Daily Inspiration: Meet Gianmarco Trezzi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gianmarco Trezzi.

Hi Gianmarco, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into visual design started in a very natural way. I grew up surrounded by art and music, and from a young age I was always drawing, experimenting and trying to understand how images could communicate something beyond words. During middle school I became deeply interested in hip-hop and music culture, and I soon realized that I was just as fascinated by the visual world around music as I was by the music itself.

That interest led me to attend an Art High School, where I started building the foundations of my creative process, and later to NABA Milano, where I graduated in Art Direction and Graphic Design. Milan gave me the opportunity to develop a more professional approach to design, while working on projects that allowed me to combine graphic design, photography, fashion, branding, digital experiences and visual storytelling.

Alongside my studies, I started working on real projects and collaborating with artists, brands and creatives. One of the most important parts of my journey has been working in the music industry, where I have developed visual identities, covers, merchandise, campaigns and creative concepts. I have worked on projects connected to artists such as Drake and J Balvin, as well as independent artists and brands, always trying to approach each project not simply as a designer, but as someone who can help build a complete visual language around an idea.

One of the experiences I am most proud of is my work with LIL MILE, where I worked across Art Direction and Graphic Design and helped develop the visual world of his projects. Some of the work I created has also been submitted for Grammy consideration, including categories such as Best Album Cover and Best Recording Package. For me, these experiences are important not only because of the recognition, but because they taught me how to manage creative responsibility, collaborate with different people and turn an abstract idea into a coherent visual experience.

What has brought me here is essentially curiosity and persistence. I come from a small town in Italy, and I started without a clear roadmap or a network in the creative industry. I had to create opportunities for myself, learn by doing and constantly push my work further. That mindset is still what drives me today: staying curious, learning from every project and creating work that people can actually feel and remember.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Coming from a small town in Italy, I didn’t have a clear path into the creative industry or a strong network to rely on. A lot of the opportunities I have today came from putting myself out there, reaching out to people, showing my work and being willing to start from scratch. There were many moments when I questioned whether I was on the right path, especially when opportunities didn’t come through or when I had to balance work, studies and personal projects at the same time.

One of the biggest challenges was learning how to believe in my own work before other people did. In the beginning, I often felt that I had to prove myself, especially when approaching established artists, brands or people with much more experience than me. I learned that rejection is part of the creative process. Not every idea will work, not every email will receive a response, and not every project will turn out exactly as you imagined. What matters is being able to take something from each experience and keep moving.

Another challenge was learning that being a designer is not only about having good ideas. Working professionally taught me how important communication, deadlines, organization, feedback and collaboration are. I’ve had to learn how to defend a creative vision when necessary, but also how to listen, adapt and sometimes completely rethink an idea when the project requires it. Those experiences have been particularly important in shaping the way I approach Art Direction today.

There have also been moments when I had to work with limited resources and find creative solutions instead of waiting for perfect conditions. That pushed me to become more resourceful and hands-on. If I didn’t have a photographer, I learned to shoot. If a project needed 3D, I learned how to communicate with and direct 3D artists. If an idea required a different skill, I learned enough about it to understand the process and help bring the vision together.

Looking back, I’m actually grateful that the road wasn’t easy. The difficulties taught me persistence, independence and adaptability. They also made me much more comfortable with uncertainty, which I think is essential in a creative career.

I still have a lot to learn, but today I approach challenges differently. Instead of seeing them as signs that something isn’t working, I see them as part of the process of becoming better…both as a designer and as a creative director, I’m still building my career, but I know that every difficult project, rejection and unexpected obstacle has contributed to the way I think and work today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work sits at the intersection of Graphic Design, Art Direction, music, fashion and contemporary culture. I’m a Creative Director and Graphic Designer, but I’ve always tried to go beyond simply creating individual visuals. I’m interested in building complete visual worlds, from the initial concept and storytelling to the identity, artwork, typography, photography, digital content, physical products and the way everything comes together as one experience.

A big part of my experience comes from working within music and entertainment. I’ve developed visual identities, album artwork, merchandise, campaigns and creative concepts for artists and brands, including projects connected to artists such as Drake and J Balvin. I’ve also worked as Art Director and Graphic Designer for LIL MILE, developing the visual direction of his projects and collaborating with photographers, 3D artists and other creatives to bring larger concepts to life.

One of the things I’m most proud of is having some of my work submitted for Grammy consideration, including Best Album Cover and Best Recording Package. What makes that experience meaningful to me isn’t simply the possibility of recognition, it’s knowing that an idea that started with a sketch and a concept I believed in was able to reach that level.

I’m particularly interested in projects where there is a strong story behind the visuals. I like asking why something should look a certain way before deciding how it should look. For me, design is about creating an emotional connection and giving people something they can recognize, remember and feel.

At the same time, I’m very hands-on. I can move between concept development, graphic design, image-making, art direction and production, and I’m comfortable collaborating with specialists when a project requires skills outside my own. I’ve learned to understand different parts of the creative process so I can communicate a vision clearly and make sure the final result stays coherent.

I’m also very interested in the evolution of creative technology. I work with tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud, 3D workflows and generative AI platforms, and I’m constantly experimenting with how new technologies can become part of the creative process. I don’t see AI as a replacement for creative thinking; I see it as another medium that can expand what a designer and creative director can imagine and produce.

What I think sets me apart is the combination of curiosity, versatility and a strong connection to culture. I can approach a project from a very conceptual perspective, but I also care deeply about execution. I’m not afraid to get involved in the details, learn something new or find a solution when the original plan doesn’t work.

Most importantly, I’m still hungry. I didn’t come into this industry with an established name or a predetermined path. I built my experience project by project, collaboration by collaboration. That has made me very driven to keep learning, take on bigger challenges and create work that feels culturally relevant rather than simply visually attractive.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
If I had to choose one quality that has been most important to my success, I would say perseverance.

I’ve always been the kind of person who keeps going even when there isn’t an immediate result. Coming from a small town in Italy and trying to build a career in a highly competitive creative industry, I’ve had to create many of my own opportunities. There have been rejections, unanswered messages, projects that didn’t work and moments where I had to question whether I was moving in the right direction. What kept me going was the belief that every project, even the ones that didn’t lead anywhere immediately, was helping me become a better creative.

I also think perseverance, for me, is closely connected to curiosity. I’m never completely satisfied with what I already know. If a project requires a new technique, software, visual language or way of working, I want to learn it. That mindset has allowed me to move between graphic design, art direction, photography, 3D, fashion, music and emerging AI tools without being afraid of starting from zero again.

As a Creative Director, I’ve learned that having a good idea is only the beginning. The real challenge is being able to develop it, communicate it, adapt it, solve problems and push it through until the final result feels right. That requires patience, flexibility and the willingness to keep working when things become difficult.

I’m proud of the opportunities I’ve created so far, from working on projects connected to major artists to having my work submitted for Grammy consideration. But I see those experiences less as a finish line and more as proof that consistency can turn an idea into something real.

For me, success has never been about getting one big opportunity. It’s about continuing to show up, improving with every project and staying hungry enough to see how far I can take the next one.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trezzinho/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianmarco-trezzi-916a57249/

Image Credits
Gianmarco “Trezzinho” Trezzi