Influential Woman · Graphic Design
Michelle Villadolid
Senior Graphic Designer, Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc.
Chicago, IL 60647
Her Story
About Michelle
Michelle Villadolid is an accomplished Senior Graphic Designer with 24 years of experience in graphic design, visual communications, and creative direction. She currently works in a corporate environment, where she collaborates closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to develop high-impact visual communications. Her responsibilities include creating board materials, designing investor relations presentations with interactive components unique to her industry, and producing the company’s annual report, proxy statement, and TrailBlazer Magazine. Under her creative direction, TrailBlazer Magazine was recognized as an award-winning publication after winning a highly competitive design competition with more than 4,000 entries.
Earlier in her career, Michelle spent 14 years with a B2B publishing company overseeing the creative direction and design of four industry magazines. As an Art Director, she developed editorial layouts, directed visual concepts, collaborated with editors and marketing teams, and managed photography and production to deliver polished, engaging publications. Her broad experience across editorial, corporate, investor relations, branding, and digital design has enabled her to approach every project with a balance of creativity, strategy, and attention to detail. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design from Columbia College Chicago and continues to expand her expertise through professional development, including LinkedIn Learning certificates covering emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.
Michelle attributes her success to maintaining a positive outlook, embracing change, and being receptive to constructive criticism. She believes that feedback is an opportunity to grow and improve rather than something to take personally, particularly in a creative field where perspectives and preferences can vary. Her advice to young women entering the graphic design industry is to remain open-minded, persistent, and committed to their craft. While the path may not always be easy, she believes that those who genuinely love what they do should stay the course, give themselves time to grow, and remain confident that persistence can lead to meaningful and rewarding opportunities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to maintaining a positive mindset, embracing change, and being open to constructive criticism. In design, not everyone will connect with or appreciate your work, but I believe it is important to view feedback as an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve rather than take it personally. Being receptive to criticism, adaptable, and committed to continuous growth has been essential to my longevity and success in this field.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the graphic design industry is to stay committed and not be discouraged by the challenges along the way. When I graduated, the market was highly saturated with graphic designers, and only a small number of graduates were able to secure positions. I believe being open-minded, adaptable, and willing to persevere can make a significant difference. If design is something you truly love, give yourself time to build your skills and find your path. It may not always be easy, but staying persistent and passionate can ultimately create meaningful opportunities and lead to a rewarding career.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.