Raquel Pinto Studio brings an innovative but familiar air to graphic design

When it comes to branding, graphic designers are tasked with visually representing all that makes a business, institution or cause stand out. What’s more, those who take on the task can’t escape the question of whether to break the mould or honour traditional visuals that audiences and consumers have long recognised. The work of Raquel Pinto does both, turning our eyes to innovative businesses and projects, and expanding industry perceptions.

Born in Portugal, and recently returning after a decade of leading the likes of Project Projects in New York, Node in Berlin and Zak Group in London, she is now focussing on her own design practice, Raquel Pinto Studio. This hasn’t made her more insular or collaboration-focused, it’s only allowed her to take this thinking to projects she’s personally passionate about. “I now adapt to different contexts physically and aesthetically, from the things I observe to my incorporation of them into my design work,” she says. “Collaboration, humility and respect are central to my practice. Good design is about trust and listening to what the client needs.”

One of her most striking projects is the visual identity rebrand for Harvard iLab (Harvard Innovation Labs), accentuating its experimental edge and setting it apart from traditional educational branding. “It’s an ever evolving discourse between me and the client, where questioning and challenging ideas together, helps to refine and push the visuals further,” Raquel says.