Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayra Ortiz.
Mayra, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Born and raised in Tijuana, I grew in a quite part of the city with loving parents and brothers. I attended the University of Baja California and took classes in San Diego City College. My hobbies are watching movies, video games and finding new you tubers. I also like to collect Time books, I just really love our history and how Time can project that with excellent photography.
Initially I wanted to study video game design since is something I really enjoyed as a kid, but school for that in Tijuana was nonexistent and school in San Diego in insanely expensive, so I decided to give Graphic Design a go. I fell in love with identity design. There is something about giving soul to a brand with colors, type and messaging. And that’s what I do now, I create and admire identity design and branding in general.
Oh, I’m a big fan of tacos and Japanese design. It’s just too darn cute to look at! I currently work in an independent creative agency called Grizzly but I also do freelance on the side with my own studio, Fenotipo (Phenotype in Spanish).
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
There has always been a debate about whether if Graphic Design is art. I would say that design does not necessarily start as art but could become. Graphic design needs art to send a message/emotion. I create an identity based on a brief (usually provided by client) and from there it’s an extensive research on their market, their product/service, competitors, etc. Moldboards are super important for the process. It helps us give the client have an idea on what their brand could look like. After a mood board is approved the magic starts.
One of the most important thing is concept. I have come across beautiful work, but when that work doesn’t have a concept it falls flat for me. And that is something that Fenotipo focuses, the concept. When you have a concept, everything else comes natural.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
There are some interesting sources that can help you out with that. I’ve seen people succeed in Kickstarter or a page like Society6 where they help out artists succeed. Of course, I order to get noticed in sites like these is to be passionate about your work, so other people can be too.
Something that also helped me about is having a part time job, it may sound ridiculous to have a job to pay your other job, but hey, it’s totally worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/designbehavior
- Phone: 619 622 1206
- Email: mortiz@byfenotipo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fenotipostudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fenotipostudio/
- Other: https://dribbble.com/designbehavior
Image Credit:
All images are taken by me using mock ups by Pixeden or Qeaql. Icons on UI design are from Noun Project.
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