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MICHELE DONDI
MY WORKS
This section showcases some of my design experiences, from editorial and graphic design to cultural projects.
COME HOWEVER YOU ARE
I worked on the concept and visual identity for the Christmas campaign of the Rectory of Bocconi University during the Christmas period.
The project invited students and residents of the Bocconi campus to experience Christmas through a contemporary and welcoming message, while also promoting an artwork exhibited inside the church.
Drawing inspiration from a song by Roo Panes, I conceived the message and the narrative behind the campaign, translating non-explicitly religious lyrics into a visual language centred around openness, belonging and hospitality. The phrase “come as you are” became the conceptual core of the project — a quiet invitation reflecting the universal message of Christmas.
The campaign was developed in both Italian and English. The posters featured a QR code linking directly to the song, allowing visitors to engage with the project through both visual and auditory storytelling.
The project included the design of two large-scale posters, two outdoor totems installed on the church façade and within the Rectory garden, and a series of bookmarks featuring the same visual identity, distributed to students throughout the Rectory.
The project invited students and residents of the Bocconi campus to experience Christmas through a contemporary and welcoming message, while also promoting an artwork exhibited inside the church.
Drawing inspiration from a song by Roo Panes, I conceived the message and the narrative behind the campaign, translating non-explicitly religious lyrics into a visual language centred around openness, belonging and hospitality. The phrase “come as you are” became the conceptual core of the project — a quiet invitation reflecting the universal message of Christmas.
The campaign was developed in both Italian and English. The posters featured a QR code linking directly to the song, allowing visitors to engage with the project through both visual and auditory storytelling.
The project included the design of two large-scale posters, two outdoor totems installed on the church façade and within the Rectory garden, and a series of bookmarks featuring the same visual identity, distributed to students throughout the Rectory.
DOPPIA FIRMA
Doppia Firma is a project that brings together innovative designers and excellent artisans to create a unique collection of original works. Under the patronage of Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, Doppia Firma is a project by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte with Living Corriere della Sera, that provides a platform for a vibrant dialogue between the craftsperson and designer to develop new artworks that combine the finest métiers d’art expertise and contemporary design culture.
I worked as Project Coordinator, following the project from the beginning, organising meetings between designers and artisans and managing timing and budget.
I also designed the catalogue of the project. In 2024 I renewed the existing layout, giving it a more modern and uncluttered look, working mainly on the readability of the content and the emphasis on Laila Pozzo's photographs. My intention was to give more importance to the creative collaborations, devising a section with quotations from the protagonists and a page dedicated only to images of the pieces of the exhibition.
I additionally designed the exhibition signage and supervised the exhibition set-up. I took care of the Instagram campaign, creating a layout in line with the other content on the page. In 2025 the emphasis was on the exhibits, while in 2024 the focus of the campaign was on creative couples. The content ranged from carousel posts to stories, as well as reels in collaboration with Living - Corriere della Sera and Maria Laura Berlinguer, an influencer with whom the Foundation has a long-standing partnership.
I worked as Project Coordinator, following the project from the beginning, organising meetings between designers and artisans and managing timing and budget.
I also designed the catalogue of the project. In 2024 I renewed the existing layout, giving it a more modern and uncluttered look, working mainly on the readability of the content and the emphasis on Laila Pozzo's photographs. My intention was to give more importance to the creative collaborations, devising a section with quotations from the protagonists and a page dedicated only to images of the pieces of the exhibition.
I additionally designed the exhibition signage and supervised the exhibition set-up. I took care of the Instagram campaign, creating a layout in line with the other content on the page. In 2025 the emphasis was on the exhibits, while in 2024 the focus of the campaign was on creative couples. The content ranged from carousel posts to stories, as well as reels in collaboration with Living - Corriere della Sera and Maria Laura Berlinguer, an influencer with whom the Foundation has a long-standing partnership.
USUL - MINI MASTER PROGRAM
I designed a leaflet dedicated to the Mini Master program in Milan, part of the initiative "Una Scuola, Un Lavoro". The leaflet combined two functions: on the front, a clear and organized calendar of the training sessions; on the back, a map of Milan highlighting the key locations connected to the program. The design aimed to be both practical and visually engaging, helping participants easily navigate the schedule while also offering a useful guide to the city.
BEOWULF
As part of the Type Design course, we developed a complete typeface by following the entire creative process — from sketching the glyphs by hand to digitising them with Glyphs.
I designed Beowulf, a display font that combines the sharp, calligraphic strokes of the Gothic Fraktur nib with more humanist letterforms, creating a contemporary reinterpretation of the style. The typeface is intended for use in titles and headings, where its strong character and contrast can stand out.
