Who I Am
My name is Benjamin Ruehl, and I have creative experience in logo and UI/UX design. Growing up in a loving and supportive family provided insight and advice on confidently navigating life, especially when things got in the way.
That said, I also come from a very creative household. My mother enjoyed drawing and painting art in her spare time, and my father worked as an architect. I have had a vivid imagination for as long as I can remember, as reality would make way for anything my mind would come up with. However, I wouldn’t have done so without the stories I was introduced to since I was a toddler. Elmo, Curious George, Little Einsteins, Star Wars, Treasure Planet, The Owl House, and Arcane have all been incremental to my creativity, providing a space for me to become immerse in another world.
How I Got here
Entering high school, I knew it was the time to explore my interests before attending the workforce. I attended P-TECH Norwalk, a school focused on computer science and a low-cost option for achieving an associate’s degree. Fast forward to June 2023, and I acquired an Associate’s in Web Development before graduating from high school. In the process, I discovered my interest in graphic design and its connection to computer science, which drove me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in that discipline.
As of 2025, I attend Johnson and Wales University for a Bachelor’s of Science in Graphic Design. Here, I learn from designers working in the industry and apply their teachings to my work, allowing for criticism to flow throughout my design process.
Why I Chose Design
Graphic design interested me since my beginning days of high school. It’s something you can point out wherever you go in the world, and having the opportunity to be one of the people behind it was an inspiring opportunity. As I engaged more with designing, I learned the basics required for decades of work experience down the road.
Graphic design allows me to use my creativity in a practical sense, bending it depending on a consumer’s interests, needs, or standards. It adds more critical thinking and forces me to learn and understand target audiences. It’s fascinating to see the ever-changing landscape affected by what attracts consumers and gets them interested in what a design offers them.
As a creative, I want to enjoy what I’m applying my talents towards, and I’ve learned to enjoy designing logos, posters, webpages, and other graphics from sketching them on paper to finalizing them on a computer.
“Then, it stopped—the ringing, the pain, the thoughts, all of it. Once it completely dissipated, Sam slowly opened his eyes to the very train seat he started from, surrounded by the very passengers he was very glad to see again.
A dream. Yes, it was all a dream.”
Everything Else There IS To Know
I grew up in and around motorsports, spending over ten years attempting to become a racing driver. I achieved the dream, participating in several races with a Spec Racer Ford and picking up a few podiums, plus a race victory. However, my love for racing karts or cars wouldn’t be present without watching it on television. I remember the day I fell in love with the fast-paced excitement racing brought to my young mind. I couldn’t get enough of it and feel the same way about motorsports, if not more so.
Before becoming interested in graphic design, I needed to find a way to get my imaginative thoughts out of my head. By the end of middle school, I found creative writing. I always loved stories from an early age, having my mother and father read my sister and I stories before going to sleep. It was fascinating just listening to what was going on, which was only heightened after discovering my love for films.
Later on in high school, I wanted to convey my love and passion for filmmaking and resorted to my writing skills to do it. What ensued was a path toward journalism. It helped me understand some of my favorite stories from recent memories and childhood, guiding my principles for almost all of my creative ventures–past, present, and future.
My interests often overlap, allowing me to love them all, even while studying graphic design. Needless to say, I like to keep myself busy!