Elise Motalli

My work sits at the intersection of visual communication and design thinking. I’ve worked across higher education, federal government and with design agencies, bringing a grounded understanding of how institutions communicate, what gets in the way, and how the right visual frame can cut through where words alone can’t.

A few projects I’m proud to have been apart of:

• Contributing to the Australian Design Council’s National Design Challenge, advising on design approaches to support the Bega Valley’s transition to Australia’s most circular region
• Serving on the Pearson Advisory Panel advising on design thinking in UK design education
• Judging the Sustainability category for the 2024 Australian Good Design Awards 

I don’t call myself an artist for good reason, I call myself a strategic illustrator. 

Adding the word ‘strategic’ for me helps define the motivation and intention – which is for the visual to have a desired impact.

The desired impact could be for either:

1. The leader who’s seeking stakeholder buy-in or alignment from either decision makers, clients, employees or external audiences on new strategies, programs or projects.
2. Or it might be a piece of work, such as a client project, 2026 organisational strategy or a new internal program

What they all have in common is a need for alignment, adoption and implementation and therefore greater impact on the people they serve and systems they involve. 

I’ve worked with CEOs of not-for-profits, Global ESG leads and Heads of Sustainability who are seeking greater impact and influence at various scales, including inside their organisation, for the client and their organisation, at the industry or sector level as well as recommendations to government. 

And for me, I’m so motivated by all those things.

So the ‘Illustrator’ part, the gift I’m born with, is my tool and vehicle for helping leaders communicate complex ideas.

I’m also a live illustrator, visually capturing the insights and discussions from events, workshops and conferences into an engaging visual summary – working with Allianz, JLL, Green Building Council of Australia, LaunchVic, City of Greater Geelong, Hume City Council, Australian Water Association, and more.