Calla Rivera logo. A header for designer Calla Rivera Matos portfolio website.

Designer and illustrator with a passion for innovative and accessible design. ✧˖°.

Designer and illustrator with a passion for innovative and accessible design. Lover of all things cute and whimsical ✧˖°.

Featured Projects

Mi Casita Criolla

Pop-up Playhouse Book

NH Child Care Scholarship Overview

Motion Graphics

CASA COCO

Visual identity

Kids' Summer Collection

Textile Design

Illustration

Photo / Collage

I’m a graphic designer and illustrator with 3 years of experience based in Guaynabo, PR specializing in brand identity, paper engineering and digital media. I graduated with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Digital Media from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. My work is driven by a love for thoughtful visuals and a commitment to creating accessible and innovative designs. Whether I’m building a brand from the ground up or crafting a printed piece, I aim to make work that feels both intentional and impactful. When I’m not designing you’ll find me crocheting, making collages or exploring antique stores!For opportunities, questions or inquiries please reach out to: callariveramatos@gmail.com

→ Resume

LinkedIn Recommendations

“I had the pleasure of working with Calla at Fashion Angels for a brief but impactful time. Calla has a wide range of skills, including graphic design, packaging design, prototyping, and illustration (to name a few). Calla is a great collaborator on projects and can be counted on to expertly problem-solve and troubleshoot while product developing. Calla is immensely talented and would be an asset to any creative department team.”

— Catherine Palmeno, Senior Graphic Designer at Fashion Angels

“I knew from the get-go that Calla was going to be an awesome intern. When we had our initial meetings, Calla asked questions about what her roles at Amplify would entail and how the work would align with her own goals. Then during her time at Amplify, Calla was eager to take on a variety of projects, from illustrations, to visual design, to motion design. In addition to this, she was just as talented with adapting her illustration and design skills to existing visual styles as she was with creating her own assets from scratch. Two other qualities that Calla demonstrated during her internship were her attention to details and her problem-solving skills. She took important notes during project kick-offs, did research for initial sketches, and at one point, even made the initiative to create a Google spreadsheet to organize some design assets. She was also just as comfortable with making her own decisions as she was with following guidelines. All-in-all, Calla was such a pleasure to be around and to work with! I wish her all the best with her career and hope that our paths cross again some day!”

— Veronica Tolentino, Art Director at Amplify

View all recommendations on LinkedIn →

I’m a graphic designer and illustrator based in Guaynabo, PR specializing in brand identity, paper engineering and digital media. I graduated with a BFA in Illustration and a minor in Digital Media from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. My work is driven by a love for thoughtful visuals and a commitment to creating accessible and innovative designs. Whether I’m building a brand from the ground up or crafting a printed piece, I aim to make work that feels both intentional and impactful. When I’m not designing you’l find me crocheting, making collages or exploring antique stores!For opportunities, questions or inquiries please reach out to: callariveramatos@gmail.com

→ Resume

LinkedIn Recommendations

LinkedIn Recommendations

“I had the pleasure of working with Calla at Fashion Angels for a brief but impactful time. Calla has a wide range of skills, including graphic design, packaging design, prototyping, and illustration (to name a few). Calla is a great collaborator on projects and can be counted on to expertly problem-solve and troubleshoot while product developing. Calla is immensely talented and would be an asset to any creative department team.”

— Catherine Palmeno, Senior Graphic Designer at Fashion Angels

“I knew from the get-go that Calla was going to be an awesome intern. When we had our initial meetings, Calla asked questions about what her roles at Amplify would entail and how the work would align with her own goals. Then during her time at Amplify, Calla was eager to take on a variety of projects, from illustrations, to visual design, to motion design. In addition to this, she was just as talented with adapting her illustration and design skills to existing visual styles as she was with creating her own assets from scratch. Two other qualities that Calla demonstrated during her internship were her attention to details and her problem-solving skills. She took important notes during project kick-offs, did research for initial sketches, and at one point, even made the initiative to create a Google spreadsheet to organize some design assets. She was also just as comfortable with making her own decisions as she was with following guidelines. All-in-all, Calla was such a pleasure to be around and to work with! I wish her all the best with her career and hope that our paths cross again some day!”

