments I always look forward to when I design.
These genuine connections mean alot to me, and I would want to be a designer that my clients can always stay in touch with, and provide the availability and safe space for them if they ever needed any kind of edits, consulting, and building that trust to take on any potential future projects they may have in mind, or even refer me to someone who is in need of design services!
Q: What is your rate?
Depending on the scale of the project, my rate starts at $1000 per project if its a suite or campaign, or may vary by hour if contract!
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
You got options! You can contact me here clarissarivera.com/contact.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
- Rachel Breeden @circa78designs is able to capture some very nostalgic moments through their work. The feeling is very Reading Rainbow, Rainbow Brite and it always make me feel so warm and cozy. Their work gives me so much inspo on what I would love to design when I get the hang of motion design!
-Ren @renographics! Their art always has SO MUCH range with the most clever quotes, yet has such a consistent style. And super adorable and tough at the same time! I inspire to work on having this much range through my illustration.
- Julia Schimautz @juliakatarzyna_ is one of my biggest inspirations for motion design, and why I decided to take an After Effects course. Their manual process with risograph and motion together is something that has always wow’d me, and I have always been so fascinated in the pristine textures they have in their work!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I replaced doom scrolling with moodboarding.
This member profile was originally published in November 2024.