Lauren Perrodin

If you’ve ever met someone who defined what it means to be talented and kind, driven and focused, you’re actually talking about Larissa Gazzoni. 

Larissa exudes a calm confidence that inspires you to create. The more you get to know her, the more you’ll realize that what makes her a great designer is the same reason she’s a great person: her determination to bring color, joy and tranquility to everything around her.

But, what brought Larissa to Brafton?

Education and Exploration

“I sent over my portfolio not expecting anything in return because it’s kind of wild to get, like, a job out of Brazil,” recalls Larissa. “I wasn’t expecting to change jobs at that time, but it happened and it’s really good.” 

As modest as Larissa is, she has incredible talent and when given the freedom to create, her skills really shine through. 

“I love the projects that allow me to do illustrations. These projects are usually in the educational industry, it’s very illustrated-heavy. And of course, Brafton’s work is also fun because you can do whatever you want with them.”

Giving someone who is creative, like Larissa, the chance to let their imagination loose, to create at their fullest potential can really be not only a release, but an exercise in self-expression. 

“I like those projects that I get to flex my illustration a little bit.”

The road to perfecting her skill and uncovering what ignites her creatively wasn’t a linear path, though.

“We didn’t have anything related to graphic design in school here,” she explains. “The official name was digital media design. I started studying that because I wanted to go into animation, actually.” 

And although liberal arts and design colleges force students to take prerequisite classes before diving into the core curriculum, this actually helped Larissa decide the type of design that she really loved to do.

“The way that the university that I went to works is that they have like a bunch of different classes and many different areas and it’s very socio-environment-focused. So, I got to work with different types of industries like organic farmers of Rio De Janeiro, an autistic organization that exposes children to cinema and fine art in a safe environment with their families.”

As Larissa reflects on her journey toward her current career, she pauses and a smile splashes across her face as she says “In the middle of that, I fell in love with graphic design. Even though I didn’t know what it was at first, I knew that animation wasn’t what I wanted.” 

She was someone who was always drawn (some pun intended) toward design. She was a doodler in class and loved to scribble all around her notebooks in school. 

“When I was in university, I had the opportunity to do some illustration classes with people who worked professionally as illustrators and artists.” This aspect of seeing professionals in positions she really wanted was what kept her focused.

Staying Curious About the World

Larissa’s life has always been about enrichment and exploring the world around her. In addition to being an avid art enthusiast and traveler, the college she went to, Puc Rio, is a private Catholic university. Instead of only focusing on the Catholic religion, the school introduces students to all types of ideologies and beliefs. 

“I got to study African-based religions even though there’s a lot of stigma around that. It was a really cool opportunity to get to know a little bit more about other religions other than Christianity.” 

This interest fit right in with Larissa.

“I love learning about the world we live in. I love listening to podcasts about science and watching documentaries. I’ve always been like this; my favorite channel as a kid growing up was Discovery Channel,” she says giggling.

A Planner and a Long Future

Her day revolves around her daily planner and caring for her health.

“I have a notebook where I take notes. I write down whatever I have to do on the day and the house such as meetings and any sort of medical appointments I have to do.”

When asked what she loves about Brafton, she said the flexibility and the chance to be proud of the work she’s creating.

“I like working at Brafton because of the balance I have. It’s very fun, exciting work and I can balance my personal life with all of the medical appointments I have. I get to explore more of my skills and still take care of myself.”  

After a moment of reflecting, she shares, “Near the end of 2020, I got diagnosed with cancer and it was shocking and scary. I think it was life telling me I need to take a break because I had been working nonstop up until then. After I got the opportunity to work at Brafton, I can now work in a job that I’m excited about and proud of and I can take more care of myself.”

Her planner isn’t just for meetings and deadlines, but for medication reminders and appointments as well. She’s in remission now and has taken charge of her life. Larissa works out and cares for her family every day. 

We’re so lucky to have this talented, creative and caring individual at Brafton. Everyone here can join in saying we’re all here to support you through each step of your life’s journey.