Editorial Design · Illustration · Visual Storytelling

I’m Desiree Arancibia, an editorial designer based in Barcelona.
I was born in Chile and have lived in Spain since 2004.

Although I originally trained as an industrial designer, my professional path has developed within graphic design and children’s publishing. Since 2018 I have focused mainly on editorial projects, where design, structure and visual storytelling come together to create books that are clear, coherent and full of character.

I’m particularly interested in picture books and children’s publishing, formats in which the relationship between text, image and page rhythm is essential. In my work I pay special attention to the book’s structure, typography and composition so that every element supports the reading experience and the story.

Alongside designing and laying out books, I also work with authors in the development of their projects, offering an editorial perspective that helps organise ideas, improve structure and prepare materials for submission to publishers.

In 2023 I published my first picture book as a complete author, and I am currently developing new personal projects while collaborating with publishers and creators on different book projects.

If you would like to collaborate or learn more about my work, feel free to contact me at
desi@dosilustrados.com.

Published books

2025, ““Olor a queso y otras pestilencias del cuerpo humano” Cheese feet and Other Human Body Stenches, published by EDEBÉ.
2024, “A Box”, published by Tu cuento y Tú, Tintineo Collection.
2023, “The Day I Swallowed Mummy”. First book written and illustrated by me.
2022, “Imagine A, E, I, O, U” published by Tu cuento y Tú, Tintineo Collection.
2022, “The Queen on the Chair and Her Uncombed Hair” published by Tu Cuento y Tú.
2021, “Animalwords” published by Tu cuento y Tú, Tintineo Collection.
2021, “The Hare and the Wall” published by Gamusetes.
2020, “The 5 Little Wolves” published by Tu cuento y Tú, Tintineo Collection.
2019, “How Do I Make a Rainbow?” published by Tu cuento y Tú, Tintineo Collection.
2019, “To Love You Better” published by Tu cuento y Tú, Tintineo Collection.
2019, “8 Legs” published by Entre Nubes y Cuentos.
2017, “Jana’s Overcoat” published by Emonautas.
2013, “Black Cat, the Feline of Good Fortune” published by Play Attitude.
2013, “Seraphim, the Bird in Search of His Tune” published by Play Attitude.
2012, “The Magic Cookbook”, the first book with my own texts, photographs, recipes, ideas, design and layout.

Relevant Experience:

Editorial collaborations · 2019–present —
Editorial Planeta, Penguin Random House, Eccomi, Carambuco, El dodo lector, Automática, among others.

  • Layout and design of picture books, young adult novels and non-fiction books.
  • Cover design and supplementary editorial materials.

Content Collaborator · Suara Cooperativa · 2021–2025

  • Creation, writing and layout of 6 wellness programmes (newsletter format in Mailchimp).
  • Content adaptation for distribution across different media.
  • Design of web content and image for benestarum.org

Cultural Publications · 2006–present — Ajuntament de Barcelona · Institut del Paisatge Urbà i la Qualitat de Vida

  • Layout and design of the biannual magazine coupDeFouet (English–Catalan).
  • Creation of supplementary graphic materials.

Editorial Director · Gamusetes · 2018–present

  • Creation and management of an independent picture book publisher.
  • Direction of all phases: concept, project selection, design, layout and production.
  • Advisory support for authors on self-publishing processes throughout the entire publication cycle.

Editorial Manager · Play Attitude · 2012–2017

  • Direction of illustrated collections and coordination of editorial projects.
  • Print supervision and collaboration with authors and illustrators.

Designer · Play Creatividad advertising agency · 2004–2012

  • Graphic design, POS materials, packaging, communication and advertising campaigns.

    Editorial Training

    University Education

    • Graphic and Industrial Design · Universidad Católica de Chile (1997–2002)
    • Postgraduate in Communication Strategies · Elisava, Barcelona

    Ongoing training in editing, art direction, editorial marketing and digital tools.

      Skills

      • Design & layout: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat
      • Art direction & coordination: collection management, suppliers and authors
      • Collaborative tools: Trello, Google Drive, Dropbox, Canva
      • Languages: Spanish and Catalan (fluent) · English (Happy to work remotely via email)
      • Writing & content: creation and adaptation of texts for editorial and non-fiction projects
      • Web & digital: experience with Mailchimp and WordPress