celiacastelo@gmail.com
I'm a communication designer specialising in strategic branding. My work covers the full arc of a project: from brand audits, competitive research, and positioning through to visual identity, digital products, guidelines, and implementation. I work directly with clients and as a senior outsource partner for agencies across tech, energy, healthcare, and retail.
Alongside my freelance practice, I've spent years as a senior designer at a studio whose clients include some of the world's most recognisable technology brands — HP, HPE, DXC, Vodafone, and SAP, among others. Working across their corporate events and communication projects has given me an unusually close view of how major brands evolve, get applied under pressure, and maintain consistency at scale. I've become something of a brandkeeper for these companies, often more familiar with their brand guidelines than their own teams.
That same environment shaped my experience in supervising creative teams and managing annual communication accounts for major retail brands, including Oeiras Parque, Península, and Forum Barreiro. I've also led rebranding and communication strategy for national organisations such as Inatel, Termas Centro, and AHP.
The through-line across all of it is the same: research first, and a certain stubbornness about getting the details right.
Skills
Design & Creative
Adobe Illustrator · Photoshop · InDesign · Dreamweaver · Adobe XD · Figma · InVision
Web & Builders
WordPress · Squarespace · Wix Editor X · Cargo · Shopify · Big Cartel · HTML · CSS · PHP (basics)
AI Tools
Lovable · Cursor · Claude (Anthropic) · ChatGPT · Midjourney · Adobe Firefly · Framer AI
Research & Strategy
Brand Audits · Competitive Benchmarking · Persona Development · Customer Journey Mapping · SWOT Analysis · Design Thinking
Digital Marketing
Google Analytics · Google Tag Manager · SEO · Mailchimp · Zapier
Project & Collaboration
ClickUp · Notion · Miro · Airtable · Teams · Agile · Design Systems
Education
FBAUL — Master in New Media and Communication Design
ESTAL — Degree in Communication Design
Domestika — App Design · Design Systems with Figma · UX Design
Acumen — Systems Practice · Human-Centered Design · Business Model for Social Enterprise
Future Learn — Project Management · Agile & Design Thinking · Digital Marketing · Research Impact
Atlassian — Agile Development
Frederico Carvalho — Digital Marketing
Outsourcing Projects (2024 – 2025)
Strategic Brand Designer · Creative Director · Consultant
Senior outsource partner for agencies, leading strategic branding and identity projects end-to-end — from research and positioning through to visual identity, guidelines, and implementation. Client sessions were led independently, with full creative and strategic ownership of each project.
Deepneuronic — Full rebranding for an AI and computer vision startup. Brand audit, competitive benchmark, market analysis, brand archetypes, tone of voice, visual identity, and brand guidelines.
Smart Energy Lab — Rebranding and brand system update for a renewable energy company. SWOT analysis, new positioning, symbol redesign, typography, colour palette, icon and diagram system, photography direction, web, and brand guidelines.
Fan of the Match — Brand identity from scratch for a sports-tech startup. Research into brand archetypes, positioning, tone of voice, values, mission, and vision. Full brand guidelines with photography direction and application examples.
JustSushi (2021 – Present)
UX/UI Designer · Consultant · Project Manager
A nationwide sushi franchise needed a better online ordering experience, with a specific focus on mobile checkout. Competitor analysis, persona development from real orders and social media data, and customer journey mapping identified the key friction points. Designed a responsive experience with a persistent cart on desktop and an app-like checkout on mobile — deliberately avoiding a native app, which research showed was seen as unnecessary friction. Full design system built in Figma, with dev handoff, usability testing, and QA. The launch set a new benchmark in the food delivery category.
Delivery Express (2020 – Present)
Strategic & Brand Designer · UX/UI Designer · Consultant
New communication and brand strategy, brand guidelines, graphic materials, and website. Website visits grew more than 150% in six months.
Brandcom (Present)
Creative Supervisor · Senior Designer
Senior designer and creative supervisor at a studio specialising in corporate events and brand communication, with clients including Vodafone, HP, HPE, DXC, SAP, Cushman & Wakefield, IMCI Group, AHP, Grupo Electrolux, Unicef, and Ray Human Capital. Responsible for creative team management, strategic branding, and web design projects. Long-term exposure to the brand evolution of major technology companies across corporate events and communication campaigns.
Previous Experience (2011 – 2018)
New Global Pet (2016–2018) — Creative designer for Acana, Orijen, and Nature's Menu; brochures, exhibition stands, and retail materials.
Bloco 103 / Miguel Justino Art Advisor (2011–2016) — Creative designer for gallery exhibitions, catalogs, signage, advertising, and websites.
SDT Electronics (2011–2014) — Full rebranding: logo, brand guidelines, brand strategy, and website.