meet malini!
The designer behind the magic at Ochre Design!Howdy! Thanks for stopping by my website. I’m Malini – the designer behind the magic at Ochre {Art + Design}.
Can I take a moment to do a little humble bragging? I’ve been fortunate enough to bag a few international design awards, and my Artist Books have made their way into the collections of approximately 40+ esteemed universities across the US, including big names like Harvard and Wellesley College. You see, my background as an artist often influences my design work, and vice versa. There’s a beautiful interplay between my passion for storytelling, experimentation, and creativity. As a designer, whether I’m crafting logos or designing websites, my main goal is to effectively communicate my client’s unique narrative to their target audience. Every brand has a story, and it’s my mission to tell it in the most captivating way possible!
I’ve been working in the design industry for over 20 years!
I hail from the land of spicy food and colorful festivals, India! But I decided to pack my bags and head to the US to study Communication Design at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. My interest in artist books also led me to pursue a Post Baccalaureate degree in Book Arts at Oregon College of Art & Craft.
Ochre Art and Design was born after I graduated from PNCA. I was mostly into print design and thanks to the pandemic, I’ve pivoted my focus towards Website Design and SEO, which have now become my bread and butter.
When I’m not busy designing logos and websites, I’m either playing board games with my lovely twin daughters, going on a hike, or a bike ride or cooking up a storm in the kitchen with my kiddos! Me and my daughters have even collaborated on an ebook to teach children the Hindi alphabet, and let me tell you, their drawings were the perfect fit for the illustrations.
Most recently, when I was working on a signage design project for a preschool, I had them draw rainbows in various colors to help me figure out the rainbow color scheme for their logo! Again, who knows the target audience better than them? Love my collabs with them!
I absolutely adore spending quality time with my lovely daughters, especially when it involves crafting amazing works of art. I am beyond grateful for these precious moments 💖✨
Years of Experience
Independent Projects
Cups of Tea
KEY CLIENTS
- Oxford University Press (NY)
- Pacific Northwest College of Art
- Oregon Home Magazine
- Oregon State University Press
- Open School NW
- Five Oaks Museum
- Catlin Gabel School
Education
- Post-Baccalaureate (Book Arts), Oregon College of Art and Craft,
2007-2008 - Bachelor of Fine Arts (Graphic Design), Pacific Northwest College of Art,
2002-2005 - Bachelor of Science (Electronics), Osmania University, India,
1989-1992 - Interior Design Certificate, India, 1995
Recognition
- Second Prize, The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD, NY)
- International Poster Design Competition, 2007
- Honorable Mention, OCAC BFA Juried Show, 2007
- OCAC Merit Scholarship, 2007
- William Givler Design Arts Thesis Award, PNCA, 2005
- Portland’s Emerging Designers, 2002
- Silver Medalist, Interior Design Institute, 1994
“I worked with Malini on a website refresh for Open School. She spent the right amount of time getting clear on our needs and mapping out our site map, before diving right in. Because she did thorough set-up work, the actual website build was really quick. She was responsive to changing priorities and was flexible when our schedule for launch had to change. Our website is beautiful – simple, responsive, and intuitive. Aside from that, Malini was just a pleasure to work with. She is kind, funny, and super patient!“
“Ms Gupta is an art director beyond her years. I like her understanding of typography and her ability to convey a magazine feature’s tone through its display type treatment. She’s also is great with color. She often dreamed up unconventional color combinations and knows when to use color sparingly. In a creative world in which too many art school grads are more Photoshop Boys (and girls), it is a joy to have worked with someone like Ms. Gupta.”
“Ochre {art + design} is simply amazing. Malini masterfully blends beautiful, elegant design with superb form and function. Every aspect of the site is designed with meticulous detail. Her websites are not remastered templates, but works of art. Malini is my go-to designer. I appreciate her personalized attention, responsive support. I wish there were an option for a sixth star because Ochre deserves it.“
