Merkelbach-Design

Graphic Design ⸺ Animation ⸺ 3D Design ⸺ UX/ UI Design

Welcome to my portfolio!

About
Works
Process
Skills
Timeline
Contact

About me ⸺

Hey I am Felix a 25-year-old graphic designer who loves turning ideas into eye-catching designs.
After three years of graphic design education, I've found my strengths in visual storytelling and branding. I'm currently expanding my horizons by studying abroad in Spain for a year, working on my English and starting fresh with Spanish.I believe good design can move people and bring them together. I'd love to work with you to create designs that really connect with your audience. I'm ready to bring fresh ideas and creativity to your projects.I'm eager to bring creativity and innovation to your projects.

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Selected Works ⸺

Check out some of my stuff Throughout my portfolio, you can see my graphic design skills from both school projects and real client work. I focus on quality results and enjoy taking on new challenges.Take a look around, and if you like what you see, let's connect! I'd love to work together and create something special.

⸺ Showreel MDA 24-25 ⸺

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⸺ Elysian Ruins ⸺

Game Design At the time, this project was the most content-intensive work I had ever undertaken. My original idea was to create a trailer for a video game that I would concept from the ground up. However, I realized that wouldn’t be enough for the project, so I expanded my vision to include everything from the graphics and brand to the game design itself (there is no actual game). I am incredibly proud of what I created:The game is a pixel art 2.5D linear RPG adventure that follows the classic “Hero’s Journey” storyline.Four sacred crystals, Earth, Light, Wind, and Fire, have maintained harmony in Elysium for centuries, blessing the elves of Sylvahaven, humans of Tideholm, scholarly giants of Mistpeak, and dwarves of Kagetora.But now the crystals are fading, and the Void approaches. As the Resonant, you have a unique ability to connect with the dying crystals. Joined by scholar Lyra, soldier Kaiden, and nature-speaker Elara, you will journey across a fracturing world to restore balance.You will navigate tensions between warring nations, master elemental powers to battle corrupted creatures, and uncover the truth behind the Void. From lush forests to floating islands and volcanic forges to the neutral trading hub of Solus Bazaar, your choices will determine whether ancient enemies can unite against extinction.Your resonance is Elysium’s last hope.

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⸺ Tetramax - Typeface ⸺

Typeface The creation of this font happened by chance.While working on another project using a Tetris-like style, I had an idea to turn the block shapes into letters. After some adjustments, I realized it could work well as a complete font.This inspired me to develop it into a full typeface using Adobe Illustrator and FontLab 8.

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⸺ Valentine's Strawberry Chocolate ⸺

Motion Design This project was part of a series of creative works.My goal was to develop a 30 second TV commercial for a new chocolate bar launching just before Valentine's Day. To create this, I used several design tools like After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Procreate, and Adobe Illustrator.

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⸺ Guardian Culture ⸺

Pixel/ Mosaic Art This project was part of a series of creative works.With this project, I wanted to explore something playful by creating pixel art, which I later adapted into a mosaic style as well.What started as a simple pixel art of a torii gate evolved when I felt inspired to add more. I challenged myself to create a dragon to complement the gate.I created this using a combination of Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

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⸺ Mars Mission ⸺

One-Way-Trip This project was part of a series of creative works.
This project stands as a personal favorite since I believe the visual style and atmosphere fit perfectly with its theme.Set in 2030, the concept explores a future where human life expectancy has reached 100 years, leading to overcrowding and resource depletion. The piece focuses on a Mars colonization recruitment campaign as humanity's solution.I created this using a combination of Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

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⸺ Water Filter Tablets ⸺

Packaging This project was part of a series of creative works.For this project, I focused on water filter tablets. I wanted to create something visually appealing while keeping a playful element.The work was primarily done using Adobe Illustrator and Blender.

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⸺ Nostalgia ⸺

Social Media Series This project was part of a series of creative works.For this project, I drew inspiration from my childhood memories. My first gaming console was a Game Boy, where I spent countless hours playing Pokemon Blue and Red.I wanted to create a nostalgic experience for others who share similar memories through an Instagram series called "Nostalgia Month." The concept involves a yearly event where each week showcases a different retro console, with daily posts highlighting that console's key moments. For this particular project, I focused on Nintendo.I created this using a Adobe Illustrator.

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⸺ Get Yourself an Education ⸺

UI / UX For this project, we were tasked to research three university master's programs in the creative field and create a survey based on our findings. Using the survey results, we developed creative infographics for each program.We then selected the program website that received the lowest ratings in our survey and redesigned both its home page and master's program page while maintaining the institution's visual identity. I chose to work on NYC Game Center's website.This project was completed using Google Surveys, InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Figma.

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⸺ Phantom Lines ⸺

Typeface At university, we were tasked with creating a font from scratch. I decided to explore the Art Deco style, using several existing fonts as reference points. For the design, I wanted to create something mysterious with thick and thin lines that make the font readable the closer you get. I gave it serifs on the tips to give it direction and a feel of flow.
After sketching different variations and developing a complete alphabet, in Procreate, I rebuilt the designs in Adobe Illustrator. I then used FontLab 8 to create the final font, paying careful attention to proper kerning.