I designed Beowulf, a display font that combines the sharp, calligraphic strokes of the Gothic Fraktur nib with more humanist letterforms, creating a contemporary reinterpretation of the style. The typeface is intended for use in titles and headings, where its strong character and contrast can stand out.
MAM - MAESTRO D'ARTE E MESTIERE
MAM is a biennial accolade recognised by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte in collaboration with ALMA - La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana. Each of the Masters of Arts and Crafts named during the ceremony receives a specially made work of art: a medal crafted by the Scuola dell’Arte della Medaglia in Rome.
I worked as Graphic Designer. My task was to refine the visual identity of the award, which appeared discontinuous across different media: catalogue, website, ceremony invitations and social communication. I revamped the previous layout of the catalogue and designed invitations, according to the new guidelines already in use on the website.
I curated two Instagram campaigns. The first one focused on explaining what the award was and how it worked, telling about the bronze castings used as medals and the categories of the accolade. The second campaign was in collaboration with Homo Faber, a one-month event in Venice at which the awarding of the MAM winners would take place. The campaign would point out to visitors to the exhibition the works created by MAM masters from past editions, thus creating a ‘MAM route’ within the international event.
I worked as Graphic Designer. My task was to refine the visual identity of the award, which appeared discontinuous across different media: catalogue, website, ceremony invitations and social communication. I revamped the previous layout of the catalogue and designed invitations, according to the new guidelines already in use on the website.
I curated two Instagram campaigns. The first one focused on explaining what the award was and how it worked, telling about the bronze castings used as medals and the categories of the accolade. The second campaign was in collaboration with Homo Faber, a one-month event in Venice at which the awarding of the MAM winners would take place. The campaign would point out to visitors to the exhibition the works created by MAM masters from past editions, thus creating a ‘MAM route’ within the international event.
INSTAGRAM
Between 2023 and 2025 I managed the Instagram account of Fondazione Cologni, where I worked on creating a coherent and recognizable visual identity for the page. I redesigned the graphics of the posts to achieve a uniform style, and developed custom highlight covers to give the profile a sense of consistency and professionalism.
Among the projects, I curated specific collaborations — such as the one with Maria Laura Berlinguer — ensuring that the visual communication reflected the partnership while remaining aligned with the foundation’s tone of voice.
I also redesigned the graphic identity of the Instagram page of Wellmade, a digital platform by Fondazione Cologni, refreshing its layout and visuals to improve clarity, harmony, and brand recognition.
Among the projects, I curated specific collaborations — such as the one with Maria Laura Berlinguer — ensuring that the visual communication reflected the partnership while remaining aligned with the foundation’s tone of voice.
I also redesigned the graphic identity of the Instagram page of Wellmade, a digital platform by Fondazione Cologni, refreshing its layout and visuals to improve clarity, harmony, and brand recognition.
USUL - UNA SCUOLA, UN LAVORO
Una Scuola, un Lavoro. Percorsi di Eccellenza is a project by Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, which wants to encourage generational change in the craftsmanship sector by supporting the training, both theoretical and practical, of new craftspeople.
I worked as Graphic Designer for social media campaigns. Every year, the apprentices’ stories are published on the project website while on the Fondazione Cologni Instagram page a campaign takes place.
The 2025 campaign aims to bring visitors into the craftsperson’s workshop together with the apprentice. The first part of the carousel post introduces the student and talks about their previous training. After that, the master and the workshop are introduced, together with a picture showing the atelier’s characteristic manufacturing. Finally, the education plan is presented, together with a picture of the apprentice who, having learnt the work, works alone in the atelier. The last slide presents the colophon of the project and the apprenticeship sponsor.
Reels were commissioned for each trainee and published in conjunction with the posts.
I worked as Graphic Designer for social media campaigns. Every year, the apprentices’ stories are published on the project website while on the Fondazione Cologni Instagram page a campaign takes place.
The 2025 campaign aims to bring visitors into the craftsperson’s workshop together with the apprentice. The first part of the carousel post introduces the student and talks about their previous training. After that, the master and the workshop are introduced, together with a picture showing the atelier’s characteristic manufacturing. Finally, the education plan is presented, together with a picture of the apprentice who, having learnt the work, works alone in the atelier. The last slide presents the colophon of the project and the apprenticeship sponsor.
Reels were commissioned for each trainee and published in conjunction with the posts.
