Design

EXPERIENCE

Owner, LalenaLab (2007-present)
• Write and illustrate children’s picture books.
• Illustrate editorial content for children’s textbooks and workbooks.
• Design characters, backgrounds and props for children’s animation on the web, in apps, and on television.
• Design, edit and illustrate promotional materials for clients in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
• Conceptualize branding for nonprofits, institutions, and private companies.

Contributing Graphics Editor, The New York Times (2003-2005, and 2020-present)
• Design and edit charts, graphs and maps for publication in the print edition.
• Write headlines and explanatory text for information graphics.
• Contribute to election research.
• Research and design data visualizations for the news, science and business sections.
• Created data visualizations for the digital Morning Newsletter during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Designed maps and charts, and wrote questions, for the weekly News Quiz.

Lecturer, Texas State University School of Art & Design (2014-2016)
• Taught Communication Design courses utilizing Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Participated in the portfolio review process for students entering Communication Design.

Designer, Little Airplane Productions’ The Wonder Pets (2005-2007)
• Designed characters and backgrounds for animated TV show on Nickelodeon.
• Created characters in rotation and expressive poses, using Adobe Photoshop.
• Composed backgrounds using digital photographs and Photoshop effects.
• Designed and constructed costumes for main characters.
• Created handmade art for backgrounds of the show.

Designer, Layout Artist, and Modelmaker, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues (1998-2002)
• Designed characters, backgrounds, and 3D models for animated TV show.
• Designed and drew model sheets of characters in key poses and in full rotation.
• Created props from clay, fabric, wood, and other materials.
• Created characters and backgrounds in Photoshop, broken down for animation.

Graphic Designer and Studio Manager, Matthew Barney (1995-1998)
• Designed posters, books, and CD packaging.
• Assisted in the production of artist’s fine art video and sculptural work.
• Maintained financial records and served as liaison to gallery.

Editorial Artist, The Houston Chronicle (1992-1995)
• Designed and produced daily section fronts including charts, maps, logos and icons.
• Created charts and diagrams for the news, sports and business sections.
• Wrote explanatory text and headlines for information graphics.
• Art-directed the annual Fine Arts Calendar and weekly tabloid Yo! Houston.
• Illustrated articles using pen and ink, collage, and Photoshop.

VOLUNTEER WORK

Rock Camp for Girls, New York City and Austin (2005-2016)
Volunteered at an all-girls’ summer day camp teaching guitar and bass, and coaching
young rock bands in songwriting and creative collaboration.

EDUCATION

Master of Fine Arts, Painting/New Forms, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, 1997
Mexican History and Spanish, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México, 1991-1992
Bachelor of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin, 1992