Balance is not something you find, it’s something you build—over time, through design, through care, and through community. I believe in designing for liberation, where creativity becomes a tool for storytelling, self-determination, and joy. I’ve made it my work to help others build that balance for themselves, one bold idea at a time.

I am Renée McKellar. I am a graphic designer, educator, creative director, and advocate for culturally rooted design. I teach Graphic Design and Business Communication at College of the Canyons and International American University, and I serve on the AIGA Los Angeles board as Director of Education. I live and work in Los Angeles.

I graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) with a Master’s in Art and Business, and I’m a proud alum of the COC GMD program, where I first learned how powerful design could be. That full-circle moment led me back to the classroom, where I now teach and mentor the next generation of designers.

I am a single mom, a first-gen college graduate, and a business owner who carved my own lane in an industry that rarely makes space for women like me. I know what it means to build something from scratch—and I bring that lived experience into every brand I touch and every student I teach. Representation in design is not a trend. It is a necessity.

The student work featured on this site is proof that design education, when done with intention and care, can change lives. This is what it looks like when we design from the margins and center our stories unapologetically.