Raissa Pardini has never been one to color inside the lines — and she doesn’t expect her collaborators, students or mentees to follow the rules either.
Known for designing bold, high-voltage campaign art for founders, book covers for authors (mostly female), and album artwork for iconic musicians, the London-based Italian graphic designer has made a name for herself not by shape-shifting, but by shaping an entirely new visual language.
You’ve likely seen Pardini’s work even if you didn’t realize it. She’s created art for David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Blur, and Willie Nelson. She’s done campaign work for everything from Nike and Gucci to WeTransfer and Skims (the winter campaign shot by Nadia Lee Cohen), covers for bestselling books, and was tapped by MTV to reimagine its Best Videos of the Year visual identity. Her signature? Custom typography that feels energetic — like it might leap off the page — paired with colors that don’t whisper. They shout.
Her work is often loud and disruptive in the best way: a blend of saturated colors, bespoke fonts, and defiant energy — but Pardini the artist and person is refreshingly humble. She has only begun speaking more publicly about her work recently, flexing a muscle she admits she’s still learning to trust.
“I’ve never been good at talking about myself. That’s why I create design as a way of expressing who I am – and probably to rant about something too,” she says with a laugh.
As it turns out, trust is what Pardini’s entire career has been built on. “I know I don’t see things the same way most creatives do. My gut has always been my compass — it’s gotten me through every twist and turn in my career.”
That inner compass will take center stage this week: Pardini is stepping onto the TEDxBarletta stage at Teatro Curci in Italy, to speak about what makes an artist unique and how we can live happily beside AI and technology. The theme? “Electric Sheep."
Pardini is a mentor, educator, and speaker, having given talks at the Tate and taught design courses across Europe, including a recent program at LABASAD (Barcelona School of Arts & Design), where she leads an online master’s course in graphic design. She also serves as a mentor in an Adobe initiative hosted through Behance.
Born in Italy and now based in London, Pardini always knew she would be an artist — but her path wasn’t traditional. She studied graphic design in Milan, moved to Berlin for her first studio experience, and spent years working in music before returning to design full-time. Along the way, she found herself constantly merging disciplines, drawing inspiration from movement, lyrics, urban typography, and street culture.
One moment that shaped her deeply: seeing a graffiti mural by American artist Keith Haring in Pisa as a teenager. The rawness and immediacy of the piece — its bold lines, color, and refusal to conform — lit a creative spark inside her. That mural served as an expander, proof that you don’t need to be a classical artist like the greats she grew up around. It was possible to be loud, modern, and rule-breaking — just like that mural.
“Keith Haring was the first artist who made me feel like there was a place for me in art,” she recalls. “I saw his mural at the back of a church in Pisa when I was a teenager — it was one of the first graffiti pieces meant to stay. I didn’t know his story, but I didn’t need to. His work was graphical, bold, fast; the complete opposite of the Renaissance masters I grew up around in Italy. That contrast was powerful. It made me realize I wanted to do something raw, immediate, instinctive.”
Typography, for Pardini, is more than stylistic — it’s symbolic. She creates custom fonts that match the spirit of each project, often drawing inspiration from architecture, music, or even sound frequencies. Sometimes it’s a way to tell a story, not just through words but through the font itself.
Now, another milestone: she’s creating her first official custom font in collaboration with the Rome-based foundry CAST.
“We’re aiming to launch by the end of this year. This custom font will reflect my usual fusion of music and design, my signature creative process.” (Here’s a hint: it’s inspired by David Bowie record covers.)
She describes it as a loud, expressive uppercase font, perfect for logos, posters, campaigns, and editorial pieces that refuse to play it safe — or whisper.
When asked about color trends like Brat green or millennial pink, Pardini doesn’t dismiss them, but she’s not one to follow the crowd.
“If we’re just copying something, then what’s the point of having a creative like me involved? The value is in making something new,” she says. “Trends work when they’re honest. Like with Charli XCX — she chose Brat green because she saw that color when she heard her music. That’s the power of instinct. But if a brand just wants to repeat that because it’s ‘in,’ then the moment’s already passed.”
Pardini’s own color choices come from years of building a visual archive; she takes photos of signage, graffiti, architecture, and street posters everywhere she goes.
“You never know when inspiration will strike. I have a whole bank of references from walking through cities. Sometimes I don’t even realize how much I’ve absorbed until I look back.”
This year, the designer officially launched Studio Pardini: her own creative studio and a natural next step in her evolution. After years of freelancing and working across industries, the studio will allow her to merge client work, mentorship, and experimentation under one roof.
How does she want Studio Pardini to stand out?
“Challenging everything. Questioning every question. Flipping every answer on its head. I know our spin is different. That’s the point. The team I’ve built is made up of insanely talented people — experts in their craft, but still curious, still playful. They bring the skills and the spontaneity. That mix is rare, and it’s exactly what I want. That’s where the magic happens.”
It’s fitting that someone who’s spent her career amplifying others — helping artists, authors, and founders find their visual identity — is now turning up the volume on her own.
Because if there’s one thing Pardini stands for, it’s this: don’t wait for permission. Make your mark. Share your work. Create the font. Build the studio. And say yes — even if you’re not entirely ready. Especially then.
“If you’re curious, you’ll always have something to say,” she asserts. “The key is to challenge yourself — not to think too much. Just say yes. And try.”