END ZONE
End Zone by Don DeLillo was the novel assigned to me for the Final Synthesis Studio, developed as part of my bachelor’s thesis in Communication Design at Politecnico di Milano. The task was to design a new edition of the novel as a “visual book,” where typography, layout, materials, and binding would amplify the meaning of the text.
I emphasized the division of the novel into three parts by using two different kinds of paper: an industrial white stock for the first and third sections, reflecting the monotony expressed in those chapters, and a natural green Japanese paper for the central section, which conveys the energy of the football match. In this middle part, the text column narrows to encourage faster reading, echoing the speed of the game’s descriptions.
The book’s format was based on the most common novel sizes in Italy, and paired with Simoncini Garamond and a traditional grid system, so that at first glance it appears like any other book — just as the protagonist’s story seems ordinary while concealing an underlying psychological struggle.
To express this hidden danger, I designed a cover with fluorescent yellow paper emerging from beneath a thin dust jacket portraying football players as national heroes, another theme of the novel. Finally, the Swiss binding exposes the heterogeneous paper structure along the spine: a rupture that symbolizes looking directly into the protagonist’s fractured inner life.
I emphasized the division of the novel into three parts by using two different kinds of paper: an industrial white stock for the first and third sections, reflecting the monotony expressed in those chapters, and a natural green Japanese paper for the central section, which conveys the energy of the football match. In this middle part, the text column narrows to encourage faster reading, echoing the speed of the game’s descriptions.
The book’s format was based on the most common novel sizes in Italy, and paired with Simoncini Garamond and a traditional grid system, so that at first glance it appears like any other book — just as the protagonist’s story seems ordinary while concealing an underlying psychological struggle.
To express this hidden danger, I designed a cover with fluorescent yellow paper emerging from beneath a thin dust jacket portraying football players as national heroes, another theme of the novel. Finally, the Swiss binding exposes the heterogeneous paper structure along the spine: a rupture that symbolizes looking directly into the protagonist’s fractured inner life.
FABULAS FATI
Fabulas Fati is a board game where players create stories using a deck of tarot-inspired cards. The project focused on media translation, turning one artifact into another. We reinterpreted Italo Calvino’s The Castle of Crossed Destinies as a board game.
As in Calvino’s novel, where characters can only speak through tarot, in the game the narrative unfolds from the cards in the players’ hands. The mechanics were partly inspired by Yes, Dark Lord.
We designed a custom deck, reimagining the Marseille tarot in a contemporary pop style, and produced a complete rulebook. This project gave us the chance to explore game design and experiment with visual storytelling.
As in Calvino’s novel, where characters can only speak through tarot, in the game the narrative unfolds from the cards in the players’ hands. The mechanics were partly inspired by Yes, Dark Lord.
We designed a custom deck, reimagining the Marseille tarot in a contemporary pop style, and produced a complete rulebook. This project gave us the chance to explore game design and experiment with visual storytelling.
LO SPETTACOLO DELLA BELLEZZA
In December 2024, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Franco and Adele Cologni, Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte presented "Lo spettacolo della bellezza: La vera storia della Gran Saliera di Benvenuto Cellini" in Milan. The event, staged by the famous Compagnia Marionettistica Carlo Colla & Figli, celebrated the excellence of Italian artistic craftsmanship through the unique story of Cellini’s masterpiece.
For this project, I designed and produced the printed program: the cover was inspired by classic movie posters, while the overall editorial layout was conceived to reflect both the cultural depth and the aesthetic refinement of the performance.
For this project, I designed and produced the printed program: the cover was inspired by classic movie posters, while the overall editorial layout was conceived to reflect both the cultural depth and the aesthetic refinement of the performance.
EVENT INVITATIONS
As part of my work with Fondazione Cologni, I designed a series of invitations for their cultural events, including book launches and guided tours of exhibitions. My role involved developing graphical invitations that reflect the foundation’s identity — elegant, refined, with attention to detail — while also communicating clearly the event details (date, time, location, theme).
Each invitation was tailored to the nature of the event: for book presentations I focused on typography, cover visuals and layout that speak of literary sophistication; for exhibition tours I emphasized imagery of artworks, spatial cues, and a design that evokes the exhibition atmosphere. The aim was always to create materials that invite engagement, look professional and align with the artistic and cultural prestige of the foundation.
Each invitation was tailored to the nature of the event: for book presentations I focused on typography, cover visuals and layout that speak of literary sophistication; for exhibition tours I emphasized imagery of artworks, spatial cues, and a design that evokes the exhibition atmosphere. The aim was always to create materials that invite engagement, look professional and align with the artistic and cultural prestige of the foundation.
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