I didn’t have any studies in the Arts, but I managed to get into the master thanks to my portfolio and a short internship. The professors were extremely patient and willing to explain foundational concepts — the knowledge of typography and editorial design was very important for my development as an artist — to bring me up to my colleagues’ level of expertise and provide me a platform to develop my final project.
During the academic year, there were always several colleagues interested and open to sharing resources, discussing ideas, and evolving together, which for me is the most essential thing in a creative environment.
I still use concepts learned in the Master’s almost daily, especially typography. I would have liked to have had more experience with illustration, but I think the MDGPE gave me enough freedom to use my personal work in academic projects, which I greatly appreciated. The short experience I had was very positive.
Mariana Vieira is currently working freelance, as a full-time illustrator and part-time digital content creator and influencer. She completed her master in 2021, with a final project entitled “CMYQ~n: Magical Girl Project – Narrativas Gráficas Adaptadas aos Meios Digitais.”