I’m Laura Donnell, a versatile cross-disciplinary designer based out of Portland, Oregon. I love to learn, thrive in the unknown, and am always down for a cup of coffee.
My career has taken me across industries, where I’ve been pushed to take on new challenges. I specialize in brand positioning, visual identity, and strategic design, and am passionate about helping brands grow and evolve – whether that’s through iconic logos, event design, proposal decks, or user-friendly websites. I approach every project with a big-picture perspective and a keen eye for detail, working along stakeholders to get a project over the finish line. Alongside my professional work, I also channel my love for dark humor into a side project called Witty Scent Shop where I design candles that blend wit, scent, and story. I’ve been told they make a great gift!
Education
Art Direction
Academy of Art University
Graphic Design
Texas Christian University
Experience
Freelance Brand Designer
May 2024 - Present
Clients: MessageLab (Elastic, Figma, GoDaddy, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Gates Foundation) San Francisco AIDS Foundation, CORO Northern California, Outward Bound CA
Senior Art Director @ Zerocater
May 2021 - Apr 2024 (3 years)
Freelance Senior Visual Designer @ MessageLab
Feb 2021 - Jan 2022 (1 year)
Director of Design @ EvoShare
May 2018 - Dec 2020 (2 year 10mo)
Freelance Designer @ San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Aug 2016 - Aug 2017 (1 year)
Technical:
Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, After Effects, XD), Figma, Sketch, InVision, Microsoft Suite, Canva
Soft Skills:
Strong presenting skills, leading a design team, mentoring junior designers, project management, efficiently working with stakeholders