This portfolio presents a curated selection of my professional and instructional work across brand identity, UX/UI, motion graphics, game and app design, and community-focused campaigns. It includes original concept development, cross-media storytelling, and student projects that reflect both real-world design applications and a project-based teaching philosophy rooted in critical thinking and industry relevance.
PORTFOLIO Design Of Mario Fimbrez
About The Cover Art The cover graphic is an original logo design I created for a fictional healthcare organization called Red Ribbon Health. It is used as part of my classroom teaching curriculum to demonstrate logo design principles as part of a broader branding campaign, showing students how to think about, develop, and integrate form and meaning into a broader visual identity system.
Table of Contents
Introduction to My Work - Page 4 Teaching Philosophy - Page 6 About The Cover Art - Page 2
Historical Exploration
Fimbrez: Indignum Memorare - Page 8
Experimental Pattern & Product Design Dadaism Re-imagined - Page 10
Fundraising, Mobilization, and Awareness Campaign Liberty & Health Alliance, Asheville NC - Page 20 Motion Graphics & Broadcast Identity Hope on Fire Motion Graphic & Logo - Page 28 Narrative Visuals & Character Systems Planet Defender Game Development - Page 12
Cover Design & Illustration Complete Guide to Kanji - Page 30 UI/UX & Mobile Branding Concepts Eunoia App Icon & Concept - Page 32 Brand Identity & Collateral Design HRM International Branding - Page 34
Visual Storytelling & Editorial Collaboration Fender Bender + Ratchet & Wrench Magazines - Page 36
Introduction to Student Projects - Page 38 Selected Examples (2019–2025)- Page 40
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Hello, I'm Mario Fimbrez Instructor of Graphic & Motion Design & Creative Director
M.A. | Visual Communication Design M.F.A. | Graphic Design (Fall 2025)
As a designer, creative director, and visual storyteller, I specialize in branding, motion graphics, UI/UX, and editorial design. With over a decade of professional experience serving nonprofits, universities, media, and healthcare organizations, my work seeks to blend thoughtful strategy with compelling visuals. This portfolio presents selected projects that reflect my values: community, clarity, purpose, and innovation. I hope you will find that it communicates not only my technical ability, but also my commitment to meaningful design across platforms.
My Teaching Philosophy My approach to teaching graphic design and digital media is rooted in real-world application, creative accountability, and cross-disciplinary awareness. With over 15 years of industry experience and six years teaching at the high school level, I understand that students thrive when they’re challenged to apply design thinking to meaningful problems and are given the tools and structure to produce professional-quality work. I create project-based learning environments that mirror creative production workflows, helping students develop not just technical skills but also confidence, communication, and attention to detail. I believe strong technical skills free students to express meaningful content. I teach visual design as a discipline that blends intuition and analysis, where students learn to defend their design decisions and critique others with clarity and respect. My courses emphasize typographic hierarchy, accessible design principles, and fluent use of industry-standard tools like Adobe Creative Suite. Whether teaching motion graphics, branding, or UX/UI, I center my instruction around building relevant portfolios that support both academic advancement and career readiness.
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As both an educator and creative professional, I aim to model curiosity, adaptability, and the value of process. I bring current practice into the classroom, drawing on work in strategic communications, nonprofit campaigns, and visual storytelling to keep instruction relevant and engaging. My goal is to equip students with the mindset, skillset, and work ethic to succeed in today’s creative industries while encouraging them to push boundaries, take risks, and create work that matters. As the child of migrant farmworkers, a first-generation college graduate, and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, I value the transformative power of education and the importance of accessible, student-centered teaching. I am especially committed to creating classroom environments where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired to grow. I look forward to contributing to a program that values innovation, interdisciplinary thinking, and career- ready design education. My goal is to prepare students to become thoughtful, adaptable professionals capable of shaping visual language and thriving in the rapidly changing landscape of design.
