Six years of creativity, curiosity and GenAI

The rhythm of a normal day

Diana's mornings start simply with coffee, Microsoft Teams, her calendar and catching up on whatever happened while another time zone was awake. From there, she sets her priorities before opening a single creative tool. No two days look alike after that.

"A combination of making, researching, talking and figuring things out" is how she describes it. Designing one moment, researching references the next, reviewing feedback or testing an AI workflow in between. Her favorite part isn't the finished piece, it's the moment just before it exists.

I love researching, finding connections, and reaching that "ohhh, this could work" 
moment. Making something beautiful is satisfying, but discovering an idea that 
feels right for what we're trying to communicate is my favorite part.
— Diana Chavez

Productivity, for her, comes from balance. Conversations paired with creative time, structured just enough to leave room for experimentation. And when the day winds down, she makes sure to leave things tidy, with next steps written out, so tomorrow's version of herself isn't left piecing things together.

What actually makes a good Art Director

When asked what matters most in her role, the answer isn't tool fluency. It's judgment. That distinction matters even more in the age of AI, she says that generating options is easy, knowing which ones are actually right for the brand is the real skill.

Visual judgment and curiosity are priorities. Understanding why something works matters more than simply liking it.

— Diana Chavez

She also points out that it's a widely misunderstood job. People see the polished final piece, not the thinking behind it.

"Design can also reveal what isn't working on an idea"she explains.

The job isn't just to make things look good. The job it's to shape concepts, simplify messages and uncover better solutions along the way.

Six years of learning at Valtech

If there's a common thread in Diana's path to Art Director, it's that she didn't plan it, she followed curiosity and let unexpected opportunities expand what she does. Her advice to anyone starting out is to build strong design fundamentals, stay curious and welcome experimentation and feedback, while learning to explain why a decision was made, not just how it was executed. The biggest thing she's learned at Valtech is how much creative work hinges on communication, especially across teams and regions that don't always start from the same context. Being experienced doesn't mean having nothing left to learn. Her graphic design background still anchors everything she does, from composition and color to hierarchy, even as GenAI reshapes the tools around it.

Consulting, growth and what comes next

What makes consultancy work distinct, in Diana's view, is the constant reset: every client brings a different industry, audience and vocabulary to learn. You have to be fast enough to ask useful questions, but with enough humility not to assume the answers.

Her advice to future colleagues and clients alike comes down to the same idea: be curious beyond your job description, and for clients, give us the problem, not only the deliverable. That same openness has shaped her own next steps. After nearly six years at Valtech, Diana joined the Elevate at Valtech cohort to be more intentional about what she learns next, inspired in part by how much her mentorship with Mateus Chepp, Studios Director, had already shifted her thinking. The program's goal is to nurture the talent Valtech already has among underrepresented colleagues and help them grow into future leaders, with progress tracked through the protégés' own sense of growing confidence and their ability to share ideas with peers and leadership. Because Valtech is a global company spanning over 20 countries, "underrepresented" is defined per location, recognizing that diversity looks different around the world.

In Elevate, each protégé is paired with a sponsor who sits within their vertical, expertise or shares a similar career background. The relationship runs for 12 months and centers on constructive feedback, advocacy in rooms the protégé isn't yet in and access to the sponsor's network. A two-way relationship, with learning on both sides. Protégés also join key learning sessions on topics like finding your network in a remote company, personal branding, public speaking and sharing ideas with leadership. As part of the program, Diana is paired with David DeCheser, Valtech's Global Chief Creative Officer.

"The goal isn't simply a new title, it's building the skills and experience to take on greater responsibility."

Her next chapter isn't about stepping away from the craft, it's about stepping further into the conversations that shape it before execution even begins.

"If I make an idea clearer, offer a new perspective or create a process that helps someone work better, I feel like I've made an impact."