Finding joy in everything I do
I'm
Emmanuel
Cantón
Finding joy in everything I do
I'm
Emmanuel
Cantón
Where the challenges are, That is where I go.
Growing up in Cuba, I was constantly reminded to prepare for a future I wasn’t sure I belonged in. I was told to study, to improve, to always get ready; but rarely to enjoy or to believe I was already enough.
Co-founding the brand agency Perspectiva, pushed me to think past aesthetics and build experiences with real impact. Later, teaching design at university, I discovered the joy of helping students find creative confidence, even while I was still building my own.
The real turning point came when I joined Superside. In less than 3 years, I earned 4 consecutive promotions, rising to Global Creative Design Lead in AI. I learned how to lead teams for some of the world’s most innovative brands and discovered that most limits are imagined, not real.
I grew up in Cuba, being told to prepare for a future I wasn't sure I belonged in: study, improve, get ready. Rarely was I told to enjoy the process, or to believe I was already enough.
That mindset followed me into my career.
Co-founding Perspectiva, pushed me to think past aesthetics and build experiences with real impact. Later, teaching design at university, I discovered the joy of helping students find creative confidence, even while I was still building my own.
Joining Superside changed things. I arrived with doubts about my skills, my English, my background. Instead of letting the fear decide, I used it as fuel, and learned that most limits are imagined, not real.
Main Work
Experience
AI Creative Lead, AI Mentor
Superside
2022 - Present
At Superside, I supported global brands like Webflow, BCG, and Twilio with design assets creation. I collaborated with the Craft, Productivity, and Learning teams to propose initiatives to improve our design process. As an AI mentor, I guided Creative Leads and Designers in integrating AI tools into their daily work, led interactive sessions, reviewed output, and co-developed a simplified training program that boosted both creativity and efficiency across the team.
AI Creative Lead, AI Mentor
Superside
2022 - Present
At Superside, I supported global brands like Webflow, BCG, and Twilio with design assets creation. I collaborated with the Craft, Productivity, and Learning teams to propose initiatives to improve our design process. As an AI mentor, I guided Creative Leads and Designers in integrating AI tools into their daily work, led interactive sessions, reviewed output, and co-developed a simplified training program that boosted both creativity and efficiency across the team.
Creative Director
Freelance
2020 – Present
As a freelance Creative Director, I partnered with businesses to develop strategic visual identities and cohesive brand systems that aligned with their goals. I led creative direction across branding projects, oversaw the design of websites, social media assets, and marketing materials, and ensured visual consistency from concept to execution. I also collaborated closely with founders and marketing teams, provided guidance to other creatives, and used AI tools to enhance workflows and produce high-quality visuals efficiently.
Creative Director
Freelance
2020 – Present
As a freelance Creative Director, I partnered with businesses to develop strategic visual identities and cohesive brand systems that aligned with their goals. I led creative direction across branding projects, oversaw the design of websites, social media assets, and marketing materials, and ensured visual consistency from concept to execution. I also collaborated closely with founders and marketing teams, provided guidance to other creatives, and used AI tools to enhance workflows and produce high-quality visuals efficiently.
Co-Founder / Creative Director
Perspectiva
2017 – 2022
At Perspectiva, a brand consulting firm focused on improving public perception and internal coherence, I worked as a Creative Director, guiding interdisciplinary teams to deliver strategic design solutions for Cuban and international clients. I led branding, signage, and spatial design projects, transforming client briefs into clear visual strategies and supervising their execution across design, communication, and psychology teams. Key responsibilities included overseeing the remodeling of office spaces for TaxisCuba, coordinating a complete rebrand for Radio Reloj—including diagnosis, manuals, and implementation—and presenting our decisions and outcomes directly to clients. I also managed client relationships, negotiated budgets, and ensured that every solution aligned with both the client's goals and Perspectiva’s high standards of quality and clarity.
Co-Founder / Creative Director
Perspectiva
2017 – 2022
At Perspectiva, a brand consulting firm focused on improving public perception and internal coherence, I worked as a Creative Director, guiding interdisciplinary teams to deliver strategic design solutions for Cuban and international clients. I led branding, signage, and spatial design projects, transforming client briefs into clear visual strategies and supervising their execution across design, communication, and psychology teams. Key responsibilities included overseeing the remodeling of office spaces for TaxisCuba, coordinating a complete rebrand for Radio Reloj—including diagnosis, manuals, and implementation—and presenting our decisions and outcomes directly to clients. I also managed client relationships, negotiated budgets, and ensured that every solution aligned with both the client's goals and Perspectiva’s high standards of quality and clarity.
Teacher and Creative Lead
ISDI (Design Faculty at University)
2018 - 2021
At ISDi (Higher Institute of Design), I held multiple roles over several years, including Creative Designer, Communication Department Lead, and Graphic Design Professor. I directed the design and conceptualization of the 35th Anniversary Campaign of the institute, led communication strategies, and taught courses on Advertising and Audiovisual. My responsibilities included mentoring students, supervising thesis projects, and collaborating on international academic partnerships, such as the Emotional Design Workshop with SUNY New Paltz.
