Hello! I'm Vanessa.

Hello! I'm Vanessa.

I'm a product designer & bespoke illustrator.

I'm a product designer & bespoke illustrator.

At one point, I lived at the intersection of biology and code. Realizing that my true passion is using that same research and design practice to bring ease and simplicity to our lives, I made a home for myself in human-centered design.

I bring 5+ years of industry design experience, working at Fortune 500 companies, a startup, and the occasional gig. I’m also a life-long visual artist and you can find me working on my illustration practice outside of my 9-to-5 (and sometimes inside of it). I love making things as much as I love understanding other people.

I’m always looking for opportunities to learn, grow and work with cool people. I also love video games, nature walks, and petting cats.

I'm currently open to new roles and opportunities.

I'm currently open to new roles and opportunities.

Experience

Freelance Designer & Illustrator

Jan 2022 - Current

I took a break from my corporate design career to rest, travel, and explore my illustration practice full-time. I run a small business selling my artwork and independently designed merchandise, and provide illustration and design services to individuals, retailers, and mission-driven organizations.

View my full illustration portfolio here.

Product Designer @ HealthJoy

July 2024 - Aug 2025

Digital healthcare and benefits navigation ecosystem with over 1 million users. I was a design owner across two initiatives within the product org: client-facing dashboard (B2B) and member-facing communications (B2B2C).

UX Design Co-op → UX Designer → Senior UX Designer @ AT&T

Jan 2020 - June 2024

Worked in the Design Technology org, which functioned as an internal design consultancy.

Production Design Intern @ Walt Disney Imagineering

June 2019 - Aug 2019

Developed concept designs for Walt Disney Resorts Epcot Theme Park.

Education

University of Texas at Austin

Graduated 2020

B.S. Computational Biology

Certificates in Computer Science and Digital Art

Recognition

2x AT&T Connections Award Winner

2022, 2023

Recognized for significant individual achievements and high performance towards organizational priorities that demonstrate AT&T's cultural pillars.

Walt Disney Imaginations Competition Finalist

2019

Team design project selected as one of top 6 entries from over 260 submissions nationwide.

© Vanessa Astronoto 2026