MG GARUZ
Graphic Design
& Art Direction
Hello there! I’m really into...
Editorial design and grid systems.
.

Hello, my name is María Gabriela! I’m a designer and marketing specialist who spends her time between New York and the Republic of Panama. I go by various nicknames, including Gaby and Mari Gaby, but lately, I’ve simplified it to MG.
My design practice lies at the intersection of publication design and digital products, with a strong affinity for storytelling through different editorial perspectives, information systems, and an empathic, people-centered lens. I enjoy building communication systems centered on structure, pattern, and hierarchy that are flexible enough to feel experimental and fun. My work reflects a deep appreciation for people and culture, with a commitment to making an impact through design and communications.
After graduating from the ︎︎︎Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Communication Design, I became a design intern at the independent fashion magazine ︎︎︎Document Journal and also assisted in designing beautiful books at ︎︎︎Rational Beauty, a studio in Brooklyn that focuses on editorial projects with a rigorous, modernist approach.
Later, I joined the in-house design team at ︎︎︎ JNF-USA, a non-profit in New York City. As an associate art director, I worked on the organization’s rebranding, producing marketing materials for 700+ fundraising events around the United States, and redesigning the organization’s tri-annual magazine. My last project with JNF consisted of developing their digital design system—building components, manuals, and wireframes for new products across their different sub-brands.
After working as a freelance desiger with other non-profit organizations, my interest in mission-driven design led me to ︎︎︎Opus Design
, a Boston-based, women-owned agency focusing on non-profits, educational institutions, research centers, and food and beverage clients. As a senior graphic designer, I worked on various branding, print, web, and data visualization projects.
After working indepently for a couple of years, I decided to return to academia and shift my focus onto creative marketing and strategy in order to not only take part in production, but in the creative concepting. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Integrated Marketing with a concentration in Marketing Analytics at ︎︎︎New York University. While I finish my studies I’ve also been applying my new skills and learning from the Digital Media and Information Services department at ︎︎︎Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), an invaluable multi-arts center and non-profit for NYC. At BAM, I’ve been assisting my team in e-commerce optimization and building costumer pathways, CRM management, SEO, project management, and Monitoring GA4 and building reports, among other fun tasks.
On a personal level, I’m an avid reader of novels, a newbie surfer, a live music enthusiast, a record collector, a manic list-maker, and the proud owner of a fluffy ginger cat. I consider myself a lifelong lover of design, music, film, and the arts, and I’m continously inspired by the energy of NYC and its creative communities.
︎ Send me an email. Whether you think we’d be a good fit to work together on a project, or you just want to say hi, feel free to get in touch!
My design practice lies at the intersection of publication design and digital products, with a strong affinity for storytelling through different editorial perspectives, information systems, and an empathic, people-centered lens. I enjoy building communication systems centered on structure, pattern, and hierarchy that are flexible enough to feel experimental and fun. My work reflects a deep appreciation for people and culture, with a commitment to making an impact through design and communications.
After graduating from the ︎︎︎Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Communication Design, I became a design intern at the independent fashion magazine ︎︎︎Document Journal and also assisted in designing beautiful books at ︎︎︎Rational Beauty, a studio in Brooklyn that focuses on editorial projects with a rigorous, modernist approach.
Later, I joined the in-house design team at ︎︎︎ JNF-USA, a non-profit in New York City. As an associate art director, I worked on the organization’s rebranding, producing marketing materials for 700+ fundraising events around the United States, and redesigning the organization’s tri-annual magazine. My last project with JNF consisted of developing their digital design system—building components, manuals, and wireframes for new products across their different sub-brands.
After working as a freelance desiger with other non-profit organizations, my interest in mission-driven design led me to ︎︎︎Opus Design
, a Boston-based, women-owned agency focusing on non-profits, educational institutions, research centers, and food and beverage clients. As a senior graphic designer, I worked on various branding, print, web, and data visualization projects.
After working indepently for a couple of years, I decided to return to academia and shift my focus onto creative marketing and strategy in order to not only take part in production, but in the creative concepting. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Integrated Marketing with a concentration in Marketing Analytics at ︎︎︎New York University. While I finish my studies I’ve also been applying my new skills and learning from the Digital Media and Information Services department at ︎︎︎Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), an invaluable multi-arts center and non-profit for NYC. At BAM, I’ve been assisting my team in e-commerce optimization and building costumer pathways, CRM management, SEO, project management, and Monitoring GA4 and building reports, among other fun tasks.
On a personal level, I’m an avid reader of novels, a newbie surfer, a live music enthusiast, a record collector, a manic list-maker, and the proud owner of a fluffy ginger cat. I consider myself a lifelong lover of design, music, film, and the arts, and I’m continously inspired by the energy of NYC and its creative communities.
︎ Send me an email. Whether you think we’d be a good fit to work together on a project, or you just want to say hi, feel free to get in touch!