Brand identity
Logotypes, palettes, and type systems that hold together across every touchpoint. I design the whole kit and the rules that keep it consistent long after I've handed it off.
Now booking — two project slots open for autumn. Identity, editorial, and motion briefs welcome.
Art director & designer
Hi, I'm Maya Castellanos
I make bold, considered visual work — identities, editorial, and motion for people with something to say. This is my portfolio and résumé: selected projects, a bit of experience, and the fastest way to start something together.
What I do
Three ways I can help
Replace these with your own disciplines — the work you most want to be hired for. Three focused areas set the tone for the whole portfolio better than a long list ever could.
Editorial & layout
Magazines, reports, and long-form web — grids that breathe, typography that guides the eye, and covers people actually want to pick up. I care about rhythm as much as color.
Motion & direction
Animated logos, launch loops, and social sets. I direct from concept to final render, and I love the moment a static mark suddenly feels alive on screen.
Selected work
A few things I've made
Three sample projects to get you started. Swap in your own case studies, images, and links whenever you're ready — the layout holds together as you edit.
Art Direction & Design2024
Lumen Identity
A complete visual identity for an independent record label — logotype, sleeve system, and a living type kit the team uses to lay out every release. It won a regional design award and doubled the label's press coverage.
Editorial & Layout2023
Field & Form Magazine
Art direction and layout for a quarterly print magazine about slow design. I set the grid, chose the type, and directed every photo shoot across four issues. Newsstand sell-through jumped by a third.
Motion & Direction2022
Bloom Motion Series
A set of animated brand loops for a wellness startup's launch campaign. Concept, storyboard, and final render, delivered solo in six weeks. The hero loop passed a million views in its first month.
FAQ
Common questions
The questions collaborators and recruiters ask most, answered so we can skip straight to the interesting part.
Mostly identity, editorial, and motion for small teams and independent brands. If it's well-defined and I can own the look end to end, I'm interested.
Kind words
What clients say
A few notes from people I've worked with. Replace these with real testimonials once you've collected them — a short, specific quote beats a long generic one every time.
Handed over a messy brief and got back something sharper than we imagined. A real eye, endless ideas, and the discipline to know which one to ship. We've hired again twice since.
Rare taste paired with rare reliability. Every deadline hit, every file perfect, and the work looked better than the mockups. The kind of collaborator you keep on speed dial.
Turned our vague 'make it feel alive' into motion that people actually shared. Thoughtful, fast, and genuinely fun to work with from kickoff to delivery.
Elsewhere
Find my work around the web
These come from your links table — edit them anytime on the manage screen. Point people to wherever your work lives, from Behance to your latest reel.
Have something to make?
Have a role, a collaboration, or a wild idea in mind? Drop me a note and I'll respond within a day or two.