One of the hardest decisions to make is choosing what to do for the rest of your life. But for Aileen Arakelian, the answer came naturally; it was designing that she loved and pursued right after high-school.
Currently, she lives in Mexico City with a husband who shares her passion for design, a year-old daughter, two super cute border collies, and a thriving design business, The Trendy Template.
She offers minimalist and modern as well as bright and bubbly designs to small businesses looking to make their feed attractive and put-together. And also lends her expertise to her husband's design studio.
A few days back, we got in touch with the design enthusiast herself, and she was able to answer a few questions for us! Let’s look at those:
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, my name is Aileen Arakelian, and I'm a Graphic Designer from Mexico City. I'm 33 years old and love to travel, read, binge-watch crappy Netflix series, and eat (not cook) amazing food.
I’m currently getting the hang of being a mom and a working woman at the same time. It hasn’t been easy, but I can’t imagine a life without creativity and productivity. So, we’re making it work.
What do you love about Mexico City?
I was born and raised in Mexico City, and now my daughter is being raised there; that’s enough of a reason to love it unconditionally.
Apart from that, I've had the fortune of traveling to many cities worldwide, and I can say from experience that it is one of the best places to live in. We have some of the best food and culture and the most welcoming and friendly people. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
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How did you become a Graphic Designer?
I was always a creative child. So, when the question arose about what to study after high school, I went straight for designing. For me, it was the best way to combine arts and creativity and turn it into a career that had tons of job opportunities.
I know how only a small percentage of people actually get to pursue what they have studied. So I find myself extremely lucky; I was able to find something I truly enjoyed, and now I’m making a living out of it.
How did you start The Trendy Template?
It actually began as a side hustle. During the pandemic, I was taking some online courses on illustrations and new design software when I ran into Canva. Soon, I realized it was an amazing tool for some quick designing. From there emerged the idea of The Trendy Template.
It dawned on me that Canva could help me create professional-looking templates that could give people a head-start in their businesses or social profiles, and I didn’t need a whole team of designers for it! So, since we had some time on our hands, we decided to experiment with The Trendy Template.
Luckily, it has been alive and thriving ever since.
I think this business is an excellent way to help people with their ventures without making a huge investment. Therefore, as long as people keep loving my style, I’ll keep creating for them.
Who buys your art from Social Media Calendar?
Most of my clients are startups and small businesses that are relatively new in the market. They use my templates to create a clean and cohesive-looking social media feed.
As for my clients, I am lucky enough to have people from all over the world, like the USA, India, Italy, and Brazil, to name a few. I think that's the best thing about the graphic design business. You get to connect and work with people from miles away.
Do you have any other jobs besides this one?
Yes, I have a design studio with my husband (who is also a graphic designer) called Lua & Coco. It’s named after our lovely dogs.
Lua & Coco is older than The Trendy Template, and the purpose is a bit different too. We were targeting large companies and firms with it, but The Trendy Template is built for individuals with very little design knowledge and newbies in the market.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I can’t say I’ll be doing anything other than designing. It’s a forever kind of love now. So, I wouldn’t mind doing exactly this five years later too. But I do expect to travel a lot with my little girl.
The most exciting part of motherhood, for me, is sharing this world with my daughter and seeing it all over again with her innocent eyes.
Any message for your fans?
Thank you for liking my work. It's always a pleasant surprise when I see my designs on my feed. And to me, that's the main purpose of this job: to design together and to see how people introduce their own personalities in my designs.
Supporting Designers on Social Media Calendar
Designers like Aileen are living their best life because of your support. By purchasing their illustrations, guides, templates, calendars, planners, and other creative designs, you can help them keep their dreams alive and their businesses flourishing.
Becoming a Graphic Designer on Social Media Calendar
Do you want to have your shop on Social Media Calendar? Just sign up here, and upload your products. We will handle the advertising, payment processing, and deliveries while you enjoy a huge audience and fast checkouts.
So, what are you waiting for? Join Social Media Calendar as a designer today!
Do you want to learn to create and sell Canva templates?
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Take a look at Aileen's products
From here, you will find Aileen's shop The Trendy Template.
