Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicoletta Belardinelli. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nicoletta, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
When I was attending university I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect from the world of work. I liked aspects of design of course, but that wasn’t enough and I was quite confused about how to put it into practice.
After my master’s, I got an internship at Browns, London-based independent design studio. Here the team is a small one, meaning that as a designer, no matter your level, you’re involved in every phase of a project.
I feel in this phase it wasn’t so much about the skills for me, but more about building a solid basis that would allow me to explore different aspects of design and therefore expand my skillset.
The learning process for me was based on finding new opportunities, new projects and teams.
I think the sooner one is able to experience this, the better! By being able to explore possibilities, you’re more prepared for the choices to make next.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I did my bachelor in Italy, where I studied Visual Communication, before moving to London for my master’s.
In London I got my first job at Browns, independent design studio.
I’ve always been oriented towards printed design, and this first experience gave me the opportunity to build a solid background for print and editorial design.
After my first job experience, I felt that I wanted to expand my skillset delving more into digital and animation.
I was keen to apply what I had learned to different fields.
I was lucky enough to work at The Economist, Pentagram and The Telegraph, before joining VICE, where, I work across art direction, identities, illustrations and animations.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Education and first-person experience play a crucial part in understanding what you’d like to do and how to achieve it.
Personally, I wished I had known before about design-dedicated sites.
Today there are many platforms, like Instagram, Arena, Pinterest etc. where designers not only share their work, but also personal experiences.
It’s a great way to learn more about their process and the story of how they got there, it could be a starting point for people who haven’t had that experience yet.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
After my bachelor I didn’t feel my educational path was complete, nor did I feel I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I decided to take a step back as I needed some time to think about the next move. Of course I also felt the pressure of the passing time and having to find a job.
Instead of settling for jobs that might have been close to graphic design, I worked different jobs, buying myself time and setting money aside. In the meantime I researched universities that could offer a study plan focused on aspects I wanted to explore more, like print design and hands-on techniques. I also wanted to learn a different language, that’s simply how I narrowed down my search to England, and came across London College of Communication.
A couple of years after I packed and I was off to London!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nicolettabelardinelli.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolettabelardinelli/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletta-belardinelli-62b0b7170/
Image Credits
For the image ‘One-Percent-The-Hangout-Scarves’: Photo by Matteo Bellomo