Meet Parisa Tashakori | Visual Designer & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Parisa Tashakori and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Parisa, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
When it comes to my impact on society or the people I’ve worked with, taught, or lived alongside, I shouldn’t speak for myself; it’s better to ask them. That said, from what I’ve heard—through my friends, students, and my fans who follow me on social media—I’ve become a role model for them, showing that, even in a difficult and restrictive society like Iran, we can still progress, gain independence, and stand on our own. Growing up in a patriarchal society was challenging, and there were certainly those who tried to hold me back. But the obstacles only made me stronger and more confident, fueling my drive to be a more helpful person for my family and my community. I’ve transformed my life through art and design, but this path is different for everyone. Of course, the support of family and friends is crucial and can propel us forward, but nothing is impossible with passion and hard work—we just have to keep going!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have dedicated my life to art and design. Practicing graphic design and visual arts for over 20 years, I am most proud that I have never compromised my ethics; every single project has mattered deeply to me. Money has never been a barrier to helping those who need my services. Also, the size of the projects never affected the quality of the design. Every order, from a poster for a play to a brand identity and a campaign for a cleaning product, was important to me.

I am also drawn by the artistic side of my career, and because of that, I never ‘watch the clock’ or limit my hours based on a fee—I simply want to contribute to my community’s success. My work is characterized by its ‘craft essence’ and heartfelt quality, so I haven’t needed to advertise; my projects attract new opportunities naturally through word of mouth.

I come from neither a wealthy nor a culturally privileged family; I used design as a tool to shape and organize my life. Design has allowed me to travel the world, speak at conferences, mentor diverse students across many countries, and meet amazing people from different cultures, some of whom are now my close friends. Through these experiences, I’ve shown the next generation how art, design, and education can serve as powerful forms of activism, amplifying the voices that are often unheard.

I’ve learned that our ‘calling’ evolves over time, and we should embrace that evolution. Whether you show up as a daughter, wife, sister, mother, designer, artist, or mentor, the most important thing is to embrace the journey—being a good person who can make mistakes, because we are not perfect, but we can still be game changers.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The next day, I plan to take them to Garden of the Gods, which I affectionately call the ‘Garden of Zen’ in my heart. Afterwards, we’ll visit the Red Rock amphitheater to experience the stunning natural open-air amphitheater that we all cherish.

I always make a point of visiting the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Botanic Garden. So we will visit those the next day and then eat at Ponti or go to Hopdoddy Burger Bar, as they have the best burgers and sweet potato fries, in my opinion 🙂

If it’s a First Friday, we’ll spend the morning there before heading to the Santa Fe Art District for the evening art walk, then finish at ReCreative Denver to buy some art supplies and second-hand jewelry, then eat at Tacos Selene Denver.

Since time is usually limited, they should see Boulder, and I will take them on a tour of Chautauqua or NCAR for a short hike. These are priorities, followed by a cup of cappuccino and a poppy-seed cinnamon roll at Trident cafe/bookstore to get a sense of Boulder’s intellectual-historical vibe. We will have a walkaround the Pearl and CU campus and will eat, maybe at Rosseta Hall or Pasta Jay, depending on our mood.

To conclude the trip, if they are up for a short trip, I will drive them to Gelenwood Hot Springs for a night at the 1888 hotel, offering a touch of luxury. They can then head straight from the hotel lobby to the hot spring to enjoy the cozy, romantic, magical steam.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This could be the perfect moment to express my gratitude to my older brother, Hamid. He has supported our entire family throughout our lives and selflessly cared for our parents after I moved to the U.S. in 2017. I am forever in his debt as he let me focus on my own adventurous life.

I’m deeply thankful for the guidance of my incredible professors, the support of my professional colleagues, and my amazing students, wherever I have worked with them. Each one has encouraged and motivated me to become a driven, intuitive designer.

Finally, I’m also grateful to the diverse clients who trusted me with a variety of projects throughout my career; their belief in my vision gave me incredible experiences that allowed me to build a rich and dynamic portfolio.

Website: https://www.parisatashakori.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisa.tashakori/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parisa-tashakori-51299731/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisa.tashakori/

Image Credits
Parisa Tashakori