Natalie Cowan

Hi, I’m Natalie. I am a Communication Design (Honours) graduate with a practice grounded in curiosity, experimentation and an appreciation for thoughtful visual exploration. While at university, I undertook freelance work and an internship at Davidson Branding and Principals Agency, which gave me hands on experience across brand, digital and campaign work. These roles helped me understand how ideas are shaped within a studio, how to collaborate confidently, and how to bring concepts to life with intention.

Freelancing alongside my studies taught me how to manage projects independently, communicate with clients and guide work from early ideation through to final delivery. I enjoyed the balance between structured industry environments and the flexibility of freelance, both of which strengthened my problem solving skills and expanded my creative approach.

My design practice is process driven. I enjoy watching ideas evolve, testing alternatives and building systems that feel considered and purposeful. I like working through ideas, exploring different directions and finding clarity through the process.

I approach design as a way of thinking as much as a discipline. I like exploring new challenges, learning through doing and staying open to the unexpected. Outside my projects, I love to travel and learn about different cultures and environments, letting new experiences shape the way I think and create.

Letters We Live By

A publication that connects the deeper meanings of ancient Hebrew letters with modern cultural questions by weaving together Torah text, Rashi’s commentary and GenAI reflections to show how each letter still carries relevance today.

The Persecution of the Jews During the Black Death

The beginnings of the Black Plague and the early phases of antisemitism are explored through this work, highlighting a crucial and often overlooked part of history. It aims  to educate the public and shed light on this tragic period to help prevent history from repeating itself.

Re/Discover

Creating a campaign identity for Open House Melbourne that contrasts the city’s architectural history with its vibrant art scene. This approach places Victorian and Edwardian buildings beside graffiti and collage-style works to form a layered visual identity that reflects the city’s character.

A Truth Seekers Diary

Designing a publication based on a thesis exploring how
post-truth regimes distort reality, demanding both honesty and
creativity to uncover meaning. The work examines how design
can visualise distortion, manipulation, and truth.

4Legs - Principals Agency

I developed static and animated Meta social assets, along
with EDMs, to elevate 4Legs’ online communication and brand
cohesion. The project was later compiled into a case study
highlighting the creative strategy and outcomes behind the
brand, showcasing the effectiveness of design led storytelling
in driving engagement.

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.