Gabriel Lavelle
GABRIEL LAVELLE
I like to make cool stuff that people love. With a background in music education and nearly a decade of experience in creative operations, I’m well-versed in establishing the structure and clarity that let creative people do their best work. I’ve worn many hats over the last 10 years, starting out as a drum set teacher after college, to eventually managing program operations at a music school here in Pittsburgh. This portfolio is a collection of the physical and digital design work I’ve had the opportunity to personally build along the way.
Designs & Products
Sunburst School of Music | 2025–2026
KLVN COFFEE LAB COLLAB
The Brief
Partnered with local roaster KLVN Coffee Lab to release a collaborative coffee blend in time for the 2025 Winter Recitals, the school's biggest fundraising event of the year. The goal was to offer a premium, community-focused merchandise option to drive donations for the Sunburst Scholarship Fund, which allows students to take music lessons at a reduced cost or for free
The Process
Managed the hands-on production and product curation: designed the vector artwork in Illustrator, transferred it to a carving block to hand-carve the stamp, and personally hand-stamped every coffee bag. Coordinated with KLVN to secure inventory and met with their roaster, Inna Kim, who roasted a blend that our team loved.
The Deliverable
A design collaboration that contributed to a total of $1,500 raised during the December 2025 Winter Recitals
Apparel
The Brief
Designed a custom branded t-shirt in time for the 2025 Winter Recitals, the school's biggest fundraising event of the year. The goal was to give the community something fun to wear that would help drive donations for the Sunburst Scholarship Fund.
The Process
Managed the end-to-end production pipeline: created the design layouts in Adobe Illustrator, set the production budget, and coordinated directly with a local print shop.
The Deliverable
Launched a successful design that contributed to a total of $3000 raised between December of 2025 and June 2026.
Stickers
The Brief
I designed two branded stickers in response to student demand, as well as the school's need for more fun, cost-effective brand touchpoints.
The Process
Designed and prepped the final vector artwork for print using Adobe Illustrator, selected matte and holographic finishes for the custom die-cut designs, and coordinated directly with a local print shop for production.
The Deliverable
Launched two popular sticker designs that met student demand and expanded the school's merchandise options, with all proceeds helping raise money for the Sunburst Scholarship Fund.