Friday Fives: Irene Ramirez
August 30, 2019
On Fridays we give #highfives to a different designer from our extended family of PNCA students, faculty, alumni, and guest lecturers. 🙌🏾🙌🏻🙌🏽 We ask them five questions. They send us five images. This week, we're featuring a conversation with Irene Ramirez '19.
Irene is a multi-dimensional artist / graphic designer based out of Portland Oregon. A native of Carmel, California, she originally got into art working as an apprentice to Carey Crockett at the Unicorn Theatre. She worked for Whole Foods Marketing as a Store Graphic Artist for more than eight years, honing her skills as a designer, chalk artist, hand letterer, and health food enthusiast.
Irene was our student speaker at PNCA's 2019 Commencement, nominated by faculty and elected by her peers. And she brought down the house with her relatable stories, humor, and heart. We can think of no better way to kick off the 2019-2020 school year than to look back and wish her the best going forward.
Q: What—or who—inspires you?
A: I am inspired by the unsung heroes in design. The folks who put love into the everyday of what they make, big or small.
Irene's thesis project was a playful and practical meal planning guide for busy people just starting out on their own (students), to encourage healthier and more fun meal preparation.
Q: Is there anything you wish you had known just starting out, that you know now?
A: How to best organize my files!
Q: How do you get "unstuck?"
A: Take a walk and clear my head. Also, showering seems to help.
I am inspired by the unsung heroes in design. The folks who put love into the everyday of what they make, big or small.
Q: How does design relate to other creative work that you do?
A: Design deeply relates to the work I do when creating my art work. It has been pivotal in showing me the importance of planning layout before execution.
Q: What advice would you give your former/younger self?
A: The advice I would give myself before having ever started school comes in the form of a quote: “Success is the ability to move from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.”
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See more of more of Irene's graphic design, packaging, chalk art, and hand lettering at irenecreates.co and on instagram @irenecreatespdx.
Follow along with our #fridayfives on instagram @pncadesign.