Thank you for taking the time to review my application. I created this page to share a curated selection of relevant work, background, and context aligned with the role.
APPLICATION FORMarketing Graphic Designer
My name is Zuza Hicks, and I’m an independent designer focused on strategic marketing and communication design for purpose-driven and public-facing organizations.
My work includes reports, educational materials, campaigns, presentations, templates, and digital experiences across print and digital channels. I’m especially interested in projects that help people better understand complex information and turn it into clear, engaging communication.
Below is a selection of relevant work focused on marketing, education, and communication design.
Relevant Work
Sacramento State + United Way California Capital Region — Guaranteed Income Pilot Report
Designed a comprehensive public-facing report for Sacramento State and United Way California Capital Region documenting the outcomes of a guaranteed income pilot program supporting Sacramento residents.The project involved editorial design, infographic integration, accessibility considerations, stakeholder collaboration, and preparation of a print-ready and accessible digital report. The goal was to translate complex research and community impact data into a clear, trustworthy, and engaging experience for multiple audiences, including funders, public officials, and community members.
CAVSA — Annual Report Design
Designed a visually cohesive annual report for CAVSA focused on making dense information easier to navigate and understand while maintaining a warm, community-centered feel. The project included editorial layout systems, typography hierarchy, data visualization, and scalable page structures that balanced storytelling with organizational transparency and readability.
Cutover — Brand Refresh
Led a strategic brand refresh for Cutover focused on making a highly technical service feel more human, approachable, and easier to understand. The project included refining typography, color usage, layout direction, messaging structure, and overall brand consistency to create a clearer and more cohesive experience across digital and marketing touchpoints.
A major challenge was simplifying and visually translating a service that stakeholders themselves struggled to explain clearly. The refreshed direction helped make the company’s offering feel more accessible, confident, and easier for potential clients to quickly grasp without losing credibility or existing brand recognition.
A stylescape created for Cutover to help define a more human, approachable, and easier-to-understand visual direction for the brand. It combines typography, imagery, color, messaging, and interface references to align the team around a cohesive creative direction before full implementation across marketing and digital touchpoints.
Center for Land-Based Learning
A big part of my work involves helping teams move from scattered visuals and unclear communication to systems that feel cohesive, usable, and easy to maintain.
These two examples show how I approach fast-moving design problems—not just making things look better, but creating structure, clarity, and momentum the team can actually build on.
Day 1
They came to me with a logo and a few colors but no clear system behind them.
In one day, I turned that into a full visual language, defining how the brand shows up through layouts, typography, and structure, with a style guide the whole team can actually use.
Day 2
This had been sitting unsolved for a while.
The goal wasn’t just a brochure. It was a system: a mother piece, a rack card, and a bi-fold, all connected, flexible, and easy to print in-house.
There was a starting point, but it wasn’t scaling. The bigger goal—creating something cohesive that actually told the full story—kept getting stuck.
In one day, I turned that foundation into a clear, cohesive system with layouts and templates the team could actually use.
Not just design. Momentum.
“Zuza helped us go from zero to finished in a single day. We walked away with work we needed and could actually use plus a much better sense of direction. The whole process was easy and collaborative, and honestly, we got more done in that one day than we had in weeks. Would absolutely work with her again.”
— Christine Calvin, Former CLBL’s Director of Advancement
Why I’m a Strong Fit
Experience translating complex information into accessible public-facing materials
Strong background in editorial systems, reports, and educational communication
Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution
Experience collaborating with multiple stakeholders and fast-moving teams
Skilled across print, digital, presentations, Canva systems, and marketing assets
Interested in working together?
Addititional projects and references available on request.