We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ana Melendez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ana , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Shockingly, coming up with the name for my studio was relatively easy. I chose the name Teresita Design because I wanted the name of my studio to represent my heritage and the personal connection I want to have with whoever I am designing for.

My middle name is Teresa which I got from my dad’s side of the family. That side of my family is Puerto Rican. I share this middle name with my grandmother and aunt. However, my nickname, Teresita, came from my mom’s side of the family, who are Mexican, specifically my grandfather. He loved the name Teresa and started calling me Teresita as a baby.

What I enjoy about the name Teresita is that it embodies the blending of my Mexican and Puerto Rican heritages while also sharing a personal nickname. When you add “ita” or “ito” to the end of a name or word in Spanish it shows shows affection toward someone or how small something is. Each of these attributes speak to the way I’d like to run my studio. I want to keep my studio small while producing beautiful and unique work. I also want the people I work with to love working with me because I see and value them.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi! My name is Ana Melendez. I am a graphic designer and educator from New Jersey currently living in Colorado. As a child the first thing I said I wanted to be when I grew up was an artist so becoming a graphic designer has me pretty close to the original dream!

I came to graphic design after earning my undergraduate degree in community art (also known as social practice) and wanting to learn more about how design thinking could influence how projects are facilitated in communities. In my design practice, I value creating with my people so that they feel they have ownership over what’s created. I find this creates a less of a traditional client/expert relationship which allows the expertise of whoever I am working with to shine through while my skills enhance the project.

The kinds of projects I am drawn to are information design, pattern design, branding, and poster design. Some of my favorite projects have been the Cafe Lareno poster I designed for a client, the couple patterns I have designed for friends as they celebrate relationships with their significant others, and the information brochure I created for New City Kids – a non profit that works to break the cycle of generational poverty.

I find I create my best work when both my heart and head are involved in projects so I really enjoy working with people and organizations that address problems like generational poverty, education, mental health, financial literacy, and college and career readiness. I also love to support when people want to show someone that they love them so the patterns I create for couples and individuals hold a special place in my heart!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Helping people make sense of things. Often times, particularly when it comes to information design, my job is to make complex information accessible. This requires me to understand the information I am presenting very well while choosing how to present it it in a simple way. I enjoy being challenged to learn something new in order to present it simply and when I see things click for people I feel so satisfied that I did my job well.

I also love to see people light up when they feel like something I’ve made for them really represents who they are. Most often, this happens when I am creating a pattern for someone or a couple. It’s really lovely to see the look on someone’s face as they understand what each motif means then look over the whole piece and take in the collective meaning.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Although it might seem redundant, one of the driving forces in my creative journey is to help those who are helping. I spent the first part of my career working in the non profit field. During that time, I truly enjoyed the direct impact I was having but as I continued, I realized I felt the most meaning in my work when I was supporting those who were working with me. I loved showing up for them and making their lives easier. I know how difficult it can be working in the non profit space and find a lot of joy in creating something that enhances a program or initiative so that that person can do their job even better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teresitadesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresita_design/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-melendez-design18

Image Credits

First photo (of me) – Ray Masaki