Natalia Zechiri

Communication Design (Honours)

Hello, my name is Natalia Zechiri, a recent graduate of the Swinburne Communication Design (Honours) degree, class of 2023. Extending beyond the academic realm, I concurrently undertook personal freelance work, a junior designer role at Hardhat Agency, and two overseas internships at The STUDIO NYC and Amey & Art Associates, Paris.

I am a disciplined and passionate creative who loves problem-solving and working on using design thinking to create effectively thought-out communicative solutions to design problems. I thrive on steering designs towards original and exciting directions, with particular interests in packaging/merchandise, brand identity, and campaign design.

While at university, I have had the opportunity to further develop my conceptual skillset and various technical practices, with outputs showing a diverse range of digital and print mediums and their accompanying touchpoints.

By immersing myself in academic pursuits and diverse professional experiences, I've nurtured a comprehensive outlook on design. I'm enthusiastic about the future where I’ll be able to further channel my innovative and strategic mindset into the vibrant realm of communication design, contributing to its dynamic landscape.

Culinary Journeys - Language Food Festival

Pride & Prejudice - ISTD 2023

T2 Tea - Marketing Campaign

Don't Sugar Coat It - Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Campaign

Elixa Drinks - Health & Wellness Brand Rollout Campaign

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.