My name is Kathryn (but feel free to call me Kat!) Octaviano, a graphic designer and illustrator based in Austin, TX. I’m currently an honors student at St. Edward’s University double-majoring in graphic design and user experience design, along with a minor in art.
Growing up, my family hoped I’d pursue medicine - a path many in my family expected! However, I found myself drawn to creativity and storytelling through design. Choosing this path wasn’t easy, but it’s shaped how I approach my work: thoughtfully, personally, and with a focus on meaningful, human-centered design.
Much of my work features hand-drawn illustrations or expressive typography that captures a handmade, tactile quality. I’m drawn to projects that feel personal and emotionally resonant - whether I’m crafting a brand identity or creating a standalone visual piece.
I find inspiration in everyday experiences, relationships, and memories - those small moments that make life meaningful. When I’m not designing, you can usually find me doodling (and/or studying maybe) in a coffee shop, rewatching nostalgic anime, or watching with my partner playing indie games!
Artist Statement
Kathryn (Kat) Octaviano is a Filipina-American multidisciplinary designer and artist whose practice explores storytelling and identity through visual communication. Working primarily in graphic design and illustration, her work centers on identity-focused branding projects and illustration-based work. She is drawn to personal narratives shaped by memory and reflection, and to the ways visual work can hold and express these experiences.
This interest shapes how she approaches her process, which is iterative and exploratory. She begins with sketches, research, and reflection, allowing ideas to develop through experimentation across a range of mediums, including clay, ink, and painting. She particularly gravitates toward hand-drawn typography, tactile textures, and illustrative elements, using material and form to bring a sense of handmade care and presence into her work.