Shirleen Lavalais

Visual Design Instructor

San Francisco

Shirleen Lavalais studies design and the choices we make. With a BBA in Advertising and a successful marketing career, Shirleen decided to pursue her passion in graphic design. After graduating Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA with BFA in Graphic Design she began her career. Since then she has worked as a designer on global retail brands, start-ups, boutique agencies and secured her own clients. Currently, she is working at Salesforce in San Francisco as a contracted Art Director working on new campaigns and new branding.

As a child of immigrant parents, she has often found herself as the interpretive conduit between her parents and broader American society. Her abilities as a cultural interpreter served well professionally and were further honed in the advertising, marketing and publishing arena.

In many ways graphic design, too, is about interpretation. Finding a visual language and style that can effectively bridge the gap between the desires of the client and the dictates of the chosen medium is not only a great challenge, but a unique opportunity to help shape our visual world.