Whether it’s through our website, social media channels, or a conference booth, if you’ve seen Luminex content lately, then you’re already familiar with our talented creative services team. Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Yetzielisse Urgelles, a gifted graphic designer who joined our team in early 2018 after completing her BFA in graphic and web design at The Art Institute of Austin.
Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?
A: My goal as a designer is to make Luminex stand out in a creative way, whether that’s using secondary colors to make our posts pop on social media, or making our trade show booth stand out using innovative imagery. I also work on internal graphics, and design our quarterly newsletter. Good graphic design should make information easily accessible and visually appealing.
Q: What got you started on the design path?
A: My interest in design began when I first noticed album artwork and movie posters growing up. Album covers like “Dookie” by Green Day, or ads for the animated film “Titan A.E.” caught my eye because they mixed exciting typefaces with imaginative imagery. I knew from a young age that I wanted to someday create aesthetically pleasing artwork.
Q: What did you do before this job?
A: I was a student. One of my professors is the creative director at Luminex, so I got lucky because he was hiring just as I was graduating college. It was a nice transition from the retail jobs I held while I was in school.
Q: What drew you to Luminex in the first place?
A: I originally wanted to work in the creative industry—in music or at a fashion magazine. But the idea of going into the biotech field was a really interesting way to challenge myself and work in a more analytical space. Ultimately, what made me choose Luminex was the end-game, knowing that my designs could play a role in getting our products into the hands of people who will use them to help patients. I’ve only been in the field for a couple of years now, but it’s really cool.
Q: If you weren’t a designer at Luminex, where would you be?
A: I was a dancer for almost my entire life. I got serious about it in high school and I was actually going to go to college on a full-ride scholarship for dance and kinesiology. I ended up not going to that school, but if design hadn’t been an option for me, I would probably be dancing somewhere, or at least working as a choreographer.
Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?
A: Women’s health issues are often misdiagnosed, so endometriosis is something many women are unaware they have. I have several friends and family members who suffer from pain caused by this disease, and currently, there isn’t much that can be done about it.
Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?
A: I am into comic books and punk rock shows! I own a small collection of Marvel comics from the Bronze Age, including a 1983 issue of “Marvel Team-Up: Spider-Man and The Scarlet Witch.” The artwork from that comic book era is incredible. Darker-style artists like Bernie Wrightson and Frank Miller inspire the horror comic lettering and illustration that I do in my free time.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Austin on the weekend?
A: I love checking out small jazz bars and obscure cafes on the east side of Austin. I recently found a place with a cool patio and a reggae-jazz fusion band—this city is full of great local musicians.
