Hi. Shalom. My name is Arielle Shekel.

I was born in New York 26 years ago, and have been living in Tel Aviv, Israel since the age of 5. 

Art and design have been an inseparable and essential part of my life from the moment I was born. Being the third generation of designers in my family, I have been doodling, drawing, aligning, choosing Pantones, cutting, gluing, critiquing and being critiqued ever since I can remember. I attended special schools of the arts from elementary through high school.

Upon turning 18, I joined the Israeli Defence Forces and served in an elite combat unit as a camouflage painter. After completing my mandatory two year military service, I studied Visual Communications at The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem. I graduated cum laude in 2012 and won several prestigious awards for my work.

Since completing university I have been working as a designer - focusing on branding and visual identity, participating in design processes from the strategy development phase throughout the creative presentations and final implementation.  

I believe in design and I believe that designers play a major role in shaping tomorrow. Living, studying and working in Israel, a dichotomous nation, has influenced me deeply. Israel is on one hand constantly in conflict, which has convinced me that designers must be aware of their surroundings, react and have an opinion. On the other hand, Israel has become a “start-up nation”, constantly bursting with new ideas, companies and technology. Experiencing this energy and working with several start-up companies, I have become addicted to the multifaceted problem-solving and design thinking required to meet their challenges. The projects have been diverse, and have included websites, mobile apps, games, products, and even co-founding an art space.

Growing up in a home with a designer mother and entrepreneur father, has given me a lot as an individual. Watching my parents collaborate over the years, has made it clear to me that design isn’t merely about “looking good”. It has cardinal influence on the product and its success. Working with many start-ups, I feel this unique background, has given me an advantage as a designer and the ability to see the “full-picture” and to “think big”. 

"Brand New Awards" 2013 International branding competition, Student Category

Bezalel Academy's Sandberg Prize 2012 The prize is awarded for extraordinary achievements as presented in a personal exhibition by graduates of the department’s fourth-year students.

Bezalel Academy's Annual Prize for Israeli Design in Honor of Shmuel Schestowitz 2012 The prize is awarded for extraordinary achievements and innovation in Israeli design.