Citizen First, Designer Second

by Rejane Dal Bello

After a career of more than 20 years spanning four countries, globally-renowned graphic designer, illustrator and visual branding consultant Rejane Dal Bello explains how choosing (or being chosen by) a design career has come to matter to her – and how it can matter to others no matter whether they are also seeking a creative path or are simply curious about the value and possibilities afforded by creativity.

Through a mixture of personal anecdote and professional experience, Rejane honestly and emotively reflects on her life and processes, and how they have been shaped by the beauty, challenges and serendipity of design and the visual arts.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction

332 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after I saw Rejane Dal Bello speak at a graphic design conference in Toronto in 2023. This boldly designed book is a collection of essays she has written on design, her process, career, inspirations, successes and failures. I like her honest, no-nonsense approach, and find her essays would be relatable even if you aren’t in the design field.

One essay that stood out for me discussed her dyslexia and how she views it as an asset to her work because it strengthens her visual communication skills. “As a designer, my dyslexia has actually proved me one of my biggest assets, helping me to distill complex meetings into a simple iconic image – whether that’s a corporate identity or a single image.”

Her work is very unique and bold and the design of this book is very cool. There were about 5 different colour choices for the cover. I chose magenta! The chapter titles are in thick black block letters and sit on a bright green background vertically on a double-page spread. They look like frame able posters. The book is a piece of art!

Overall, this book was insightful and a joy to read and own.

[Wylda Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I picked this book from my work’s library because of its cover design, and I ended up loving it. It feels like a breath of fresh air and inspiration. As a graphic designer for many retail brands, I often feel like my work is disposable, but reading about Renaje’s experience reminds me that I’m not alone. Everything we do as designers matters—sometimes even more than we think. We just have to be sure that we’re making the choices we truly believe are right.”

[Anthony Sudol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice retrospective of Dal Bello's work. Love the design system for the children's hospital. Wish there was more of her writing, or that the writing was a bit more didactic about her process and her ideas of citizenship. She hints at a lot of depth that unfortunately goes unexplored.

[Gustavo Martins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorei as reflexões desse livro!

[Gianvito Fanelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a designer, this book will undoubtedly resonate with you. And you’ll find tons of inspiration to carry on your work and passion every day.

[Paula Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro retrospectiva da Rejane dal Bello, que tem um trabalho lindíssimo. Legal saber mais sobre a trajetória e as decisões de vida da Rejane, além do livro ser super bem diagramado e bem impresso.