IRENE CASTELLANO is a designer, illustrator, and crybaby based out of Toronto, Ontario. ✨

She / her — Hi, hello, that’s me and thecastlerose is the digital cardboard box that holds my independent design + illustration practice. There’s also probably some dust bunnies in there, ignore them, they’re friendly.

I’ve been designing full-time for over 9 years and my bread n’ vegan butter is visual identity, branded marketing materials across print + digital, and anything involving illustration or typography. A couple years ago, I got back to my roots (see: making websites for my neopets) and fell back in love with web design, gravitating especially to e-commerce. I can adapt to different visual styles with ease, but my work is typically whimsical, bold, and precise — some people might call me nit-picky, but I prefer detail-orientated.

Currently, I split my time between freelance projects + the occasional bit of personal illustration. I regularly collab with my pals at Liminal States and The Freelance Squad (I drew that whole site!) and previously, I led all design + marketing initiatives for the University of Guelph’s Central Student Association, the undergrad student union which operates a whole bunch of services, campaigns, and events on campus.

I prioritize working with like-minded folks who give a heck about the world around us and are trying to make it a little brighter in their own way. My personal projects often focus on self-care, mental health, and supporting your communities.

When not playing with pixels + paint, I like every cat I’ve ever met, pretending I like the taste of coffee, staying up too late but still waking up for yoga, weird books with pretty covers, over-thinking my Letterboxd top four, and collecting scraps of paper that I may or may not find a use for one day.