"A true work of art speaks immediately to the expectator. The expectator should respond immediately to the work of art."
- Vasily Kandinsky
About Marco Ruiz
Graduated from the University of Tulsa with a BFS in Commercial Design. In 1988 he was among 15 graphic designers selected from all over the United States by Nigel Holmes (TIME magazine) to participate on the prestigious Info-graphics Workshop at the Rhode Island School of Design. Later became a news designer for The Dallas Morning News, and was part of a team that won the 1990 Polk award for reporting on drug trafficking along the Texas border. In 1996, he was hired by Apple Daily in Hong Kong to help in the re-design of the graphics department when Apple Daily was trying to be the Number one newspaper that city (which it accomplish). The same year he became Creative Director and Vice-President for Litigation Graphix a company dedicated to provide visual support for Law Firms.
Ruiz did the informational graphics for the Premium Sales case, on of the largest Ponzi schemes in Florida history, also handled all the Info-graphics for the case against the Government of Cuba, for the downing of the brothers to the rescue plane. Marco Ruiz has worked as Graphic Editor and illustrator for the Miami Herald for over 20 years and is currently the Art Director at IONNOW.com.
His designs and illustrations have received awards from the Dallas Press Club, Oklahoma Collegiate Press Association, Art Directors Club, Sunshine State Awards, Columbia University's Let's Do it Right, the Society of News Design and Harvard's Worth Bingham Prize among others.
His work with a team of the Dallas Morning News earned him the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. And in 2021 he also participated with the Miami Herald team in the investigation of the Surfside collapse that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News.
Recommendations
I had the pleasure to work with Marco the visual journalist and Marco the artist. And he excelled at both roles in one place, The Miami Herald, as a great designer of informative charts and maps, and as a creative and inspiring illustrator. In his diagrams, he always found ways to organize information clearly, without superfluous details. In his illustrations, he displayed the power of color, dynamism and, most distinctly, humor. He knows his tools - all the latest techniques and software programs. He is a consistent professional and a great asset for anyone with an interest in harnessing the impact of visual information.
Elias E. Lopez
Senior Editor, Global Opinions at The Washington Post
Former Editorial Director, founding member, The New York Times en Español
Marco is a joy to work with. He's a fantastically talented artist. At the Miami Herald, he consistently produced art that was creative and delivered a clear message. And he always had room for humor. He's known for photoshopping himself into, well... just about everything. He's an absolute talent -- and was my favorite person in the newsroom art department.
Jose Pagliery
Investigative reporter at CNN
I have worked with many print designers through out my career. As a web based designer working with a print designer it can be a challenge sometimes.
Marco and I have worked together on a few projects. Marco was extremely professional and understands both mediums very well. He prepared graphics for print and the web without problem. He was very easy to communicate with and above all he is an amazing designer. The best in the business. He has plenty of experience and knowledge and it shows the minute you interact with him. I would recommend Marco for any company or project in full confidence.
Shawn Greene
Art Director at National Geographic
From print to online, Marco has a diverse range of work including many multimedia graphics. His interactives on Doral golf tournament, Fidel Castro Timeline and Memorable moments of Overtown, Miami were among some of the best interactive Marco produced for The Miami Herald. Marco is also an excellent cartographer as he produced numerous infographic maps for The Miami Herald.
Technically, Marco is quick and versatile with Illustrator and Photoshop. He has solid understanding of online design.
Marco is also very customer-centric. He knows when to lead and when to be part of a team. He is always patient with reporters and editors. As a result, Marco enjoys the respect of everyone he comes into contact with. I was proud to work with Marco during my time at The Miami Herald.
Paul Cheung
Director of Visual Journalism NBC News
The reporters and editors on the Business Staff had the pleasure of working often with Marco on numerous business graphics, as he specialized in turning often complex data into readable, attractive displays. He understood how to work with information, and he worked extremely diligently to make sure all the details were right. I always knew my staff's stories were in good hands with Marco.
Lisa Gibbs
Director of News Partnerships at The Associated Press
Marco and I worked closely together for eight years at the Miami Herald, where he was the graphics editor and I was the data visualization editor. Marco's expertise in cartography, infographics, photoshop, graphic design, illustration and photography are a winning combination. He is a Pulitzer winner, and his positive attitude and ability to communicate with reporters to tease out the "punchline" of a story (as he describes it) elevate every project he works on. Marco is cool under pressure and an absolute pleasure to work with. As a reliable, fast-learning professional, he would be an asset to any creative team.
Kara Dapena
Graphic Editor at The Wall Street Journal
Having worked with Marco on several documentaries I had the opportunity to witness how hard he works and what a great asset he was to our production team. Marco lend his creativity and enhanced our product to be one that won a Telly Award.
Daniel Godoy
Executive Producer at Univision Networks
Working with Marco is nothing but great joy, plain and simple. Marco is an artist that really cares about his work and how that relates to his clients, apart that he is immensely talented. With Rustless he has become an indispensable tool with our branding efforts both nationally and internationally as the company moves forward. Marco has helped brand our product and company with logical , consistent spot on results and much passion making both our extended peripherals be as strong as the core brand.
Cleber J. Lopes
CEO/Partner at Rustless International
I worked with Marco often while I was at The Dallas Morning News. He is a terrific designer and a great person to boot. Highly recommended.
John Banks
ESPN.com senior director/SWAT
Marco is not only one of the nicest people with whom I've ever worked, but also one of the most talented graphic artists I've ever met .Always willing to help, I've learned a lot by working side by side with him on several projects, and would do so again in a heartbeat!
Danny Paskin
Associate Professor at California State University