Batsheba “Bats” Castro Martinez They/Them

Curiosity killed the cat… or did it?

Curiousity gets a bad rep. I’ve always been very curious the world and it’s mediums, which led me to be a maker. Naturally, that turned into a love of all things design and art and I we nt to college for Graphic Design & Illustration. No one was surprised.

What was surprising was ending up in tech. A short at a Masters program in Industrial Design at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, Poland, ended in me discovering a love for solving UI/UX problems in 2019.

Nowadays, I am working with VML as a Senior Experience Designer helping guide strategic decisions and mentoring a budding team. By night, I’m either collaging, going to the dog park, or working on my next inclusive & community-oriented freelance project.

How my life principles guide the design process…

Stay Hungry,

I’m always hungry for more knowledge. Especially when it comes to learning the human-centered aspects of design and technology. Using the knowledge I gain, I aim to create work that is genuinely useful for the customer/audience.

Stay Engaged,

Being an active participant is always better. I always try to ask how I can help when I walk into a room. That carries into looking for ways to improve the impact of the brand on the audience.

Stay Humble.

As Mr. Kendrick Lamar would say, “Sit down, be humble.” One is never done learning and I am here for it. This serves to make me a better listener to the world offering up better options when searching for a project’s solution.

I Create designs that get to the heart of the audience.

Where I’ve collaborated

  • Clients: Thrivent, United Rentals, Qlik, and Spire.


    At VML, I led UI/UX design from concept to implementation across diverse client projects. Working closely with strategists and developers, I transformed complex business goals into intuitive, visually compelling experiences. I championed accessibility and user-centered design throughout, built scalable design systems, and regularly presented design decisions to stakeholders. My work spanned the full CX spectrum, from audience insights to experience design.

  • Clients: TransJoy KC, City of Kansas City, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Ripple Glass, Vivayic, VMLY&R.

    I have delivered assets across web, illustration, brand identity, and print for diverse clients. I apply inclusive designs principles to create accessible, audience-centered experiences.

  • At Rays the Valley, I cultivated a full brand experience encompassing company rebranding, website design, and social media marketing.

  • At Missouri State University's Editorial and Design Services, I worked as a Student Graphic Designer producing print and digital publications from concept to delivery. I collaborated within a team of writers, photographers, and clients to develop designs that met communication objectives while staying true to University brand standards. I gained hands-on experience in client presentations, photoshoots, desktop publishing, and file preparation, all while sharpening my design instincts in a real-world, deadline-driven environment.

  • Creating the branding and all promotional material associated with Cider Days 2018.