Teacher and Creative Lead
ISDI (Design Faculty at University)
2018 - 2021
At ISDi (Higher Institute of Design), I held multiple roles over several years, including Creative Designer, Communication Department Lead, and Graphic Design Professor. I directed the design and conceptualization of the 35th Anniversary Campaign of the institute, led communication strategies, and taught courses on Advertising and Audiovisual. My responsibilities included mentoring students, supervising thesis projects, and collaborating on international academic partnerships, such as the Emotional Design Workshop with SUNY New Paltz.
I love sharing what I learn. Whether it's about AI, creativity, or growing in this industry, speaking at conferences is one of my favorite ways to connect with people. There's something about the energy of a live audience that I enjoy so much.
Conference Speaker
University Teacher
Dancing Lover
Pleasure Traveler
From prompts to direction
Conference Speaker
The first breakthrough was treating AI less like a vending machine and more like a collaborator that needs taste, constraints, and a point of view before it can produce something useful.
Conference Speaker
The first breakthrough was treating AI less like a vending machine and more like a collaborator that needs taste, constraints, and a point of view before it can produce something useful.
Building a repeatable visual system
University Teacher
Once the process became systematic, every output improved: mood, framing, references, post-production, and iteration all started working together instead of fighting each other.
University Teacher
Once the process became systematic, every output improved: mood, framing, references, post-production, and iteration all started working together instead of fighting each other.
Editing until the image has intent
Dancing Lover
The strongest images came after the first generation: choosing, cropping, correcting, and pushing details until the result felt authored instead of randomly generated.
Dancing Lover
The strongest images came after the first generation: choosing, cropping, correcting, and pushing details until the result felt authored instead of randomly generated.
Teaching the workflow clearly
Pleasure Traveler
The course distills the messy experimentation into a practical sequence so non-designers can understand what to ask for, what to reject, and how to keep improving the result.
Pleasure Traveler
The course distills the messy experimentation into a practical sequence so non-designers can understand what to ask for, what to reject, and how to keep improving the result.
Amadys Morera
Head of growth and design
Working with Emmanuel brought clarity and direction to Scalater’s brand evolution. We had reached a point where the company had grown, but the brand no longer reflected that progress. Emmanuel led the process of redefining our visual direction, including the use of AI to create high-quality, professional imagery, as well as refining the logo and overall brand system. His structured approach made it easy to make decisions and move forward with confidence. As a result, Scalater now presents itself in a way that matches the quality of our services—clear, professional, and aligned with our growth.
Amadys Morera
Head of growth and design
Working with Emmanuel brought clarity and direction to Scalater’s brand evolution. We had reached a point where the company had grown, but the brand no longer reflected that progress. Emmanuel led the process of redefining our visual direction, including the use of AI to create high-quality, professional imagery, as well as refining the logo and overall brand system. His structured approach made it easy to make decisions and move forward with confidence. As a result, Scalater now presents itself in a way that matches the quality of our services—clear, professional, and aligned with our growth.
Wendy Bogers
Founder Ligo
Emmanuel is a talented designer with a creative mind. He worked mostly with our marketing team, but also assisted the product team. Quality is important to him and he is very reliable. Besides the fact that he is just a really great guy, it was a pleasure to be working with him.
Wendy Bogers
Founder Ligo
Emmanuel is a talented designer with a creative mind. He worked mostly with our marketing team, but also assisted the product team. Quality is important to him and he is very reliable. Besides the fact that he is just a really great guy, it was a pleasure to be working with him.
Suam Barrantes
Sales & Communication Trainer
I’ve worked with Emmanuel, and he was able to perfectly capture my ideas and turn them into creative work by combining AI with outstanding results. He is also open-minded, easy to understand, and great to work with. He is now one of my trusted providers.
Suam Barrantes
Sales & Communication Trainer
I’ve worked with Emmanuel, and he was able to perfectly capture my ideas and turn them into creative work by combining AI with outstanding results. He is also open-minded, easy to understand, and great to work with. He is now one of my trusted providers.
Amadys Morera
Head of growth and design
Working with Emmanuel brought clarity and direction to Scalater’s brand evolution. We had reached a point where the company had grown, but the brand no longer reflected that progress. Emmanuel led the process of redefining our visual direction, including the use of AI to create high-quality, professional imagery, as well as refining the logo and overall brand system. His structured approach made it easy to make decisions and move forward with confidence. As a result, Scalater now presents itself in a way that matches the quality of our services—clear, professional, and aligned with our growth.
Wendy Bogers
Founder Ligo
Emmanuel is a talented designer with a creative mind. He worked mostly with our marketing team, but also assisted the product team. Quality is important to him and he is very reliable. Besides the fact that he is just a really great guy, it was a pleasure to be working with him.
Suam Barrantes
Sales & Communication Trainer
I’ve worked with Emmanuel, and he was able to perfectly capture my ideas and turn them into creative work by combining AI with outstanding results. He is also open-minded, easy to understand, and great to work with. He is now one of my trusted providers.
