What’s up buttercup
Welcome to my portfolio. My name is Natalia, and this is a peek into my design studio. Here you’ll see editorial work, logos, murals, and an advertising campaign. And hopefully you’ll find inspiration.
So take a look around and imagine all the cool things we can create together to help your business stand out, uplift your community, bring your passion project to life, or make your home feel more like home.
A little about me… I grew up in El Salvador with family roots that reach into Nicaragua and Guatemala. I’m a 2012 graduate from the University of North Texas’ highly competitive Communication Design Program with a focus in Graphic Design.
Throughout my career I’ve had incredible opportunities working in a variety of creative environments—a small design studio, a startup designing UI and UX for a trivia app, and a global advertising agency creating campaigns for clients like AT&T and FedEx.
My career has evolved in wonderfully unexpected ways. I’ve expanded into community-centered work through my creative movement, DSGN FOR US; developed my passion project, My ABZOO; and continued shaping and growing my services as a freelance designer.
Currently I teach at UNT in the Communication Design Program, write grants for DSGN FOR US, and am illustrating my next book, Bloom.
At the heart of it all I appreciate collaboration that is empathetic, and has clear and direct communication. I am naturally attracted to clouds, stickers, play, curiosity, learning, community, editorial design, typography, sustainability, paper and experimentation. (to mention a few)
As a designer, educator, and conceptual visual artist, I am always looking for creative ways to solve problems that are beautiful, stand out, are practical, cost efficient, communicate effectively, and create an emotional connection.
I am here at your service :)
Glasstire Art Dirt: Talking with Natalia
Kera News In Dallas ‘Yellow’ installation by Dsgn For Us gives people a place to draw
Dallas Morning News These Dallas kids designed a bilingual coloring guidebook for immigrants and refugees
The Dallas Observer A new coloring book paints a better picture for immigrants in Dallas
NBCDFW Local Woman Creates Book to Help Immigrants, Refugees in Dallas
The Dallas Observer Dsgn For Us teaches adulting lessons through coloring
DFW Child How Natalia Padilla is changing immigrants’ lives through art
Dallas Innovates Thinking inside the box: Oak Cliff’s Tiny Gallery Trail
Articles about my work
GUEST ARTIST
Dallas Museum of Art 2019 show MAKE with My ABZOO
Texas Women University 2025 guest speaker with DSGN FOR US
Texas Women University 2023 guest speaker with DSGN FOR US
The University of Texas at Dallas 2023 guest speaker as a graphic designer
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
DSVC PROFESSIONAL 2019 MY ABZOO silver for branding
DSVC PROFESSIONAL 2019 MY ABZOO judges choice
DSVC PROFESSIONAL 2022 Relish illustrations bronze
WELCOMING AMERICA CONFERENCE with Vuelo illustration
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — LOCAL as Dsgn For Us, 2018
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Expressions microgrant as Dsgn For Us, 2020
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Color For Life as Dsgn For Us, 2021
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Relish as Dsgn For Us, 2021
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Primary as Dsgn For Us, 2021
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — The power of one as Dsgn For Us, 2022
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Glue, paper, scissors as Dsgn For Us, 2023
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Letty as Dsgn For Us, 2023
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Libertad microgrant as Dsgn For Us, 2023
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Yellow as Dsgn For Us, 2024
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Vuelo microgrant as Dsgn For Us, 2024
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Blue as Dsgn For Us, 2025
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Soy de la Tierra as Dsgn For Us, 2025
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — This is not a bottle… microgrant as Dsgn For Us, 2025
CITY OF DALLAS ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTEE — Raíz exhibit as Dsgn For Us, 2026
CCOMMUNITY ARTIST PROGRAM GRANTEE — CAP as Dsgn For Us, 2021–2026
STUDENT YEARS HIGHLIGHTS
Creative Allies semi-finalist poster competition for Fleetwood Mac concert.
DSVC 8 winner for best app design.
DSVC 8 featuring three design pieces in show.
CREATIVE SUMMIT 3 featuring design pieces in show.
CMYK BLOG featuring Frisco Rough Riders baseball cards design.
DELL CHALLENGE winner of entrepreneur challenge with the development of ‘Handi App’.
UNT winner of innovation challenge with ‘Handi App’ concept.
THE DIE LINE Student spotlight featuring 88° packaging currently article has the wrong credentials; working on this update.
DSVC 7 Winner for best illustration.
Honorable mentions
Selected Clients
Oak Cliff Film Festival, editorial design 2026
Private: Dan and Javi, mural 2026
Artist: Ernest Smith, editorial design 2025
Nonprofit Trust for the Public Land, mural 2022
Artist: Fela Raymond, 2022 logo services
Nonprofit United Fort Worth, editorial design 2021
Artist: Tesora Garcia, 2019 editorial design
Liliana Bloch Gallery, 2018 editorial design
Nasher Sculpture Center, 2018 animation
Artist: Ellen Smith & Angie Reish, 2018 editorial design
SMU Pollock Gallery, 2017–2019 editorial design
references and resume available upon request