The students made their cherished annual visit to the studio of Louise Fili, a distinguished former faculty member of the MFAD program, conveniently located just a stone’s throw away.

Louise Fili Ltd is a renowned graphic design studio with a focus on crafting elegant and sophisticated brand identities for food packaging, restaurants, and all things Italian. With a background as a senior designer for Herb Lubalin, Louise Fili later served as the art director of Pantheon Books from 1978 to 1989, during which she designed nearly 2,000 book jackets. In collaboration with Steven Heller, she has co-authored an impressive array of books including Italian Art Deco, British Modern, Dutch Moderne, Streamline, French Modern, Deco España, German Modern, Design Connoisseur, Typology, Stylepedia, Euro Deco, Scripts, Shadow Type, and Stencil Type. Fili’s solo works include Elegantissima, Grafica della Strada, Graphique de la Rue, The Cognoscenti’s Guide to Florence, and Italianissimo. As a member of the Art Directors Hall of Fame, she has been honored with the AIGA medal for Lifetime Achievement and a similar accolade from the Type Directors Club. Her most recent publication, Gràfica de les Rambles, explores the stunning Modernista and deco facades of Barcelona.

The students were captivated by the delicate intricacies and refined elegance of Fili’s work, which beautifully bridges art and design. Her studio, filled with inspiring creations, offered a unique glimpse into the world of a design maestro, leaving an indelible impression on the first-year students.