Interview with Graphic Designer Diana Estefanía Rubio, Winner of the 2018 Edition of Domestika Scholarships

One of our 2018 Domestika Scholarships winners tells us how she was inspired to get into infographics illustration thanks to her 50 free courses

Diana Estefanía Rubio (@diana_estefaniarubio) is a Mexican graphic designer who is an expert in turning elaborate information labyrinths into clear and concise infographics. In other words, she knows how to translate complex data into a language of simple images.

Thanks to an exciting portfolio, Diana was awarded one of the Domestika Scholarships in 2017 and won 50 free courses of her choice to develop her skills further. Diana, who has collaborated with CNN International and Turner Broadcasting and was awarded the Award of Excellence SND #36 of the Society For News Design, tells us how she made the most of her prize and which training has had the most impact on her professional development.

Discover what effect an opportunity such as Domestika Scholarships can have on a creative person’s work.

Hello, Diana. First of all, tell us everything about yourself. What do you do? What is your specialty?

I’ve been working for ten years on editorial projects for the newspaper La Razón and Grupo Expansión publishers.

At the moment I work in my studio as an art director and data visualization designer creating projects for various brands. I also coordinate the data visualization area of Data Lab MX and I am a data visualization professor at the Universidad de Centro.

Also, I have collaborated with companies such as CNN International, Turner Broadcasting, MMKG, Macmillan Publishers, and Nimblebot Agency. I had the honor of receiving various prizes, such as the Award of Excellence SND #36 of the Society For News Design.

How many Domestika courses have you completed?

Besides making the most of the scholarship taking courses related to my field, I was also able to complete classes I would not have imagined ever being interested in, such as crafts.

I also loved exploring the world of typography, a field I’ve always been interested in. While working for magazines, I was always looking for different ways to represent my reports and that’s where I discovered my love for typography. I learned a lot about the creative process thanks to designer, illustrator, and typographer Alex Trochut and graphic designer Marta Cerdá.

Alex Trochut teaches the course Illustrated Lettering: Creativity and Expression and Marta Cerdà teaches Characters with Character.

One of the courses I particularly enjoyed was Freelance: Keys and Tools to Find Success as your Own Boss, by designer and lettering artist Martina Flor.

This course inspired me to create my own web page, invest in myself, and consequently grow as a designer. As she recommends in her class, I began to think of myself as my own client and that launching my website was my first commission. In this way, I achieved a goal I had set myself beforehand but had always put off.

What do you like most about the courses?

That they are flexible, and the themes are interesting: they help you develop into a better version of your designer self. Also, it is easier to investigate areas or topics that you would overlook otherwise because they are online.

What is your takeaway from Domestika Scholarships? Have you discovered any new techniques?

I’m taking with me many tools as a designer and a sense of discipline for my own development. Domestika has been an excellent platform, and it has stimulated my work. It was a watershed moment in my professional life. There’s a before and after Domestika.

Was there any teacher in particular that made an impact on you?

There are quite a few, but one that really stood out and inspired me is designer and letter illustrator Martina Flor (@martinaflor). I loved her message not to be afraid to become a freelance artist, be adventurous, and not forget to invest in yourself.

Martina Flor teaches four Domestika courses: The Golden Secrets of Lettering, Lettering for Perfectionists, Cursive Lettering for Logos, and Freelance: Keys and Tools to Find Success as your Own Boss.

What are you working on at the moment?

At present, I am an art director specializing in data visualization for a company. I am learning a lot about user interface and user experience.

I have grown a lot as an independent designer over the past year. Little by little, through a lot of work and patience, I am fulfilling my dream of launching my own studio and building a bigger team. I have worked with some really important brands.

As I mentioned, I also lecture on data visualization at the Universidad de Centro. I’m in my third year of teaching. In my classes, I aim to transmit a love for data visualization, for creating attractive projects, and I encourage my students to strive to show the message they want to put forward. Teaching has been a great experience, I have learned a lot from it, and it gives me great pleasure to see how my students develop and demonstrate their growth in their final pieces.

And, finally, my own Domestika course will be coming out soon. Creating this course has been one of the best experiences in my professional life. It’s an honor to go from student to teacher within this platform. I am thrilled, and I hope to transmit my love and passion for data visualization to my students and inspire them to create meaningful projects and carry on informing.

Domestika Scholarships aims to promote creative learning. As a result, we’ll be handing out 10 scholarships to 10 lucky winners, consisting of a 50-course bundle of their choice. Anybody over the age of 16, from anywhere in the world, whatever their level of education or professional direction, can take part.

How do you apply for the Scholarship? Find out here.

You have until 12th April 2021 to submit your portfolio to the third edition of Domestika Scholarships.

Turn your creative passion into your future: Domestika Scholarships 2021

English version by @acesarato.

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