Erika Espinoza

What motivated you to first get into design?

I was obsessed with design way before I knew what it was or that people actually went to school for it. I remember my middle school librarian calling me out for adding decorative borders to my works cited pages. Sorry, Mrs. Fee! Clipart, Wordart and PowerPoint animations were my only design tools then. While many of us cringe at them now, I learned to experiment with color, typography, imagery, and rhythm when designing class presentations. Thank goodness I soon discovered the Adobe Creative Suite apps!

Later in high school, I took visual communication classes and joined the student-run newsmagazine, The Triangle, as a page designer. I went from designing accompanying illustrations to cover stories, and art directing our senior issue. It’s been about 11 years since I last used Clipart, but I’m glad I did.

What keeps you inspired?

My parents. They’re the most hardworking and loving people I know, and they inspire me to grow both personally and professionally every day. I love to be around people who are driven, passionate, and most importantly, humble. Another thing that keeps me inspired is escaping my routine once in a while. Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck on a daily routine and that can interfere with my creativity.

What other hobbies do you have that help you in your professional work?

Drinking coffee. Not luxurious, Instagram-like lattes or cappuccinos. Just regular black coffee. I carry around a small jar of Nescafé (instant coffee) in my backpack – just in case I need an emergency fuel dose.

How do you hope to keep developing yourself?

I hope I can become a better team player. I’m a very independent person, so when it comes to collaborating with other people, I tend to struggle a bit.

What's your favorite memory on the job?

Receiving a Slack message saying, “We won Pulitzer for the Wall for explanatory reporting!!!! Congrats, lady!!! Add that to your resume.”

What inspired you to join Deftly Creative’s team?

I wanted to be part of a team that embraced design, growth and collaboration across different skills. Plus, I had worked with Darik in the past and we make a really good team. It felt natural to work with him on a professional level.