“I want to be free when I’m designing”: Maria Chiara Moro on the importance of experimentation

“I am an open person with a particular sensibility for what is around me,” says Maria Chiara Moro, a freelance graphic designer based in Milan. Inquisitive and observant, this mindset transfers directly into the varied and experiential work she produces, which can be anything from the editorial design for a feature on old porn magazines, identities, logos, garment, exhibition and book design or that which is more illustrative. “I am very curious and when something resonates with my sensibility I really get into it. This may sound stupid but I try to approach every project as a child and do things in the most simple and natural way.”

Growing up in Treviso, Maria attended art school and became inspired by one of her professors, who she refers to as more of a “counsellor” than a teacher. Enlightened by their methods, this particular teacher was known to nurture their students in way that allowed them to flourish – Maria being one of them. “Every idea you had, he helped you carry it through from beginning to end,” she tells It’s Nice That. This, coupled with the fact that Maria was shown myriad of books, editorial graphics and sources, was the starting point for Maria’s practice. It was the kick-start she needed to launch into her own aesthetic and design language.

Maria proceeded to study graphics and visual communication at ISA Urbino, located in central Italy, after which she landed her first role at an editorial studio and gained the skills needed to take things even further. “I learned to be clean, clear and simple,” she explains. “I also learned to work with very commercial clients, which I was not used to.” Going out of her comfort zone, Maria applied her experience to another studio role, swapping commercial clients for multidisciplinary projects in collaboration with fashion brands, art festivals and magazines – “an environment that’s certainly more open, stimulating and freer.” And now, at the time of speaking, she’s a freelancer and has been for the past year and a half.

It’s not often that you see such a mixture of projects with such an underlying consistency. Maria, who defines her work as being “personal, fresh and spontaneous”, has hammered down on her style, honing a mix of expressive embellishments – like the chunky and graphic illustrations – as well as unusual typefaces and off-kilter forms. All of which can be widely seen across her portfolio, including a recent album cover for Chevel, where a bubbly, bold and tilted font is displayed at-large across the frame.

Maria’s approach stems from a desire to do things a little differently, designing free of constraints and without the limits of design rules or regulations. It’s an attitude that can be applied across the board, and even in life; perhaps we should all take leaf out of Maria’s book. “I challenge myself to create something new all the time,” she explains. “I set some difficulties by doing this, but I think in the end, the outcome is better in particular for the client. I want to be free when I am designing.”