Meet the Designer: Rairu Rebolledo

Meet the Designer: Rai Rebolledo

As Hyphen’s lead designer, Rai Rebolledo brings an advertising mindset to every book, turning complex histories into compelling design. With a background in brand development and corporate communications, she has helped create books for Qantas, Akubra, Bakers Delight, BHP and many others.

We sat down with Rai to talk about creativity, process and what it takes to bring a book to life. 

What drew you to design originally, and what was your background before you joined Hyphen? 

When I was graduating from high school, I was certain I wanted to work in something that let me use my creativity every day. I always knew my place was somewhere surrounded by creative people.

Back then, in Venezuela, in Year 10, you’d get this big book with all the career options available. It explained what each career was about. There was one page that basically described me – graphic design.

Once I could imagine myself as a designer, I never changed my mind. I went straight to enrol in graphic design, and I loved it! My first job was at a small studio doing web design. Years later, I found myself as an art director at a big advertising agency in Venezuela. And then I moved to Australia.

When did you start working with Hyphen, and what was your first project like?

That was in 2013, and my first project was Tradition, Belonging, Spirit: Inspiring Stories from Toorak Collegians.

I moved to Australia in 2010 and spent my first two years in Melbourne working as a freelancer and art director for a small design studio in Fitzroy. I remember my first interview with Neil and Val – we immediately started talking about the Toorak book. I was so excited that I started throwing ideas around on the spot.

When I got home, I created some visuals of my ideas and sent them through. That’s when I realised I could apply my advertising experience to the publishing industry. I was still creating concepts, pitching ideas and overseeing the final product – all the things I loved – while dreaming up new things at the same time. And the best part? I got to take a break from telling people to buy things they may not actually need.

Take us through the earliest stages of the design process. How do you start a concept?

It always starts with the brief – understanding the client, who they are, what they do and what they need. It’s also about bringing together ideas from the whole team – every bit of input matters.

I try to visualise what the client wants, but I also ask myself what I would like to say, and what I think needs to be done for the project to really work.

Which part of the process do you enjoy most, and what do you find the most challenging?

I honestly enjoy all parts of the process – they’re all necessary to bring a project to life. You need to keep the excitement going the whole way through, otherwise the final result won’t match what was originally envisioned.

The most challenging part is probably the correction rounds. You have to stay true to the original vision while learning how to communicate clearly, negotiate and solve problems along the way.

What I really love is working on different projects at different stages. You might spend two days on a concept, then switch to final art, then jump back to an AOC [all-office check]. You never get bored – it’s never repetitive. I really like that.

Where do you look for inspiration?

In desperation! Honestly, I don’t have much time these days to go to galleries, libraries or museums. But I think when you’ve been a designer for a long time, your brain gets trained to make connections more easily – or maybe you just allow yourself to be creative more often.

Ideas usually come when I’m driving, cleaning, right before falling asleep, or when I’m working, and my Spotify playlist hits the perfect jam. I never know where my inspiration will come from.

Rai Rebolledo is currently working on a book about Melbourne High School.