Nicole Skarlatos

Growing Up

I enjoyed being active and creative, always looking for different ways to express myself through art. Even in middle school, I was the one designated to design group PowerPoint presentations, often taking the lead to get projects across the finish line. I was also typically assigned as the main videographer for group projects, which led to me tinkering with animation and video editing early on. Over the years, my artistic style began to evolve as I realized the beauty of simplicity. As a teenager, I was admitted into West Career and Technical Academy, a technical school in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here, I honed my foundational skills in graphic design and began to approach visual communication in an entirely new way.
 

Starting Out

Initially, I was hesitant about graphic design because it required a completely different style of thinking. At first, I relied on my previous notions of art-making, resulting in designs that were often too busy and hard to read. I fell victim to the allure of script and abstract fonts, using them in body paragraphs and complex sections of my artboard. My shape creations with the pen tool were rough, as my knowledge of Adobe Illustrator was still rudimentary at the time.
 

Entering college in 2016, I discovered my university was not specifically design-oriented and did not offer graphic design as a major. Instead, I was informed I could major in digital media with a minor in journalism. Because the digital media major focused on more broader concepts of digital art rather than graphic design, I actively sought out on-campus opportunities to hone my craft, expand my network, and gain real-world design experience.
 

During

My professors frequently reminded me that graphic design was vastly different from digital media studies. Driven to bridge that gap, I worked for the school newspaper, The Nevada Sagebrush, for three years as their design editor. In addition, I worked as a graphic designer for Inkblot, a student-run, faculty-led design agency for campus clubs and organizations. Through these roles, I found my inspiration shifting toward clean, simplistic aesthetics—a strong departure from my high school notions of "good" design.

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Just before finishing my last semester of my digital media degree, I learned the university had finally launched a dedicated graphic design program. After finishing my first degree in digital media, I immediately reapplied to pursue a second degree to gain that valuable formal education in Graphic Design. With a more focused curriculum, I developed a deep appreciation for the Swiss Style of design, utilizing grid systems to ensure my tracking, layouts, and overall compositions remained balanced and consistent.

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Future Goals

My professional experience as a graphic designer in the commercial real estate sector has deeply refined my strategic approach to design. While I never actively sought to become the creative director of a company, my core values and professional alignment naturally placed me prominently on this path to success. Looking forward, my ultimate goal is to help brands find their identity and bring smiles to people's faces. I have learned firsthand that good design means great business and happy clients. I am incredibly passionate about seeing a brand transform from the ground up, and I place immense value on structure and consistent branding across all collateral. Above all, I value teamwork and collaboration, and I truly enjoy being part of a team and working with clients that make a positive, lasting impact on the community.