Meet: Victoria Reis

Hi Victoria, can you introduce yourself?

Hola! I am Victoria Reis, born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I’ve been living in London since 2013, and yes! I miss the Caribbean every day. However, one thing I love about living in London is how through music and people you are always somehow connected to your roots.

I love nature, especially dogs. These were the things that inspired my passion for illustration, capturing moments on paper, leading to one of the first tattoos of my dog on my right arm, and even shaping my business’s identity to be illustrative.

My journey as a designer started with drawing and truly kicked off when I began my studies at Central Saint Martins (CSM), UAL.

What did you study at UAL, and has that influenced your creative path? If so, how?

I studied Graphic Communication Design, being the last year of the famous advertising program. My main inspiration for studying design was my mom and her side of the family. She couldn’t finish her studies as an industrial designer to raise us, and my grandparents are both very talented artisans. I grew up seeing their woodwork and painted ceramics, which I have always admired.

I think of them all the time and how I can take our generational family talent as far as possible.

How would you describe your time at UAL in three words?

Competitive | Inspirational | Fun.

What did you do after graduating?

After finishing a short internship with Mother through CSM, I worked at Everyman Cinemas for a year to make some money while enjoying free movies and aggressively applying for advertising roles as a Creative.

I then landed at Global University Systems’ in-house agency, where I had the opportunity to design my first magazine cover for VIBE, and participate in a full revamp of the St. Patrick’s Law College’s website. I then moved to TheDubs, a digital media agency, where I worked on the award-winning Little Book of Data for Aviva. This was followed by my next role as a Creative Lead, where I directed the Room on the Broom Animated Movie Experience and worked on projects for the Monster installation and for the exciting Manchester City FC. This all built me up to the starting Drool.

Tell us about your design studio, Drool. How did you come to found it, and what have you learned over the last four years?

While working in the industry, I encountered real-world limitations that restricted my ideas and progression to the level I was aiming for. Being a minority in this industry can be limiting and exhausting.

After four years of experiencing what it’s like to be a creative Latina woman in London, I saw an opportunity during the COVID lockdown to take on clients independently. This gave me more control over briefs and allowed me to collaborate with other like-minded creatives, including my partner today.

By being more selective about the work we took on and choosing briefs that allowed us to innovate in tech and design ventures, particularly immersive websites, which is now our speciality, Drool was born. I think I can write a book about what I have learned. ha!

You recently took on the role of President of the UAL Enterprising Alumni Network. What interested you in the role, and what do you hope to achieve?

I love community. As an immigrant, I have learned the power of a friendly face and a meaningful connection.

Being part of this network since 2021, having the UAL alumni team check in on me from time to time, attending events to meet people on similar journeys, all helped me not feel alone while running a studio and becoming a creative entrepreneur.

I would love to grow this network of like-minded designers, artists, and creatives who can support each other. I also hope to make the community feel more personal from the inside out, becoming closer as a committee and supporting each other in achieving our goals.