ABOUT
Hello there! I'm Emma. Thank you for stopping by!
I'm an industrial designer and business owner from Long Beach, CA. I have an obsession with making a good system better, whether it be a messy room, spreadsheet, to a business or a new product. Ever since I was a kid, I was always working to make my world fit my brain, and that instinct has followed me into my professional work.
I have a deep passion for accessibility, education, and compassionate design. I consider myself a meliorist - someone who believes the world can be made better with human effort. In fact, I believe so deeply in it, I named my business (MeliCo) after it. I really do believe in the power of good design, not just because it can be crazy cool, but because I know how life changing it can be.
Areas of Interest:
I have a special love for packaging, display and exhibition, event, and consumer good design. Why? Because creating an experience that makes people feel seen, understood, and joyful is why I am here. Now, I've always said, if I'm doing projects for a living I will be a happy camper, and I say that as an already very happy camper. So don't let my list of loves make you think I will shy away from an unfamiliar challenge. :)
OUTSIDE OF DESIGN...
If you want to know anything about me, I always put pieces of me into the projects I work on. However, an introduction would not be complete without some ice breakers, so here we go, speed round:
1. I LOVE podcasts. There is nothing I love more than hearing stories or learning something while driving, cleaning, working. If I have my AirPods in, I have a podcast playing 80% of the time. My current favorites are Dear Hank & John, Humans, and Prologues.
2. I am a very proud rat aunt. Yes, rats. My sister adopted six baby rats a year or so ago and I have fallen in love with them - their curiosity, their empathy, their brilliance. Anytime you need a pick-me-up, I've got endless cute pictures!
3. My favorite book is Looking for Alaska by John Green. In fact, I love it so much I wrote about it. (I love to write!) John Green, and his brother Hank, are humans I believe exemplify the power of using your platform with purpose. Their work shapes my belief that good design and business values MATTER, especially within education.
Let's get in touch.
I'd love to hear from you! If you'd like to chat about design, potential projects, or professional opportunities, please feel free to reach out.
Email: emmasromo@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/emmaromo
AI is here to stay.
Here is my approach.
Within my projects, I will use AI for minimal research, rephrasing, generating user experience images and adding realistic materials and scenes. All modeling, CMF application, graphic design, branding, and the original concept development is always entirely my own. Any research that originated from AI has been fact checked. As a designer, I believe it is instrumental that I continue to learn the fundamental skills of design in order to best leverage AI. I don’t use AI if I cannot control it. All stylistic decisions are always my own.