Innovative and multi-talented, graphic designer and art director, Laura Bertinelli relocated to London from Italy eight years ago to take advantage of the diverse cultural and artistic design scene the city has to offer. She is one of our wonderful DesignbyWomen collaborators, who has been working with us for the last eight months on content creation and article writing.
Moving with ease between visual communication, editorial design, brand identity and illustration, Laura’s work often fuses bold typography with a vibrant colour palette and strong conceptual thinking. As she tells us, “I want my work to be engaging and fun, but always in a meaningful way”. Her conceptual approach is well illustrated in a recent personal project, she worked on in collaboration with artist Emma Graney titled ‘Other People’s Shopping Lists’. This features a selection from 500+ shopping lists collected over a period of ten years, each having their own story to tell and presented in a thought-provoking way.
Over the past year, lockdown has given Laura time to reflect on the kind of work she wants to create and what’s important to her. Concerned about the amount of food that gets wasted, she conceived a series of beautifully designed recipe cards called Tasty Waste. The project encourages people to use parts of food they would otherwise throw away, thereby raising awareness of waste and providing free recipes to help people reduce their environmental impact: “I believe that as a designer I have an obligation to create work that has a positive impact on others and believe that projects based on meaningful engaging concepts with a personal element are the strongest.”
Lockdown also brought home to Laura how important networking is in keeping your creativity alive through discussion and collaboration with others. She started using instagram (@laurabertinelli) and other online platforms in a different way, with the aim of meeting new people and discovering creative communities to join. She is a firm believer in supporting others and is currently also mentoring three young designers at the start of their careers. Laura’s contribution to DesignbyWomen over the past eight months has been invaluable. She initially focused on the ‘Women to Watch’ 2020 series that features new designers and women just starting out in their careers. She was really struck by the positivity and creativity in the new wave of female designers who are determined to make a difference in the future. She is optimistic that they will help address the current gender inequality and lack of diversity. As she so aptly puts it, “things can only change if there are mindset changes and having this new wave of people coming into the industry determined to make a difference, will, I believe, undoubtedly have a positive impact.”
We chatted with Laura to learn how she defines herself as a designer and why she decided to become a DesignbyWomen collaborator, and to hear her thoughts on counteracting gender and diversity imbalances.
How did you first become interested in working as a designer and art director?
It’s been a very organic and quite serendipitous journey. Since I was a kid, I have always really enjoyed drawing, painting and looking at art. Both my grandma and my uncle were fine artists who worked with a super wide range of mediums and I remember being very curious about their work, their tools, and the different techniques they used.
Growing up, I developed a really big interest in –if not obsession for! — Japanese manga and anime. There are tons of sketchbooks from when I was 10/12, full of drawings replicating my favourite manga characters. The next phase was the stereotypical ‘arty rebel teenager’, when I got really into modern and contemporary art and fell in love with the avant-garde movements of the early 1900s, especially Dada and Surrealism.
Surprisingly though, despite my arty attitude I was also a super diligent kid at school, one who never skipped a class! When I finished high school, I knew I wanted to do a university course that involved creativity, something more practical than fine art and that would reflect both my artistic side and my studious one. I took entrance exams for a few different universities, and in the end, chose to enrol in the Industrial Design course at Sapienza University in Rome, because of its varied course offering. During the three years of my degree, I studied product design, interior design, exhibition design and, of course, graphic design – which ultimately became my favourite of all the subjects.
Describe your career path. How did you got to where you are now.
After finishing a Masters degree in Visual Communication and Graphic Design I worked in a design studio in Rome for about a year. I got to test the ground and slowly began to understand the different career paths I could take. I worked on brand identity projects, editorial design, and a bit of art direction – which meant that I developed all these interests’ side by side,always approaching projects in a multidisciplinary way. On reflection, I think that studying so many different disciplines at uni and being fond of so many types of art, helped me to keep an open mind and avoid being funnelled in any single direction.
