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❶  Home
❷ Inhabitants and Visitors
❸  Rapid Nostalgia
❹  How to Give Half Your Work Away for Free
❺  verynice Branding Refresh
❻  Toward a Preemptive Social Enterprise
❼  Good Enough Press


Katie Manos is a graphic designer born in, living in, and focusing on Los Angeles.


She sees the role of the designer as one of both authorship and intention, and strives to create a practice that incorporates social responsibility into the work she does. She earned her MFA in Graphic Design at Otis College of Art and Design in 2019. Before pausing her career in 2021, she embodied the millennial dream of having four part time jobs, cobbling together a busy yet flexible career: in-house Graphic Designer at Clockshop; Studio Manager at verynice; and Lecturer at Otis. Currently, at her freelance practice, Katie is trying on a Design Strategist hat at verynice.
More recently, Katie's practice has turned inward toward artistry for the pleasure of creating for creating's sake. Her risograph printing press, Good Enough, explored her more whimsical side, using neon colors with flora from her backyard, to printing wedding invitations and greeting cards and calendars. Katie's most consistent practice is that of sewing her own wardrobe, as an act of patience, self love and exploration.





Curriculum vitae

(because it sounds better than resumé)


SUMMARY
With over 15 years of experience in graphic design, brand strategy, and design operations, Katie’s worked across print and digital with environmental, educational, and social justice organizations, balancing client work with passion projects in both agency and nonprofit settings. Focusing on print and editorial design, especially zines, risograph printing, art prints, books, and magazines: where intentional design brings stories to life.
CORE SKILLSDesign: Editorial and Layout Design, Print Design, Typography, Brand Development, Visual Identity, UX/UI Design
Technical: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Webflow, WordPress, Risograph PrintingLeadership: Design Operations, Process Optimization, Project Management
WORK EXPERIENCE
verynice, Los Angeles, CA

Freelance Graphic Designer | May 2025 - Present
  • As-needed graphic design support and production for various client work including digital and print
  • Internal operations including tax preparation and bookkeeping

Good Enough Press, Glendale, CA
Printmaker | May 2021 - Sep 2024
  • Art practice exploring the in-demand process of Risograph printing
  • Designed and printed various pieces including wedding invitations, art prints and community activity prints distributed locally

verynice Los Angeles, CA
Studio Manager | Jan 2019 - Dec 2021
  • Streamlined operations by implementing task management systems and standardizing shared drives 
  • Managed business operations including invoicing, payroll, and file organization
  • Led employee onboarding processes and maintained company websites in Webflow

Otis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA
Lecturer | Aug 2019 - Dec 2019
  • Co-taught a graduate-level professional development course for MFA students
  • Led critiques and provided mentorship on portfolio development and career readiness
  • Delivered lecture on post-graduation career paths, industry experience and freelance business management

Clockshop Los Angeles, CA
Graphic Designer | Aug 2018 - Apr 2021
  • Designed visual materials including brochures, event signage, and branded collateral for arts nonprofit
  • Produced three risograph books, one featured at the Huntington Library
  • Expanded role to include digital marketing, managing WordPress website updates and email campaigns
  • Initiated and launched the organization's first email newsletter in 2020, fostering stronger community connections and engagement

verynice Los Angeles, CA
Brand Director | Oct 2013 - Aug 2016
  • Progressed through three positions with increasing responsibility: Senior Designer (2013-2014), Design Director (2014-2016), and Brand Director (2016), illustrating commitment and growth within the company 
  • Led complete organizational rebrand including website redesign and comprehensive brand guidelines
  • Managed visual identity strategy for multiple initiatives: verynice, Give-Half, and Models of Impact
  • Oversaw design team and established design standards for nonprofit clients

GOOD Worldwide Inc Los Angeles, CA
Graphic Designer | Aug 2011 - Aug 2013
  • Created pitch presentations for brand partnerships and multichannel marketing campaigns
  • Produced visual content across social media, blog posts, web features, and print projects
  • Streamlined internal design request processes, improving workflow efficiency and reducing project turnaround time

UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Los Angeles, CA
Facilities Graphic Artist and Assistant to Curator | Oct 2008 - Oct 2010
  • Designed and produced large-scale environmental displays including 200-foot timeline of UCLA history
  • Created immersive exhibit recreation of Coach John Wooden's home den
  • Developed signage and wayfinding graphics for UCLA Athletic Department, facilitating smoother navigation and enhancing user experience for visitors 


EDUCATIONOtis College of Art and Design Los Angeles, CA 
Master of Fine Arts, Graphic Design | August 2018

University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 
Bachelor of Arts, Design Media Arts | June 2010


EXHIBITIONSBeside the Edge of the World
Huntington Library, Art Museum and Bontanical Gardens
Pasadena, CA
Exhibiting artist
2019

FLUX: MFA Graphic Design Pop-up Show
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, CA
Co-curator and exhibiting artist
2018

Pushing the Press/Typecraft Library
A+D Museum
Los Angeles, CA
Exhibiting artist
2015

Impractically, Practical
Take My Picture Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
Exhibition designer
2011

Matter: UCLA DMA Undergrad Show
UCLA New Wight Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
Co-curator, exhibition designer and exhibiting artist
2010


PRESSMeet Katie Manos of verynice and Clockshop in Downtown
VoyageLA
2019

‘Social Entrepreneurs Need To Be Futurists, Too,’ by Adele Peters
Fast Company
2016

‘Matthew Manos on Giving Half Your Work Away for Free’ by Mason Currey
Core77
2015

How to Give Half Your Work For Free Feature
FPO (For Print Only)
2014

‘How To Give Half of Your Work Away for Free by Matthew Manos,’ by Diane Lindquist
The Dieline
2014




    ❸ After graduating Otis College of Art and Design, Rapid Nostalgia lives on. This image is a design rendered to look like a risograph print, a series of postcards depicting the various cold war era emergency sirens that still stand around Los Angeles today.

    ❹ The first edition of How to Give Your Work Away for Free, by Matthew Manos, featured a book sleeve that folded out into a small poster.