Experience Design NYC

Vashtie Persaud

CT460 Brand Experience Design Portfolio

Multidisciplinary Designer

Hi, I’m Vashtie!
A designer inspired by the process, fueled by the deadline

Portfolio

Typically Sleep Deprived, Tirelessly Creating

Time alludes me in the face of my never ending pursuit to learn and create.

Rooted in a desire to make ideas visually resonate, I value design as both a craft and a catalyst—developing brands and products that connect both visually and functionally through creative experimentation, engaging storytelling, and human-centered thinking.

When I’m not designing, you can still find me creating as I burn the midnight oil, the sound of my Circut echoing throughout the house, and my back hunched over as I iron designs on my custom concert T-shirts, tote bags, and more. I’m always up to trying new things and pushing beyond my limits, so feel free to reach out, I know I’ll be up.

Art Direction Focus: Grindr UI Redesign

I’m incredibly proud of a recent collaborative project where my team and I tackled a UX/UI redesign for Grindr. We felt the current platform's design and culture often drifted away from its core values, sometimes even fostering an exclusionary environment.

Our goal was to elevate the experience to be truly encompassing of the entire LGBTQ+ community. We kicked things off with extensive research—conducting empathy interviews and developing user personas to really get to the heart of the community's pain points.

On the creative side, I focused on helping shape the new design direction. This involved everything from building mood boards and experimenting with color palettes to iterating on the UI. We landed on a visual identity that blends vibrant gradients and inclusive, organic shapes. Moving away from rigid structures toward a look that feels as welcoming and free-flowing as the people who use it.

Experience and Affiliations

Figma Campus Leader @ FIT (Extracurricular), 08/25 - 06/26: Selected from over 1,000 students to represent Figma at FIT and coordinate with team to empower our design community on campus through developing events, hosting workshops, mentoring peers, and encouraging tool proficiency.

A&DD Club Vice President @ FIT (Extracurricular), 08/25 - 05/21: Served as a cross-functional leader responsible for delegating tasks and tracking event milestones, while providing hands-on support in digital design, member engagement, and administrative oversight.

Freelance Digital Designer @ KoreanAmericanStory.org, 01/25 - 04/18: Conceptualized the visual identity and art direction for high-profile events, including the 15th Annual Gala & 2025 ROAR Story Slam, delivering a cohesive suite of 10+ digital and physical assets through an iterative, collaborative design process.

Bloomberg Arts Internship Youth Mentor @ Studio Institute, 06/25 - 08/25: Managed administrative logistics and event scheduling for a 100+ student program while providing dedicated mentorship to a specific cohort of 20 interns to ensure their professional progress and program compliance.

Arts Team Intern @ Bloomberg Philanthropies, 05/24 - 08/24: Supported the management and development of diverse philanthropic art and cultural initiatives. Conducted a comparative research analysis of 50+ global art and tech conferences to provide data-driven insights for the optimization of the Digital Accelerator program.

Digital Communications Intern @ Art21, 06/21 - 06/22: Leveraged Adobe Premiere Pro to produce and edit short-form social media content and promotional assets highlighting Art21’s artist library and cultural programmingRecognition

Evidence of the Grind