Front Cover
Fimbrez Indignum Memorare Design Rationale and Historical Context Fimbrez: Indignum Memorare, Latin for “Unworthy to be Remembered”, is a personal homage to medieval manuscript design and the tradition of scribe humility. Inspired by the self- effacing colophons of the Middle Ages, where scribes ended their work with phrases like “Remember the poor sinner who wrote this”, the title reflects a reverence for creation over personal acclaim. The design integrates elements of illuminated manuscripts, intricate line work, symbolic ornamentation, and stylized typography, reinterpreted with a contemporary aesthetic. The cover painting is also my original work, created specifically to match the style, color palette, and tonal depth of the period, reinforcing the unity of form and concept. By placing my name alongside Indignum Memorare, I explore the medieval tension between authorship and anonymity, and highlight the ideal that the true value of design lies in the enduring power of thoughtful creation, not recognition.
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Dadaism Re-imagined Artistic Reinterpretation & Adaptation This piece draws direct inspiration from Francis Picabia’s Conversation, particularly his use of bold striping and the fragmentation of the human form. I reinterpreted his red linear patterns, replacing them with blue tones to create a heightened contrast and a colder, more surreal atmosphere. Instead of human figures, I introduced an absurd, marble- like cat-woman statue, rendered in a luxurious, almost mythic form, to explore themes of fantasy, objectification, and humor. As in Picabia’s work, the figure is cut and disrupted by the patterned background, its anatomy only making sense in the context of the striped composition. This intentional fragmentation reflects the Dadaist embrace of nonsense and visual irony, while the opulent rendering of the figure contrasts with the mechanical precision of the background — creating a dialogue between desire and detachment, form and formlessness. This adaptation of Picabia’s visual language allowed me to explore the boundaries of abstraction, while paying homage to his playful yet critical approach to modern art.
Francis Picabia The Conversation (1922).
Base Pattern Design I created a pattern with the image in 4 parts and with curved blue lines on tan reflecting the elements of the original. AI Assisted Design Element Image inspired by Dada Artist Francis Picabia with composited modifications
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Planet Defender Interactive Design & Game Concept Development “Planet Defender” is a conceptual game designed to immerse players in a galaxy threatened by destructive asteroids, where they must guide a lone pilot and his AI companion to protect vulnerable planets. This project explores interactive design principles by crafting a compelling narrative , developing detailed character profiles (Captain Alex Griggs, Orion-77, and Astra) , and outlining a dynamic storyline through a script and storyboards. The goal is to create an engaging experience that tests player reflexes and strategic thinking, while demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of visual storytelling, character development, and UI/UX design for interactive media.
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Rough Sketches And Game Character Profiles Captain Alex Griggs: The highly skilled main pilot of the intergalactic space force, handpicked for his expertise in maneuvering small spacecraft and asteroid defense tactics. Driven by a personal mission to protect planets after losing his hometown to an asteroid catastrophe, he serves as the player’s primary avatar. Orion-77: An advanced AI embedded within Griggs’ spaceship, serving as both co-pilot and advisor. Programmed with a unique personality that combines logical precision with an understated sense of humor, Orion-77 assists with asteroid analysis, weapon targeting, and companionship, though Griggs increasingly suspects it has achieved sentience. Astra: A mysterious, elusive ally who occasionally appears in a sleek spacecraft with unknown technologies to aid Griggs during critical moments. Her true motives remain unknown, but her timely interventions suggest alignment with the mission’s goals, hinting at a hidden agenda or personal loss related to asteroid impacts.
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Griggs Poses
Griggs Faces
Game Storyboarding Main Storyline and Narrative Development ‘Planet Defender’ is primarily designed as a modern take on nostalgic arcade game-play, drawing from the core mechanics of the original Asteroids game. These storyboards aid in visualizing the game’s unfolding narrative, particularly the post- level clearance sequences that supplement the main storyline. This process establishes critical emotional moments, character interactions, and action sequences, all fundamental points to effective interactive design.
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Character Systems & Crafting Cohesive Worlds This section features pre-final character designs for Planet Defender. My goal was to create characters whose visual style felt native to the game-play environment, aligning with the aesthetic and functional language established by the game’s mechanics and interface. Each character was developed with attention to expression, silhouette, and stylistic consistency. This approach to universe-building and narrative development helps ensure that character visuals support the game’s core logic and visual identity, resulting in a more immersive and believable experience. I see this kind of visual system thinking as essential in teaching students how to connect form with function and character with context to produce purposeful, unified work.
