Itayashi Elisabeth Tristan

I am a Melbourne‑based graphic designer who works with brands to strengthen their visual identities and help them stand out in competitive markets. I believe that good design is a narrative tool, something that communicates meaning and emotion without relying on words. Throughout my studies, several of my tutors have recommended my work, and I have been nominated twice for outstanding project outcomes. I am highly skilled across the Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Lightroom.

When I’m not designing, I enjoy watching anime, playing games, customising my clothes, and exploring social media. I am particularly strong in designing for younger audiences; being chronically online means I understand pop culture, internet humour, and current trends intuitively.

Creativity, innovation, and originality are values I hold deeply. I believe that design comes from both the heart and the mind, the heart to empathise with clients, and the mind to craft something unique and meaningful. I don’t believe in “bad” designs; only designs that need refinement.

I bring fun, personality, and originality to every project I create. Whether my ideas come from something I saw online, a silly fanfiction, or a moment of inspiration while walking down the street, I always find unexpected ways to add whimsy and character to my work. That sense of playful originality is what sets me apart as a designer.

LOOM BLIND BAGS

[AGDA AWARDS NOMINATED]

Created for LOOM, this project reimagines traditional Chinese knots as modern collectibles for Gen Z. Through playful graphics, vibrant colours, and minimal packaging, the blind‑box series transforms cultural motifs into contemporary lifestyle objects, cohesive, expressive, and designed to shift perceptions from nostalgic craft to stylish, display‑worthy design.

VIRTUALLY NOTHING MONOTHEMATIC PUBLICATION

[AGDA AWARDS NOMINATED]

This publication reinterprets a selected text through glitch‑infused urban imagery, highlighting the tension between digital and real life. Censored figures and fragmented text reference parasocial behaviours. Structured grids, bold numerals, and atmospheric photography form a cohesive editorial system that communicates complex digital‑culture themes with clarity and immersion.

JUDYDOLL REBRAND

A brand refresh project to match Judydoll's mission to set itself as a bold makeup brand that promotes self-expression to girls & young women. In this rebrand, the designer imagines the brand to have a Y2K girly image to stand out amongst the global market.

METAMORPHOSIS by FRANZ KAFKA

This project reimagines The Metamorphosis through a contemporary visual lens, translating its alienation and existential dread into stark, glitch‑inflected design. A teaser mini‑publication reframes Gregor’s decline with grayscale imagery, modern treatments, and an atmosphere of “nothingness,” capturing his despair, disorientation, and the family’s growing rejection.

CHEWTOPIA BAKERY

This project builds a vibrant brand identity for Chewtopia, an artisanal Gen Z‑focused bakery and third space. Bright colours, playful illustrations, and friendly typography create an inviting, shareable atmosphere. The cohesive system blends craft and youthfulness, encouraging social interaction, lingering, and repeat visits through energetic, community‑driven visual storytelling.

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.