VICTORIA

Publishing Comics and Graphic Novels Designer

Publishing • Freelance

Sep 2019 - Dec 2021 • 2 yrs 3 mos

When I walked onto Pace's Manhattan campus in September 2019, I knew I wanted to shape how people experience stories, but I didn't yet have the technical vocabulary. The Book Production and Design course changed everything for me. I spent my first two semesters obsessing over typography grids, learning the precise math of paper weights, and mastering Adobe InDesign. When the pandemic forced us into a hybrid remote setup in 2020, it felt like a setback. Instead, it became my breakthrough moment. I channeled my isolation into my thesis project, a completely reimagined, heavily illustrated edition of classic fantasy literature. I designed every single element, from the custom typesetting to the digital mockups for a foil-stamped hardcover binding. My biggest achievement came just before graduation in 2021. Thanks to a faculty recommendation, I landed a design internship at a major New York publishing house that turned into a full-time role. The ultimate validation of my hard work happened just a few months ago: a book jacket I designed from scratch was officially featured in a national publishing design showcase. Looking back now, five years after graduation, that intense, chaotic journey at Pace is exactly what gave me the technical edge to see my own visual concepts sitting on bookstore shelves across the country.”