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Hope Through the Storm A Comprehensive Community Health Initiative Liberty & Health Alliance is a mission-driven nonprofit that delivers critical care across major US cities and during moments of crisis. As a 501(c)(3), the organization mobilizes over 600 volunteers for each event, including doctors, dentists, nurses, legal professionals, and community support staff, who come together to provide free, holistic healthcare to under-served populations and communities in need across the United States. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, It was decided that we would bring this mission to life in Asheville, North Carolina and surrounding areas. The campaign objective was to transform the Harrah’s Cherokee Convention Center into a fully functioning medical facility for three days, delivering critical care to thousands affected by the disaster, through volunteer recruitment, fundraising, community awareness and direct marketing. As Creative Director, I lead the development of each comprehensive multimedia campaign with the mission to inform, inspire, and mobilize. The challenge is to create compelling visual narratives that stands apart from traditional healthcare messaging and that create a sense of urgency, develop empathy, and inspire hope. Visual Storytelling with Emerging Technology The campaign centerpiece was a commercial video, developed for local television broadcast with an audio competent suitable for national radio airplay on partner stations. The video blended mixed-reality production techniques with storytelling authentic to the situation on the ground. To achieve this, I combined: • AI-generated video environments, blended with live-action stock and original footage • Motion-tracked overlays using Mocha AE and compositing in After Effects • Custom graphics designed in Photoshop • Voiceover production using AI-generated voice models and layered editing in Adobe Audition
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This hybrid approach allowed us to maintain emotional authenticity while maximizing speed and visual impact across platforms.
Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy Our campaign spanned national and local media, including:
• TV and radio commercials • Billboards in key corridors • Targeted social media assets • Multilingual flyers (English and Spanish) • A 47,000-household Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) campaign
For the EDDM campaign we used U.S. Census Bureau data to identify neighborhoods with the highest healthcare needs. Using data-driven targeting helped ensure that resources reached those most likely to benefit, maximizing both impact and efficiency of the campaign. Impact & Reflection Even given the technical complexity, the goal of each campaign is human results, and success is measured by a convention center filled with thousands of patients and the volunteers there to serve them free of charge, and the stories and messages we receive during and throughout the event are the reason why I design: to communicate, mobilize, and transform communities.
This project is a reflection of my approach to creative direction, leveraging technology not for its own sake, but in service of people, rooted in storytelling, driven by strategy, and shaped by real-world need.
Volunteer Recruitment Volunteer Recruitment Handouts
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Community Awareness Bilingual Community Awareness Materials
Broadcast Radio & Television Click the play button to view online
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Social Media Graphics For community awareness marketing
Billboard Design For digital and static installations along major local corridors
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Bilingual Community Marketing on static and digital displays in walkable areas.
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Hope On Fire Radio Show Re-brand & Motion Graphic Hope On Fire is a nationally and internationally syndicated radio program broadcast on 100+ FM stations and via satellite across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Relaunched in 2023 to engage young adults through radio, YouTube, and live events, the show needed a versatile visual identity for multi- platform media. I created a refreshed logo and a motion graphic opener featuring atmospheric lighting, particle effects, and kinetic typography leading to a bold logo reveal. Deliverables included a full animation sequence, modular assets for social media and events, and cross- platform branding elements. This project demonstrates practical motion design and branding strategies I also integrate into teaching, equipping students for real-world media environments.
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Complete Guide to Kanji Book Design & Custom Illustration A conceptual publication project designed for Japanese language learners preparing for the JLPT exam. The cover features an original koi fish illustration, created in a Linotype inspired style using Adobe Illustrator, symbolizing perseverance and learning. The design integrates this illustration with refined typography and layout, completed in Photoshop, drawing from both traditional Japanese aesthetics and modern educational design.
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Eunoia Mobile App Icon & Concept Design A mobile app icon concept for a mindfulness tool designed to promote clarity, peace, and balance through brief daily practices. The visual identity blends layered depth with soft gradients, symbolizing focus and inner calm. This project explores app branding and user-centered visual language, connecting form with function in a mobile-first design.
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HRM International Logo & Business Card Design Original Logo and business card design for Health Restored Ministries International. Logo design represents the 8-Laws of health from the writings of Mrs. Ellen G. White by associating each principal with the colored petal of the design surround a human figure.