— Veronica Tolentino, Art Director at Amplify

View all recommendations on LinkedIn →

Graphic Design

CASA COCO

Visual Identity

Nature and Ocean Adventures

Website Redesign

Powered by Hope Strengthened by Prevention

Motion Graphics

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Kids

Social Media Posts and Amazon A+ Marketing

Edtech Internship

2023 Illustration & Graphic Design Intern

NH Child Care Scholarship Overview

Motion Graphics

Nature and Ocean Adventures

Print Design and Art Direction

Kids' Summer Collection

Textile Design

NH Child Care Scholarship One Sheet

Print Design

Sucré

Visual Identity

Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Kids

The Mindfulness and Self Compassion Workbook has fun and engaging activities to help children ages 6-12 develop mindfulness, emotional resilience and self-kindness! Activities from this therapist-recommended award-winning workbook are based on the adaptation of Dr. Kristin Neff's research-based Mindful Self-Compassion program.

Challenge
The challenge in this project was crafting Amazon A+ marketing graphics and social media content that authentically captured the fun, gentle and introspective tone of the author while ensuring visual appeal and clarity.

Task
Design a cohesive set of Amazon A+ content modules and promotional social media graphics. This included layout design, typography, image selection and the adaptation of assets for multiple formats and platforms.

Team
NA

Role
Graphic Designer

Deliverables
• Amazon A+ marketing graphics
• Social Media Posts

Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Canva

NH Child Care Scholarship Overview

The Department of Health and Human Resources of New Hampshire was in need of an animated overview video for parents in the state.

Challenge
As a team we were tasked with creating an easy to understand animated video to best explain the process behind applying for the NH Child Care Scholarship.

Task
As a designer I created custom illustrated assets and animated them in After Effects, ensuring synchronization with the provided audio.

Team
Burgoo Media
Art Director Hunter Addams

Role
Graphic Designer
Motion Designer

Deliverables
• 5+ minute video

Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe After Effects

NH Child Care Scholarship One sheet

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services challenged us to distill the complex, often overwhelming details of the NH Child Care Scholarship program into a single, printable one-sheet.

Challenge
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services challenged us to distill the complex, often overwhelming details of the NH Child Care Scholarship program into a single, printable one-sheet.

Task
Transform bureaucratic language into a clear, engaging, and visually intuitive resource for families, many of whom are time-strapped, overwhelmed or unfamiliar with government programs.

Team
Burgoo Media
Art Director Jacqueline Johnson

Role
Graphic Designer

Deliverables
• One Sheet PDF

Tools
Adobe InDesign

Powered by Hope Strengthened by Prevention | CAP Month

This Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month, we’re coming together to build brighter futures for all children and families.

Challenge
As a team we were tasked with creating a video for Prevent Child Abuse America that shows how by supporting families and strengthening communities we can create a world where every child can grow up with hope for the future.

Task
As designer I was tasked with creating the illustrated assets and animating them on After Effects according to the videos provided.

Team
Burgoo Media
Art Director Hunter Addams

Role
Graphic Designer
Motion Designer

Deliverables
• 1 minute video

Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe After Effects

Nature and Ocean Adventures Website Redesign

NOA’s mission is to cultivate meaningful connections through culturally immersive
experiences, sustainable travel, holistic education and nature conservation.

Challenge
Our team was tasked with redesigning the existing NOA website to strengthen engagement with current students and broaden the organization’s service offerings.

Task
As a UI and visual designer I collaborated in the creation of lo-fi prototypes, hi-fi prototypes, visual design and managed project timelines.

Team
2 Lead UI/UX designers
5 UI/UX designers

Role
UI Designer
Visual Designer

Deliverables
• 23 pages
• 20+ icons

Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator

When designing the NOA website we researched the best way to disseminate program information in an easy to digest way for students.

Explore our prototype!

Students and teachers can now effortlessly explore and compare volunteering programs to find the ones that align best with their interests and backgrounds, ensuring a more meaningful and long-lasting impact.

All essential information such as program details, daily itinerary, student testimonials and key components are now consolidated into a single, easy-to-navigate page.

Sample Itinerary

Visual Language

Custom assets such as the ‘Sea Turtles’ program component and the NOA icon library were designed to reinforce and expand the nonprofit’s visual language, ensuring brand consistency across digital touch points.

Nature and Ocean Adventures 2024 Catalog

NOA’s mission is to cultivate meaningful connections through culturally immersive
experiences, sustainable travel, holistic education and nature conservation.

Task
As Lead Graphic Designer I was responsible for designing the layouts of the NOA Catalog and creating an extensive icon library used across both the NOA Catalog and Website. I managed project timelines, facilitated team meetings, and oversaw the overall art direction to ensure a cohesive and high-quality visual identity.

