Life at cloudtamer.io: Mena

Last updated on February 1st, 2023 at 2:49pm

Meet Mena, our ace graphic designer, who shares favorite inspirations, advice for those starting in the design world, and handling the challenges of 2020.

1. As cloudtamer.io's graphic designer, tell us a little bit about your role.

I'm part of the wonderful marketing team here at cloudtamer.io. I work alongside some amazingly talented women. It's rewarding to work with such talent because it helps elevate my work and allows me an interactive outlet to bounce ideas around. We're a small team but an impactful one.

2. The brand guide you created for the team has been a huge help. What has been your favorite project while working at cloudtamer.io?

The brand guide was one of the first projects I did when starting here which was a great way to really dive into the work to help strengthen our brand. Since then, I've worked on a variety of projects.

Recently and most exciting, we launched our first animated Google Display ads. It's been a great milestone achievement for our team. I love to experiment with design and advertisements are a good way to measure what works and what doesn't.

3. What/who inspires you within the design community?

I was allowed the opportunity at a very early age to be able to travel and to see in person some of the greatest art humanity has created. I remember being 7 and in Paris (that’s where my appreciation of art really began) at a museum in the Tuileries Gardens. There, I fell in love with Claude Monet’s work. Seeing these gigantic water lily masterpieces taking up an entire room, as a kid, it was all consuming. I love the Impressionism movement because it was revolutionary for its time.

From impressionism to illustration, David Klein is one of the most prominent American Illustrators who helped paved the way for commercial illustration. Most notably his TWA posters - he used such vibrant colors, they were bold and exhilarating!

There are many experiences and people I have met in my life that have helped me be the designer I am today. And for that, I'm forever grateful.

4. What advice would you give to a graphic designer just starting their career?

Know that you are not designing for yourself all the time. Think about the people you are designing for - the audience you want to reach and capture.

5. What are your biggest pet peeves in the design world?

This is more for the college student. Yes, class is important, but internships from my perspective are even more so. Internships help a designer really understand (and I know it's a cliche to say) "the real world". They give you an appreciation of what it's like to be a graphic designer outside the education bubble. I just wish for student designers to recognize how internships help prepare them for future employment; my internships were instrumental. Experience is everything and internships are a great way to start accumulating that experience.

6. What has been your biggest challenge in 2020?

In 2020, for many, I feel like our work lives and personal lives collided — working remotely. I’m grateful to have the ability to do that when many others do not. I have a beautiful daughter, and in the beginning of the pandemic it was a challenge trying to juggle taking care of a 7-month old (at the time) and establishing my career at cloudtamer.io. Fortunately, I work for a company that allowed that flexibility.

7. With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, what are you most thankful for at cloudtamer.io?

I'll be forever grateful for the continuous support, recognition, and flexibility that cloudtamer.io gave me during the transition to remote working while taking care of my daughter. For a while there, it was challenging but everyone was facing new challenges so there was this sense of community and understanding - that you are not alone, we got your back, we are in this together. Through all the hardship that 2020 has thrown our way, I am thankful for the extra time I wouldn't normally have had with my family. For me, it just solidified the importance of family.

Want to join Mena as a cloudtamer.io team member? We're hiring!