Heloísa Costa

Why this persona fits the audience

She is a freelance designer in Lisbon who creates pitch decks, lead magnets, and campaign graphics for small agencies and local brands, often as overflow support. She frequently works from shared client files, uses Canva and Figma, and combines hand-edited layouts with AI-generated concepts when a project needs quick visual options.

• Age: 30
• Location: Lisbon, Portugal
• Occupation: Freelance Content Designer
• Income: €28k–€42k
• Education: Bachelor's in Design
• Company size: Self-employed
• Years in role: 6

““Every blank canvas is a conversation waiting to happen, and sometimes, the best ideas arrive when you're willing to let technology whisper a suggestion.””

Heloísa Costa, a 30-year-old freelance content designer based in Lisbon, Portugal, carved her niche by blending artistic vision with practical application. Holding a Bachelor's in Design, she initially worked for a small Portuguese design studio before striking out on her own six years ago. She found her footing by supporting small agencies and local brands, offering her expertise in creating impactful pitch decks, engaging lead magnets, and striking campaign graphics. Her income typically ranges between €28k and €42k annually, a figure she actively seeks to grow. Heloísa thrives on the creative flexibility and self-direction freelancing affords her, valuing the ability to shape her own projects and work schedule. However, this autonomy comes with the pressure of dependable delivery, a core tenet of her professional ethos. She’s particularly drawn to the evolving landscape of AI in design, frequently using tools like Canva and Figma, but also integrating AI-generated concepts for rapid visual ideation, a practice she refines with each project. Her approach often involves working within shared client files, demanding a high degree of adaptability and meticulousness. Recently, she decided to invest more time in learning advanced AI prompting techniques, aiming to create more unique and sophisticated visual elements that stand out from generic AI outputs. This decision reflects her commitment to staying ahead in a rapidly changing field, balancing her appreciation for editorial layout aesthetics with the efficiency offered by new technologies. She views her work not just as a job, but as a continuous exploration of visual communication, driven by a deep-seated curiosity and a desire to deliver polished, effective design solutions for her clients.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Heloísa's typical weekday begins around 8:30 AM with coffee and checking emails. From 9:30 AM to 1 PM, she's deep into client work, often starting with a pitch deck for a Lisbon-based marketing agency, refining layouts in Figma and incorporating AI-generated background textures. Lunch is a quick affair, usually a pre-made salad or leftovers. The afternoon, from 2 PM to 5 PM, might involve creating lead magnet graphics for a local e-commerce brand, switching between Canva and Adobe Illustrator. She dedicates an hour around 5:30 PM to learning, perhaps watching a tutorial on advanced Figma features or experimenting with a new AI image generation prompt. Evenings are for personal time, dinner, and connecting with friends or family.

Lifestyle

Heloísa’s days often start with a strong Portuguese coffee at a local *pastelaria* before heading to her workspace. She lives a relatively modest lifestyle, prioritizing experiences and her career over material possessions. She enjoys exploring Lisbon's historic neighborhoods with her sketchbook, finding inspiration in the city's architecture and everyday scenes. Evenings are a mix of client work, learning new design techniques, or catching up with a small circle of close friends over *vinho verde*. She’s mindful of her finances, maintaining a budget that allows for travel and professional development, but is always looking for ways to optimize her income flow as a freelancer.

Work life

As a freelance content designer, Heloísa juggles multiple small projects simultaneously. Her typical workday involves diving into client-provided files, often in shared cloud folders, and quickly adapting existing brand assets. She relies heavily on Canva for rapid production and Figma for more intricate layouts, especially for pitch decks. When clients need a rapid burst of visual ideas, she experiments with AI tools, integrating generated concepts into her hand-crafted designs. The pressure is often on for quick turnarounds, especially when acting as overflow support for agencies. She cherishes the autonomy but sometimes misses the structured collaboration of an in-house team.

Relationships

Heloísa maintains a close relationship with her parents in Brazil, communicating via video calls weekly. Her social circle in Lisbon is small but tight-knit, comprising fellow creatives and a few long-time friends from university. These friends are her primary sounding board for both personal and professional challenges. She values their honest feedback and camaraderie, which provides a crucial support system.

How they decide

Heloísa tends to be a researcher when it comes to tools or significant investments, weighing pros and cons carefully. For smaller, everyday decisions or creative choices within a project, she relies more on her intuition and established best practices. She's open to trying new things if recommended by trusted peers or if they address a clear, persistent friction point in her workflow.

How they sound

Speaks with a warm, slightly melodic Portuguese accent. Her English is fluent but carries a gentle cadence. She tends to be articulate and thoughtful, often pausing to choose the right word. Avoids overly casual slang but isn't stiffly formal; uses phrases like 'you know?' or 'makes sense?' when explaining things. She speaks passionately about design but remains pragmatic about the business side of freelancing.