3 of My Favorite Projects Over 3 Years of Silveira Designs
Three years might not seem like a long amount of time, but hitting 3 years of running my own design business (and it being profitable) is a big deal. And I don’t say that to brag. I say it because when you’re focused on the day-to-day of running a business, it’s easy to forget to take a breath and look at how far you’ve actually come.
Every year, when my work-a-versary rolls around, I like to make a point to pause and reflect on the past year, re-visit any goals, and see how far I’ve come. Since my work-a-versary falls in the middle of the calendar year, it also doubles as a great mid-year check-in too.
At this three year milestone, I wanted to do something a little different. Below are three of my favorite projects from the last three years. One from each year, along with a few honorable mentions. I love them all, but these are the ones that stuck with me the most.
2024: Cabrilho and Beyond.
This one was actually finalized a few weeks before I went full time with Silveira Designs, but it felt too meaningful to leave out!
The project was a logo for Cabrilho and Beyond: Portuguese Navigators in Alta California and the Pacific, a colloquium and community event held at San Diego State University. The purpose was to honor the history of Portuguese sailors who helped shape the California Coast and the Pacific.
My favorite part about this project is that the final output was nowhere close to my initial designs 😅. That’s not a bad thing, but rather is a sign of a great client relationship. Every round of edits brought us closer to their vision and served as a reminder that the best design work isn’t always about nailing it on the first try. What matters more is listening, refining, and trusting the collaboration process.
Honorable mention: PALCUS 2024 Gala. I’ve been blessed to work with PALCUS for many years now, and designing for their Gala is always a treat. Expanding a brand into a full event experience is one of my favorite kinds of projects. Check it out here!
2025: ADIS25 Conference
The African Diaspora Network has been a client of mine since 2015, so being able to create their program brochure and materials to celebrate 10 years of their ADIS conference was a full-circle moment. Ten years of their conference and ten years of us working together.
If you know my ideal project, you know I love a good multi-page brochure. There’s something about the storytelling that unfolds that is just so exciting to design. Being able to help them highlight a decade of impact through print, and to do it for a client I’ve grown alongside, made this one extra special.
Honorable mention: My own logo! This was a love-hate relationship (as most self-branding projects are). Designing for yourself is always harder than designs for clients because there’s usually no one to bounce ideas off of. But I’m proud of where it landed and grateful to be able to have it out in the world!
2026: Sacred Heart Nativity: Annual report + Social Media
This one was so fun because I was able to build a brand for an amazing school. Most of my clients are non-profits, or mission-based organizations and/or companies, which is intentional. I gravitate toward work that has a positive impact, and Sacred Heart Nativity is a perfect example of why. Their mission, the students they serve, and the outcomes they create are the kind of thing that makes design work feel so much bigger. For this project, I took their existing visual identity and extended it into a high-level annual report and streamlined their social media posts. The goal was to make sure their story came through just as clearly on their social platforms as it did as a printed report.
Honorable mention: Three website design projects that I’m wrapping up. Mum’s the word for now, but keep a look out for those in the coming months! 👀
A Few Reflections, Three Years In
Looking back at these projects, and the dozens of others that filled the gaps between them, reminds me of why I started Silveira Designs in the first place. Reaching three years in business isn't just about celebrating the survival of a dream; it’s about recognizing the lessons learned along the way:
The best work comes from strong relationships. Whether it’s a client I’ve grown with for a decade or a new team I’m just getting to know, the magic happens when we truly collaborate.
Great design is rarely a straight line. The process is meant to evolve. Refining, listening, and changing direction along the way is often what turns a good idea into a great one.
And maybe the biggest takeaway of all: mission matters. Designing for organizations that do real, meaningful good in the world will always be the heart of my business. When the work has a purpose, the design feels so much bigger.
Three years ago, I took a leap and hoped I could build a business doing work I genuinely loved. Looking back, I'm incredibly grateful for every client who trusted me with their story and every project that challenged me to become a better designer.
Here's to the next chapter and to many more meaningful projects still to come.