Alyssa Alarcón Santo is a precise multi-disciplinary designer with a background in illustration. She blends a passion for art with technical knowledge to create print-ready book interiors, brand-cohesive graphic design, balanced hand lettering, and visually appealing product design. She draws upon years of high-volume remote work to communicate effectively with clients and adhere to strict deadlines.

As an art director, she is always seeking cohesion and balance. She is a skilled project manager, often working in remote collaboration with a team of artists. She believes in clear communication, constructive support, and realistic deadlines. As a designer, she specializes in book design (interior layout, typesetting, cover design), illustration (editorial, hand-lettering, art prints), and print-centered graphic design (branding, promotional design, product design).

Work Experience

Production Artist | NaNoWriMo | Remote. 2018 - Current

As the go-to designer for the literacy non-profit, National Novel Writing Month, my projects have run the gamut from product design to document typesetting to branding development.

  • Conceptualized and designed several lines of merchandise, creating print-ready files for various assets including clothing, drinkware, paper goods, and office supplies.

  • Developed brand packages for various annual NaNoWriMo programs, including logos, Pantone color palettes, and custom-created fonts.

  • Laid out typesetting-centric projects including annual reports, commercial products, and donor campaign materials.

Creative Director | Spark & Fizz Books | Remote. 2015 - Current

Spark & Fizz Books is a small-press publisher, which curates and publishes both print and digital copies of science-fiction anthology Planet Scumm, which can be found in bookstores across the country.

  • Production designer, in charge of all interior book designs from inDesign to print. Developed brand identity, typesetting guidelines, and cover design conventions for the publication.

  • Project manager of a remote art team, consisting of coordinating concept and deadlines for cover and spot illustrations, providing support and feedback throughout projects, and ensuring all needs are met to set artists up for success.

  • Collaborates closely with editorial team to determine project timelines, delegate tasks, and proof drafts for clarity before assigning them to artists.

Freelance Multidisciplinary Designer | Alyssa Santo Design | Remote. 2013 - Current

Full-time freelancer specializing in book design (typesetting and illustration), product design, and illustration.

  • Disciplined and excels in a self-directed work environment after nine years experience working remotely with corporate and independent clients.

  • Adept at interpreting the client's vision and applying it to the brief so as to build an efficient project timeline. Draws from a wide range of knowledge and technical training to tackle creative problems solving.

  • Well versed in print specific design, working extensively on formatting files to meet the specifications of individual print shops and merchandise fabricators. Familiar with Pantone color requirements. 

Education

  • Independent Publishing Resource Center 
    Portland, OR. 2018-2019
    Comic and Visual Narrative

  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts 
    Boston, Massachusetts. 2015 - 2016
    Illustration and Graphic Design

  • University of Edinburgh 
    Edinburgh, Scotland. 2011
    Creative Writing and Modernist Literature

Skills

  • Organized, collaborative, and solution-oriented with a skill for self-education.

  • Formally trained in graphic design and branding as well as traditional illustration techniques.

  • Adobe Software Fluency: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Lightroom

Notable Clients

  • Big Head Little Arms | Comic Publisher
    Production designer for Elsa Charretier and Tom King’s Love Everlasting vol. 1.

  • Common Ground Notebooks | Publisher
    Production designer for an educational graphic-novel-notebook hybrid, created to guide patients through the process of an autism diagnosis.

  • Jacque Casillas | Corona, CA City Counselor/Mayor
    Designed evocative branding and collateral for the candidate's successful progressive campaign.

  • Fred + Far | Jewelry Designer
    Prepared print materials including packaging assets, advertisements shown at New York Fashion Week, and catalogues. Designed a variety of merchandise including greeting cards and enamel pins.