Drawing identity with heart

Marino Di Camillo’s personal journey of identity, resilience, and creativity has shaped one of Australia’s most trusted branding and design agencies. His migration story, cultural roots, and commitment to authenticity helped built a company that thrived through decades of change.

There’s an Italian word layered with meaning far beyond its literal translation: disegno. At once referring to “drawing,” “design,” and “intention,” it captures the essence of what Disegno was always meant to be—a practice rooted in purposeful creativity, visual clarity, and cultural depth.

The company’s founder, Marino di Camillo, an Italian-born creative who migrated to Australia at the age of 12, began this journey not with a grand business plan, but out of sheer necessity.

“In the early ’90s, the recession hit hard,” he recalls. “I lost my job at an advertising agency, and I had to find a way to survive. A few people I had worked with—especially those at Leggo’s, where we had done branding for tomato paste and sauces—encouraged me to ‘go out on your own.’ So, I did.”

What began as Di Camillo Design quickly gained momentum. In 1995, he partnered with long-time collaborator and friend Alan Jane, and together they formed Disegno—a turning point that marked not just professional growth, but a deeper embrace of Italian heritage.

As a teenager in 1970s Australia, the founder, like many migrants, wrestled with his cultural identity. “When I arrived in Australia, I didn’t speak English. I didn’t want to be Italian. I just wanted to blend in.”

But life had other plans. Ironically, it was the very thing he once tried to suppress—his Italian heritage—became a unique asset in his professional life.

“When I started designing for Italian food brands, they appreciated my ability to intuitively understand their visual language. I didn’t have to explain the cultural subtext of red, green, white, or of rustic textures, or the romance around food. It was in my bones.”

That understanding led to more clients in the Italian food and beverage sector, both established and emerging. Slowly, the founder began weaving his cultural identity into the DNA of the business. The rebrand to Disegno—deliberately choosing the Italian word over a generic English descriptor—signalled that embrace.

“In a way,” he smiles, “I stopped hiding and started designing with pride.”

While many agencies leaned into advertising, PR, and quick-win campaigns, Disegno carved out a niche in pure branding: name development, logo design, packaging, and long-term visual identity.

“We weren’t trying to be everything to everyone. Our focus was on essence — on helping brands discover who they were, what they looked like, and how they could speak visually. And we did it through design, not spin.”

From boutique wineries to national food chains, Disegno’s client base grew organically through referrals. Trust, personal relationships, and consistent delivery became the company’s quiet but powerful strategy.

The founder is quick to note that this wasn't about ego or self-promotion. “We didn’t win awards. We didn’t chase press. We focused on our clients. That’s why many of them have stayed with us for decades.”

The founder’s recent health scare was a turning point, a moment that forced him to confront both his mortality and his legacy. “I started asking myself: What happens to Disegno when I’m not here?”

The answer came through mentorship. Aaron Turner, a long-time employee, had risen through the ranks to become a partner, embodying the very spirit of Disegno's culture and commitment.

“It wasn’t about finding a clone of me,” he explains. “It was about ensuring that the culture—our sense of integrity, of listening to clients, of not overpromising—would carry on.”

Today, he plays a more advisory role, gradually stepping back from daily operations while remaining a guardian of the brand spirit.

“It’s strange,” he admits. “You spend your whole life building something, and then you have to learn how to let go. But you also realise that if you’ve built it right, it can live without you—or at least, beyond you.”

Looking ahead, Marino sees both challenges and opportunities. Australian consumers have become more design-literate. Visual storytelling is now a vital part of every brand's survival. But the Italian aesthetic—rooted in elegance, simplicity, warmth—still has a strong place in the market.

“In an age of AI, quick content, and digital noise, people still crave authenticity. They want to know that what they’re buying—and who they’re buying from—has a soul. That’s where Italian design has always excelled.”

He’s currently working with his business partners on a series of internal documents to codify the company’s design philosophy—not as a rulebook, but as a compass.

“You can’t replicate every decision or intuition I had. But you can preserve the way of thinking that got us here.”

At its core, Disegno is a story of belonging and resilience—of turning displacement into distinction, building something special from shared values, and building a bridge between two cultures. A business born not just from strategy, but from the heart too.

 “Our journey wasn’t linear,” Marino says in closing. “But everything—the struggles, the identity crises, the lucky breaks—led to this. We didn’t just build Disegno. Disegno built us.”