After a series of turbulent life events, I decided to start afresh and move to the UK, where the creative industry, especially in London, felt as if it had more opportunities than those available in Italy. Initially, I found a part time job, then my first internship and some freelancing opportunities appeared, then a few more – and eventually I got to that point where I was working three jobs at the same time. A part-time retail job was always there as a safety net!
I decided that freelancing wasn’t the right thing for me at that point and that I needed a more regular job. My first full-time position was as a creative artworker at the Southbank Centre, followed by a series of other in-house roles that slowly allowed me to develop my skills and work in a really wide range of sectors and industries. Working for so many brands, guidelines, and different creative approaches strengthened my interest in brand identity design and being part of marketing and communication teams meant that I also gained more experience of the strategic side of design. Additionally, I started doing some art direction. I love how it can be a powerful tool to enhance and solidify a brand and creative communication projects; it’s definitely something I would like to develop further as I progress my career.
Working in-house can get very repetitive very quickly, which is why I changed jobs a number of times in a few years. I always want to keep my brain active and switching companies often is a good way to avoid falling into a creative rut. I’m now at the point where I feel ready to go back to working either in a design studio or as a freelancer. The experience I gained in-house is invaluable, especially when creating and developing new visual identities and guidelines. Because I’ve been ‘on the other side’, I know very well the scenarios designers will face when working with a brand on daily basis!
Why did you initially approach DesignbyWomen and want to be involved?
What hit me the most during the first lockdown was the sudden realisation that in both my professional and personal life I was really lacking connections with other creatives. So, I decided to start using instagram and the internet in a different way, with the aim of meeting new people and discovering creative communities and spaces where I could get involved! And it’s been one of the best decisions of 2020!
Through online communities such as, DesignbyWomen, Design Calendar, and Ladies Wine & Design, I got to meet really inspiring people, made new friends, and managed to maintain my motivation and inspiration during such a weird time. I knew I wanted to collaborate with DBW because I believe that we need more spaces where female creative talent is showcased and celebrated. I find it really empowering and motivating to be part of the platform.
Have you had any insights about women working in the design industry since you’ve been writing articles and contributing to the platform?
Absolutely yes! Having had the chance to write the ‘Women to Watch’ articles was very interesting for several different reasons. I didn’t go to university in the U.K.so it was mind-blowing for me to discover how design courses are structured here and how many opportunities students get in terms of placements, crit sessions, D&AD briefs etc. None of that happened in Italy when I was at uni.
It was also reassuring to hear that most young talents have a very positive outlook on the future of the industry. Things can only change if the mindset changes and having this new wave of people coming into the industry determined to make a difference will definitely have a positive impact.
How would you describe yourself as a designer and your design style?
This is something I find myself reflecting on often. I tend to dislike labels and categories and I wouldn’t want to be able to define what I do with just one or two words. It seems counterproductive in these times where everything is hash tagged and sorted by trends! I even get to the point of struggling to use the word ‘multidisciplinary’ to describe myself and my work. I believe that the essence of design is to be multidisciplinary, to work in different way and to adapt to each new brief. It somehow feels redundant to me to specify when a designer is multidisciplinary. I find it incredibly hard to define myself. Lately, I’ve spent a good amount of time reflecting on my work and trying to figure out the pillars of my creativity.
I want my work to be engaging and fun, but always in a meaningful way. Fun for me doesn’t mean silly or careless, and it definitely doesn’t mean that I am not professional or serious about what I do! I believe that as a designer I have an obligation to use my skills to create work that has a positive impact on others, and I think that the projects based on genuinely engaging and human elements are the strongest.
I have some ‘style favourites’ I always look to for inspiration such as Matt Willey, Sascha Lobe, and Sagmeister & Walsh. But somehow, I always manage to steer away from those reference and create my own thing. Which is great, because it means I’m never emulating anyone! I sometimes wonder if those references ever shine through my work or are only visible to me.. But is that even important? 🙂
Do you have any thoughts on how we can counteract the gender imbalance in the creative industries, particular in senior roles?