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Visual Storytelling & Editorial Collaboration Selected photography from ongoing editorial work with national leading trade publications Fender Bender and Ratchet + Wrench magazines. Working together with a cross functional team of journalists, editors, and designers to create compelling visual narratives that support editorial content, from environmental portraits and workplace documentation to commercial advertising integration. This cross-disciplinary experience has informed my teaching approach through the integration of design thinking across professional workflow processes.
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Student Graphic & Motion Design Class
Selected Student Projects 2019 - 2025 Portfolio
As a creative director and graphic design educator, my goal is to guide students through real-world design challenges using industry-standard tools and project-based learning. I aim to empower them to develop both the technical skills and creative mindset needed to produce professional-level portfolio pieces across brand identity, motion graphics, and interactive media. I’m proud to share this curated selection of outstanding student work with you.
Student Project | 01
Emily Peña High School Senior
Project Title: Minimalist Vibe Campaign Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Techniques Used: Masking, Typography, Color Theory, and Grid Systems Design a promotional layout for an event, brand, social campaign, or product using complementary typography and grid structure. Project Instructions
Isabella Chavez High School Sophomore Design a promotional layout for an event, brand, social campaign, or product using complementary typography and grid structure. Project Instructions Project Title: Reduce Cell Phone Usage Campaign Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Techniques Used: Masking, Typography, Color Theory, and Grid Systems
Student Project | 02
Hafwen Delafuente High School Senior
Project Instructions
Design a social media graphic of your choice illustrating your understanding of typography, font combinations, and advanced type techniques.
Project Title: Media Conference Social Post Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Techniques Used: Typography, Color Theory, Type on a Path
Student Project | 03
Noemi Huerta High School Sophomore Design a poster Illustrating the use of Photoshop’s layer style tools to create a glowing effect. Project Instructions Project Title: Unentangled Mental Health Poster Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Techniques Used: Masking, Photoshop Layer Styles, Typography, Color Theory,
Student Project | 04
Ben Maxson High School Senior Personal project for student’s sports focused social media account. Project Instructions
Project Title: NBA Style Poster Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Techniques Used: Advanced Masking, Compositing, Layer Styles, Coloring, and Storytelling.
Student Project | 05
Enoch Escalera High School Senior
Project 01 Title: Elon Musk Motivational Graphic Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Project 02 Title: Shin Comic Book Cover Graphic Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop Techniques Used: Masking, Layout, Layer Styles and Typography Create a graphic of your choice illustrating your understanding of basic masking techniques. Project Instructions
Student Project | 06
Student Project | 07
Caleb Snarr High School Senior
This minimalist landscape illustration was a self directed project in addition to our course work covering illustration and layout in Adobe Illustrator. Project Instructions
Project Title: Independent Student Project Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator Techniques Used :
Illustration, Shape Building, Gradient Application, Layer Management, Color Theory, Compositional Balance.
Student Project| 08
Suhki Kaur High School Freshman
Create a 3D cube composed of 2D compositions and animate it. Project Instructions
Project 01 Title: Rotating Anime Cube Tools Used: Adobe After Effects & Saber Plug-in Techniques Used:
3D layer Parenting, Null Object Manipulation, and Audio Sync Animation
LINK: bit.ly/student-cube
Student Project | 09
LINK: bit.ly/student-neon
Techniques Used: Vector Design, Cross- Application Import, Animated Offsets & Key framing of Glow, Color, and Flicker
Animate a logo or symbol using visual effects to simulate motion and energy. Project 02 Instructions
Project 01 Title: Animated Neon Name Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, After Effects, and Saber Plug-
Student Project | 10
Isabella Chavez High School Sophomore Animate a logo or symbol using visual effects to simulate motion & energy. Project Instructions Project Title: Radioactive Spider Logo Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects, Saber Plug-in Techniques Used: Vectorization, Masking, FX Plug-in Installation and Application
LINK: bit.ly/student-spider
Student Project | 11
Haley Canela High School Sophomore Animate a logo or symbol using visual effects to simulate motion & energy. Project Instructions Project Title: Animated Heart on Fire Tools Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects, Saber Plug-in Techniques Used: Vectorization, Masking, FX Plug-in Installation and Application
Student Project | 12
Mario Fimbrez mariofimbrez@gmail.com (209) 505-9392
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