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⸺ El1te Magazine ⸺

For the top 1 percent only During my fourth semester, I collaborated with a fellow student to create a luxury magazine titled "El1te Magazine" We wanted to showcase sophistication and refinement through both content and design, focusing on high-end lifestyle, style, and elegance.
Working together, we combined our creative skills to develop engaging articles and striking visuals that captured the essence of luxury living. The project allowed us to explore our shared interest in premium lifestyle content while pushing our creative boundaries.We made this layout and brand using InDesign and Photoshop.

⸺ Page overview

Disclaimer The content presented in this topic is for academic purposes only and reflects the individual work, research, and opinions of the author. All materials, including text, images, and projects, are the intellectual property of the respective author unless otherwise credited. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, this portfolio does not constitute professional advice or official endorsement. Any external references or third-party content used remain the property of their respective owners.For inquiries or permissions regarding the use of this content, please contact the author directly.

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⸺ Gruppe Deuteche Börse ⸺

Duty Report During my fifth semester, I completed a six-month internship at Deutsche Börse Group in Frankfurt. Working alongside their talented team, I contributed to projects for both DBG and their subsidiary companies, including Eurex and Clearstream.This experience taught me how to work with corporate branding guidelines and collaborate within a corporate team environment. A particular highlight was creating visuals for the Derivatives Forum 2022, which were displayed on large screens before thousands of attendees.

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⸺ Typography Calender 2022 ⸺

Typography During my fourth semester, I needed to design a typography calendar that would show off different fonts and keep a theme running through it.I went with a modern look and mixed in some tech-style fonts. To make each month more interesting, I changed up the colors as the calendar went along. I'm most proud of how July and August turned out.I made the whole thing using InDesign and Adobe Illustrator.

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⸺ Victorian Whisky ⸺

In the rugged landscapes of Norway During my fourth semester, I was assigned to design an alcoholic beverage. I chose whisky as it perfectly matched my creative vision.The design process began with finding inspiration, leading me to discover a series of illustrations which I adapted by adjusting colors to represent different flavor profiles. I framed these with Nordic-style borders, going with a Viking theme throughout. To improve the rugged aesthetic, I included weathered elements into the design.Using a mockup, I created a product lineup showcasing all flavors. To complete the brand identity, I designed a matching poster featuring stormy seas and developed a small product booklet.Ths project was created in Photoshop and Procreate.

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⸺ Poster Series ⸺

Many tales During my third semester, I developed a series of posters that tell different stories through visual design. Each poster captured its own unique narrative and characteristics, focusing on the power of storytelling through impactful visuals.
I created them using InDesign, adobe illustrator, and Photoshop.

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⸺ Misc. Collection ⸺

Miscellaneous Works Explore a variety of my graphic design projects that I couldn't make into their own site. From logos to posters.

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⸺ Process

Here's how I handle most every project, step by step.

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Research

1st I discuss my client's wishes. After I definitely need to dive deep into research. It's an absolute priority from the get-go.

Concept

2nd I'll work on coming up with a concept, and then I'll keep refining it as I go along with the project to make sure it meets the standards and fits what the client wants.

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Prototype

3rd I can take the improved idea and make a prototype out of it. This will let me test and show the ideas in a real way.

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Final Result

4th I team up with my client, we can work together to figure out the end product by exchanging ideas and incorporating feedback to ensure the final result meets their needs and expectations.

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Skills ⸺

Design/ Layout

Proficient in design and layout software, creating visually appealing graphics and compositions.

Adobe Cloud	.
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UI/ UX	.
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Art/ 3D/ Video/ Animation

Skilled in art, 3D modeling, video editing, and animation, bringing creative visions to life with precision.

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Office/ Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Experienced in Office software and AI tools, streamlining tasks and optimizing workflows for efficiency.

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Adobe

Adobe Cloud

Blender

Blender

Microsoft

Office 365

Canva

Affinity

Midjourney

Midjourney

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⸺ Timeline

Form

Academic background

Kreative Ganztags-Waldorfschule in Duisburg	August 2009 — July 2012
NEPS Neusser Privatschule	August 2013 — July 2017
Robert Schuman Gesamtschule	August 2017 — July 2019
KDA Kölner Design Akademie	October 2019 — September 2022
Marbella Design Academie	October 2024-

Professional experience

Gruppe Deutsche Börse	Full-time internship in the Media department.	February 2022 — August 2022
Amtag Technologies AG	Full-time in Sales and Customer Consulting.	Jan 2019 — September 2023
Skulio	UI /UX Designer & Graphic Designer.	May 2025 — July 2025

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⸺ Contact ⸺

Please fill out the form below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Your inquiries and feedback are important to me, and I look forward to assisting you.

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⸺ Thank You ⸺

Thank you for contacting me! I have received your message and will get back to you shortly. I look forward to assisting you further.Cheers, Felix Alexander Merkelbach