We recently connected with Doreen Desir and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Doreen, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I learned graphic design through a mix of formal education, self-teaching, and hands-on experience. While classes and tutorials gave me the fundamentals—like layout, typography, and color theory—the real learning happened through working on projects. Over time, practice and feedback played a big role in my career. Learning from mistakes and revising designs helped me understand what works and what doesn’t. Looking back, I could have improved faster by seeking feedback earlier and more often, studying professional designers and industry trends, and learning design software more deeply. The skills that I think that are essential are color theory, typography, design software knowledge, and time management. Some of the obstacles that stood in the way of my learning is time constraints from school and work, and creative blocks.
Doreen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was born and raised in Naples FL. I started to have a love for design at the age of 15. I was inspired by my youth leader who was making t-shirt designs for our church youth revivals. During my middle and high school years, I was designing items such as flyers for the tech club at my high school. After high school, I studied graphic design with a minor in communication. During my time in college, I fell in love with abstraction and landscape designs. After college, I did a internship at a church that I had volunteered for for three months. As soon as I went home, i got another internship at the time called remnant 144 a business development agency that creates impactful brands for small businesses, startups & career professionals. Today I am still designing as a freelancer and working a full time job at a store called harbor freight tools.
The products that I provide is poster design and logos. As a graphic designer, what I am most proud of is how much I have grown creatively and technically over time. When I first started designing, many things felt challenging, but through practice and dedication I improved my skills and became more confident in my work. I am especially proud of the designs I created that successfully communicated ideas and messages visually. Being able to turn an idea into a finished design that looks professional and meaningful is one of the most rewarding parts of graphic design.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Yes, there are several resources I wish I had discovered earlier in my journey as a graphic designer. Finding these tools sooner would have helped me improve my skills faster and gain more confidence in my work. For example, learning design software like Adobe Creative Cloud programs earlier would have made a big difference. I also wish I had known about online learning platforms like Skillshare and YouTube, where many designers share tutorials and tips. These resources make it easier to learn new techniques and stay updated with design trends.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One experience that shows my resilience as a graphic designer was working on a project that did not turn out the way I expected. I spent a lot of time creating a design that I thought looked strong and creative, but when I showed it for feedback, it needed many changes. At first, this was frustrating because I had worked hard on it and felt proud of my original idea. Instead of giving up or feeling discouraged, I decided to treat the feedback as an opportunity to improve. I went back to the project, made adjustments, and tried new ideas. This process required patience and determination because it meant reworking parts of the design multiple times. During this experience, I also spent extra time practicing with tools like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator to make my design stronger and more professional. In the end, the final design turned out much better than the original version. This experience taught me that growth often comes from challenges and that improvement takes time and persistence. It showed me that resilience in graphic design means being willing to learn from mistakes, accept feedback, and keep improving even when things feel difficult. That experience helped me become more confident and motivated as a designer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.doreendesir.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ddesir56/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doreen.desir
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doreen-desir-118371198/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDee12dee
