A professional teaching design fundamentals and technical skills for any graphic design project. Friendly and motivating teaching approach.

Find out more about Maria

• Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  I was very little, maybe in the 4th grade where we had one desktop computer in the living room. I used it to type out homework assignments for school. We remember we had a computer class in school where the teacher told us that one day we would be able to type without looking at the keyboard.

• What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  I really started to use the computer with Photoshop for a photography class in high school. By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to study graphic design. Going to Parsons and completing 4 years in Communication Design was a big turning point for me. And at this point in my career, a future goal and turning point will be winning a design award. However, even now, I am designing my first beer labels and wayfinding signage for festivals, which have been on my design bucket list and are milestones in my career.

• Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  My expertise are in designing visual systems for new or existing brands. Design is important to every industry that helps our world go round. A designer's job is to help people navigate a digital and/or physical space. Without design, people wouldn't be able to use Instagram with ease, or navigate a website, they wouldn't be able to tell where the bathroom is in a restaurant, or even know when to cross the street. Important messages wouldn't have a way to be relayed to the public, and companies wouldn't be able to advertise their products/services through digital marketing without a person like me, who can effectively create materials aimed towards a specific goal.

• Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  I don't think the big men and women don't impress me as much as people that I relate more to. I admire the big graphic designers who have made a name in the industry, but I always love to find small design studios that are accomplishing smart designs. I admire how IDEO explores human nature and thinks about how systems and products that don't work can be redesigned. I also admire a woman that I know from the design community in NYC who migrated here and started her own studio where she does print work, type design, book restoration, and archival work. I appreciate when people put effort into making the world a better place through design thinking and preservation.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  We had a class at Parsons called Experimental Typography. The professor was an opinionated guy who gave us great feedback and encouraged us. My friend was in the class and we partnered up on a project. The project brief was to create something interactive using letters around a specific phrase. The phrase was about questioning freedom of speech. We decided to print out stickers with the phrase written in all languages and post them around the city. We then started an Instagram that anyone can log into (yes, it got hacked), and post whatever they want that has to do with the phrase. We got great results and it was a lot of fun! We designed a book about it and of course, with all our efforts, got an A. I still have the book and look at it from time to time. Design university is a great time because there are no client briefs.

• What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  Well, what I have said before is that it's a learning process. I encourage them by saying that they themselves took the initiative to try and learn the design tools (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.), reminding them that they are great and can do this! But also, I provide a no-pressure kind of class, where we are simply learning the tools and having fun, because creative stuff is fun by nature!

• What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  Food (cooking it, learning about it, eating it), any kind of live shows or cinema, and travel.

• What makes you a Superprof in IT?

  I have 11 years of experience with Adobe programs, 4 years of design school education from one of the top design schools worldwide, and 5 years of real-world experience in the industry globally. I have been tutoring for one year and am enjoying every minute of it!