I have to admit I’ve been really lucky in my career so far. I have encountered a lot of female figures in senior positions –managers, senior designers and heads of departments — all of them really inspiring, and confident in their roles. I wouldn’t define myself a feminist, but I am deeply conscious of the imbalances and issues that need to be resolved and I try to make a difference in the ways I can.
I think that in order to see some change in the industry, especially in the more senior levels, we need to carry on empowering and enabling all female creatives. This can be done through mentoring (I am in fact currently mentoring three young designers at the beginning of their careers), showcasing work through platforms like this one, and providing more opportunities for under-represented creatives to talk about themselves and their talent.
In your experience, do you think there is equality and diversity across the creative industries today?
From my experience, these are areas that can be definitely improved on. London is such a multicultural hub, yet the creative industry seems to be very homogeneous – I find it very surprising. As a foreigner, I can maybe see more easily how some areas of the industry feel almost like cliques. However, I think that the lockdown and all that happened this year has played a big part in levelling up these environments, with people eager to make new connections and widen their networks. I am very hopeful and optimistic about change!
I’m very conscious of falling into that group of white, healthy, educated, reasonably well-off people, and I do want to make sure that every day I’m conscious of the privileges I have, even when nothing seems to go the way I want it to.
A lot of people in the creative industries struggle with imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Have you experienced this and, if so, how do you deal with it?
Oh of course I have! On a regular basis, and I believe that’s normal; it shows that you care about what you’re doing. Once I realised that self-doubt is less consuming when I’m working on something I’m very passionate about or for a client I have a good relationship with, it became easier to be less hard on myself.
I was lucky to have parents who never compared the things I did to what other kids were doing, and I think that (even if only subconsciously) this allowed me to develop my own personality and way of doing things. Obviously, confidence is only gained through experience and there have been ‘dark years’ where I was unsure about who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do. I’ve found trial and error is the best way to learn. I’ve experienced plenty of downs but also some really pivotal highs. Over time these cycles made me stronger and less worried about comparing myself to others. And this applies both creatively and in life!
Nowadays, when I feel imposter syndrome creeping in, I get offline and stop browsing instagram and looking at what other designers do. It’s important to pause, reflect on what’s not working and try to figure out why. Most of the time the solution is right there but I can’t see it, because I’m overloaded and overthinking.
Something else that I find useful is to look back at what I have done already, at the things where I have succeeded, and to celebrate those wins, small or big. It’s too easy to focus only on the problems, forgetting one’s achievements! Self-celebration brings self-motivation. 🙂
Do you have any female role models or mentors who have shaped your career?
Most of the people that inspired me throughout my studies and career have been women! At uni both of my tutors for my final year theses (Bachelors and Masters) were super talented and successful women designers: Silvana Amato, who made me love typography and editorial design, and Cristina Chiappini, to whom I owe my passion for brand and visual design.
My first job was in a female led design studio and most of the teams I have been part of were led by women. I struggle to define anyone as my role model; it’s just not something I feel the need to have. But all of these people have been very inspirational – especially the ones in senior management roles who made me understand the importance of having a confident and honest approach to work (and life).
If you could go back to the beginning and start your career again what would tell your younger self?
- Work harder on creating real connections with other designers and creatives, they will prove essential.
- Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. Asking questions isn’t a sign of weakness either, it shows you care.
- Never assume anything!
- Don’t let other people bring you down – focus on doing the things YOU want to do.
- Never downplay your wins and successes! Be proud and confident of your skills.
- Don’t let the ‘day job’ suck your passion for design away. Keep a side project on the go at all times as an outlet, and keep reading, researching, learning.
- Working it out as you go is completely normal.
- Work hard! Things don’t just happen because you’re lucky. Make them happen.
Can you recommend three other female creatives currently working in the industry who you find inspiring!
- Leta Sobierajski — for her super unique voice, her honesty and for being so versatile and multi-skilled!
- Jocelyn Tsaih — Jocelyn’s illustrations are so powerful yet so concise, so many feelings in just a few strokes. I also love how she’s always active in community projects and uses her work to support the causes she believes in.
- Francesca Pignataro — she has such a confident style and in the last few years has worked on really impressive editorial projects that have inspired me many times.