Meet the designer: Tessa Stirling

Practicing her craft on Whadjuk country, her love for graphic design is an unintentional one. Going from tertiary studies of health and science to one day Googling “how to make a living as an artist” - 4 years have passed since Tessa changed lanes and followed her passion. It’s been full speed ahead from then, and boy are we inspired by this woman! Such an awesome reminder that good things take time. 

I feel so lucky that I get to do a job that fills up my cup everyday and keeps my mind busy and entertained.

Her uber-cool aesthetic is funky, fresh and pays homage to vintage creations. 

One of my all-time biggest inspirations is Jean Michael Basquiat. His carefree approach to painting is something I often remind myself of, as I can be quite a perfectionist. 

However, I am observant and draw inspiration from things I see in everyday life from patterns created by nature to gradients in the sky at sunset, my work is a collection of everything I observe. 

Even her studio’s name is beautifully thought out. ‘la sola’ originates from the Spanish words, meaning ‘the only one’. It’s a concept that ties into Tessa’s north star - helping businesses become la sola (the only one) in their industry, and stand out from the crowd with unique, funky branding.

Combining her creativity with a keenness for marketing strategy is (in our opinion) what makes Tessa such a powerhouse.

I have always found the strategy behind designing fascinating. I love learning about brands' target audiences, their competition and finding a gap in the market to make sure my clients graphic design is unique and disrupts their market. 

With strong values around sustainability and wanting to make the world better through her work, one thing’s for sure - Tessa and lasola studio are going places. The long-term play is to continue to support brands with amazing work whilst also offering her own line of designs and products. We can’t wait to see where she takes it. 

Before we sign off, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dig into her favourite design that she’s created for us.

My favourite is the sunflower rug. The design is reminiscent of colours I grew up with in my Nana and Grandad’s house and a floral tile pattern we have in my family holiday house down south in Western Australia. It’s an ode to my childhood and a burst of nostalgia.

Nothing beats rugging up in it after a morning dip in the ocean.