Darcy Castro’s ePortfolio

Summer Camp Postcard Struggles

Today was one of those long design days where everything felt like a cycle of trial and error, but in a good, slightly stressful way. I worked on a postcard for a new summer camp event for kids, and I honestly didn’t expect it to be so tricky. The client wanted something fun, eye-catching, and informational, all within a specific mailing template. Sounds simple, but man, it took way more back-and-forth than I thought.

I used Illustrator to design it, which I’m super comfortable with, but the hard part wasn’t the technical stuff; it was figuring out how to organize the content and tweak things based on feedback. I had to keep adjusting info and visuals to get the layout just right for mailing requirements, which was a learning curve on its own. The client was really kind and gave me clear feedback, which helped a lot. I’m glad I got to speak with them directly because it pushed me to work on my communication skills. Talking to clients isn’t always easy, but I’m starting to learn how to listen better and explain design choices more clearly. Patience has been a lifesaver in the process.

I also had to create a flyer with the same information, so that was another layer of design work. Same content, different format, but it actually helped reinforce the layout principles I’m trying to get better at. After all the edits, color adjustments, and content shifts, the postcard is finally done and officially going out for the mail. Seeing it finished feels so rewarding. Even though it took a while, I’m proud of how it turned out and how much I’ve grown through the process.

Postcard / Web banners / Flyer

Today was a super busy but rewarding day during my internship. I worked on a mailing postcard design for a company that’s hosting a fun summer event for kids. It was cute and colorful, but honestly way more stressful than I expected. There was this specific USPS template I had to follow for it to be mailed correctly, and making sure everything fit perfectly while still looking good was definitely a challenge. I had to double check the safe zones, address placement, and all these tiny rules that I never really thought about before. But it taught me a lot about working within strict design guidelines, which I know will help me in the future.

I also designed my first flyer for the internship’s main small business, which was super exciting! The goal was to help them attract more clients, so I tried to keep the layout clean and professional while also making it eye-catching. It felt good to be trusted with something that could actually help grow the business.

On top of that, I made 8 different web banners for an Astoria locksmith company. Each one had to be a different size and slightly different layout, so I had to keep adjusting things like font size, spacing, and alignment. It felt repetitive at times, but I learned how to stay consistent with branding while still making each banner work for its size.

Overall, today was a lot but in a good way. I’m definitely starting to feel more confident balancing creativity with technical requirements.

Today was all about designing social media content for a local locksmith shop the company works with. I ended up creating 18 different designs in Illustrator which honestly felt like a full-on creative marathon. Each post had to follow the same brand style, but still feel unique. I played around with layout, color balance, icons, and typography to keep things interesting while sticking to the brand’s vibe.

My supervisor reviewed them later in the day and surprise! they loved them. That was such a relief after staring at my screen for what felt like forever. I did have to go back and make a few small edits (mostly spacing and wording), which took a bit of time, but nothing too crazy.

The real challenge was just how long it took to get everything just right. Illustrator is powerful, but also kind of a black hole, I looked up and somehow three hours had passed. Still, seeing the final set come together was super satisfying.

Even though I’m tired, I feel like I really accomplished something today. Can’t wait to see these go live on the shop’s socials soon!

Today was my first day of my Internship, I was nervous about leaving a good first impression for my supervisor, this was my first time dealing with real clients outside of school. I have been given a rundown of the brand style guide and showed me their current client projects. I spent most of the day getting set up—organizing files, getting access to design tools, and reviewing some past work to get a feel for their aesthetic. It was cool to see how consistent and clean everything is. Definitely inspired me to level up my own work.

My first task was a small one—creating a few draft ideas for a social media graphic. I was stressed (first impressions, y’know), Sent my drafts over and already got some helpful feedback.