Team
3 designers
1 content writer

Role
Lead Graphic Designer

Deliverables
32 pages
1 cover

Tools
Adobe Indesign
Adobe Illustrator

Amplify Illustration & Graphic Design Internship

Amplify is a pioneer in K-12 education since 2000 currently serving over 15 million students nationwide through
supplemental curriculum, assessment and intervention programs.

Challenge
When working with educational material it is our highest priority that all deliverables represent are accessible to our student population. All illustrated assets must be created with color blindness and low visibility in mind to best adhere to student needs.

Task
As an intern I worked alongside the art content team to create illustrated assets for K-5 student facing products such as educational virtual games as well as assets for teacher facing products.

Team
Art Director Veronica Tolentino
Art Content Team

Role
Illustrator
Graphic Designer

Deliverables
• 50+ characters
• 28 editorial illustrations
• 3 illustrated icons

Tools
Adobe Illustrator

As an illustration and graphic design intern I worked alongside the art content team to create illustrated assets for
K-5 student facing products such as educational virtual games as well as assets for teacher facing products.

For my second project at Amplify I was given definitions that I would turn into editorial vector illustrations for a reading game.

During my time with Amplify I was also tasked with creating illustrations for their newsletters.

Mi Casita Criolla

Welcome to Mi Casita Criolla! Open the book and tie back the strings to reveal four rooms inspired by Puerto Rican homes.
Architectural details such as losa criolla, soles truncos and cultural decor can be found within.This dollhouse includes three
characters, two pets and a variety of accessories to play to your heart's content.

Recognition: Selected to represent the Illustration Major at the 2023 MIAD Juried Senior Thesis Exhibition

Read the full interview here!

My Process

The creation of Mi Casita Criolla required learning about different processes such as paper engineering, laser cutting and book binding. The research for this self directed project not only went into its visual design but its functionality.

Paper Engineering

My goal was to create an interactive book aimed at children who move or travel often.

When I first started this project I was completely unfamiliar to paper engineering and the creation of pop-ups. I studied books such as The Elements of Pop-Up and studied pop-up books with similar structures in the library. To be able to accomplish my own pop-ups I sketched, measured and created multiple prototypes till I found the most functional pop-up mechanisms for my book.

Laser Cutting

I used a laser cutter to be able to create the precise and clean cuts in the openings above the doors, the pop-up template and the dolls that come with my book. This required me getting trained on how to use the machine and through trial and error I created the entirety of the insides of the final book.

Research

Losa Criolla

Made out of cement “losas criolla” or creole tiles are typically found in historic homes in Puerto Rico. These tiles are also known as “losa hidráulica” which translates to hydraulic tiles due to the use of the hydraulic press in its production. They are created by mixing loose pigments, cement and water. These materials are then compressed under a hydraulic press creating what we know as a hydraulic tile.During the height of its production these tiles were manufactured in multiple factories around Puerto Rico. The most famous of these factories were: Puerto Rico Mosaicos in Yauco, La Fábrica de Mosaicos Hidráulicos “La Mayagüezana” in Mayagëz, Ponce Mosaic in Ponce, Jimenez Ribot & Co in San Juan and La Fábrica de Mosaicos de Miramar in Santurce.

Soles Truncos

The architectural feature denominated as a “sol trunco” is a semi circular transom in the shape of a fan. This is used to provide light and ventilation to interior spaces while simultaneously serving as a decorative element. Soles truncos can range from simple shapes that can be mass produced to intricate wooden fixtures similar to leafs on a hand fan.

Home Decor

Throughout the entirety of the house cultural elements such as a vejigante mask, a pilon, a güiro and traditional antique furniture can be found. I researched historic homes on the island, took inspiration from my own friends and family's homes. The style of this house in particular is grounded on historic homes from the early XX century.

Kami

Visual Identity

CASA COCO

Visual Identity

Sucré

Visual Identity

Kids' Summer Collection

Ocean conservation with a bilingual twist!
Through numerous sea creatures and ocean motifs this collection brings a fun and educational outlook to next season's summer apparel.

Sullivanesque Collection

For this surface design project I worked under the guidance of Kohl's art directors.
While working under their direction I had the liberty to chose one of their brands and create a summer collection for it. I chose to design a women's apparel collection for Croft and Barrow inspired by sullivanesque architecture from Milwaukee and Chicago. Croft and Barrow is known for its timeless designs targeted at women age 35 to 55.