Catalina Luna

Design > Communications > Research > Cultural Mediation

My purpose is to create communicative bridges that allow for the infusion of identity through visual, musical, verbal, and non-verbal expressions. My main focus is on intersectional identities and their richness shaped by natural and cultural heritages, personal experiences, and interactions with territories.

I was born in New York and grew up in Santiago, Chile, where I graduated as a graphic designer in 2015. Since then, I have lived and studied in several countries, including Chile, the USA, Mexico, and Spain, immersing myself in diverse cultures that have profoundly influenced my perspective on community outreach and communication.

So far, my work has focused on strengthening cultural domains and raising awareness about experiences of segregation and marginalization in our society. In late 2020, I completed my master’s degree in Research and Experimentation in Design in Barcelona, where I presented a project that explores migration narratives through archetypes. The project aimed to honor and empower personal identity stories through a visual language that conveys the resilience and transformation inherent in “The Hero’s Journey.”

I seek to work towards building a world with social justice, empathy, and appreciation for the arts. Thus, my work aims to narrate in an accessible manner and attract audiences to transformative experiences that broaden our worldview and community. I believe in the power of accessible communication, as well as field research, and the essential nature of understanding contexts to meet needs and improve people’s quality of life.

My intention is to be an active agent of change in my community, always working towards justice, accessibility, and uplifting narratives that celebrate diversity.

SHE / HER

Education
Masters degree in Research and Experimentation in Design
BAU, Design College of Barcelona. Spain.

Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design
Universidad Diego Portales, Facultad de Arte, Arquitectura y Diseño Santiago, Chile

Professional Experience
SFJAZZ | Lead Designer
www.sfjazz.org

November 2021 – May 2024

Oakland Museum of California | Communications Design Manager
www.museumca.org
June 2018 – September 2019 

San Francisco International Film Festival | Designer for the 60th, 61st & 63 edition
www.sfiff.org
January 2017 – April 2017 / January 2018 – April 2018 / January 2021 – April 2021

Cinemachile | Art Director-Lead Designer
www.cinemachile.cl

September 2014 - June 2016 

Internships
ABD ngo Barcelona, Spain
Designer for the urgent campaign YO SI TE VEO
(I DO SEE YOU) that aimed to visibilize vulnerable people during confinement.
May 2020 to June 2020. www.yositeveo.org

Procorp Santiago, Chile
Design assistant in the creative department.
May 2012 to August 2012. www.procorp.com


Design Lead 
SFJAZZ | 2021–24


Responsible for all brand management for SFJAZZ, design, and production of seasonal graphics, advertising (online, print, digital, social media and broadcast), and collateral assets. Directed and reviewed all design and branding materials produced by the design team.
         SFJAZZ is a recognized non-profit organization which leads in jazz creation, presentation, and education. SFJAZZ explores the full spectrum of jazz working to develop the audience for jazz in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.




Communication
Design Manager
OMCA | 2019–19


OMCA (Oakland Museum of California) located in Oakland California, is an interdisciplinary museum dedicated to the arts, history and science of California. For 50 years it has championed the community diversity of the bay area in a space of interaction with culture and family.
         As Communications Design Manager I was the key interface between the design department and the institution for design needs outside galleries. 

    This position studies and actively participates in the planning of communication strategies to convene audiences and consolidate the museum’s brand through 2D designs. 



Graphic designer 60th & 61st edition
SFFILM | 2017–18


During the 60th ,61st and 63rd I worked assisting and directing the digital and printed assets of the festival, slide presentation, official merchandise and printed material for advertising out of house. Also co-created and distributed a 68 page program for the festival. 
SFIFF is the longest festival in America. Offering approximately 150 films from around the world, with the participation of more than 100 filmmakers of excellence.


Art Director - Lead Designer
CinemaChile | 2014–16


Management and design of creative projects, team leadership and creation of the visual identity for CinemaChile in 2016, which was launched at the Cannes festival. In addition, the national film catalogue was designed and conceived for this year, a 150-page collectible book.
  •      CinemaChile is a prestigious Chilean cinema institution, which promotes Chilean cinema in the main film festivals and markets in the world.  


Graphic Designer
Chile California Council | 2017–18


In 2018, I was invited to design the Annual Report for the year 2017, aiming to consolidate a modern image representative of Chilean identity and its innovation.
  •      The Chile California Council is a non-profit organization that mutually promotes beneficial relationships and knowledge exchange between Chile and California, both in the private and public sectors. This organization is closely linked to the consulate and country-level innovation.


Magical Movements  
Master’s Thesis | 2020


Magical Movements is a Tarot card activity designed to connect participants with the experiences of displaced migrants. It serves as a tool to encourage reflection, self-awareness, and imagination about various possible futures.

The project aims to build empathy for migrant realities and highlight their resilience and knowledge in times of crisis. It presents a strategy that brings together inclusive narratives to help both participants and migrants see things from a shared perspective.
  •      Using Tarot as a research tool, the project challenges traditional ways of understanding and promotes the idea of relational knowledge. This approach questions established categories and hierarchies that often shape our environment in a one-sided and dominant way.

    Magical Movements is developed through a decolonized platform that combines various design disciplines, including strategic, speculative, social, ethnographic, and graphic design. The activity weaves together migrant stories, human psychology, and Tarot’s worldview, inviting participants to recognize localized knowledge and explore their own potential.